Wood chunks...

[Ernie3]

Hey brothers, I am very new to this still soooooooo, this may be a really stupid question...Did I read in a previous post that you should remove the bark off of the wood before using it to smoke:?: And YES I am drinking:-D

 

[MilitantSquatter]

no need to take the bark off...

 

[big blue bbq]

I have heard it argued both ways, (imagine hearing that on this site), but I always try to not have bark on mine. Seems to burn a little cleaner, but if you heat the wood ahead of time it doesn't matter too much.

 

[MilitantSquatter]

Here's why I say don't take the bark off...

1) It's time consuming to remove the bark

2) If I cooked the two of the same meats in the same smokers and used the same type of wood, with the only exception being cooked with bark and also without bark, it think it would be a shot in the dark for anyone accurately tell which one was cooked with the bark on or off as they would most probably taste very similar.

 

[BBQ_MAFIA]

I don't see any need to take the bark off.
But then again, what do I know.

 

[Solidkick]

I'd be more concerned about you making sure that your wood is warm and you get instant ignition so you don't get bad smoke. I don't think the bark really matters if the wood lights rigt away....if it smolders....yuck!

 

[VitaminQ]

I never de-bark, and have noticed no ill effects.

 

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

For what this may be worth, according to Jamie Purviance on Weber's
http://www.livefirewisdom.com/tips_tech.htm

" Wood chunks with the bark still attached can overwhelm red meat with bitter, acrid aromas. If you can, cut off the bark, or just skip those chunks altogether."

He might just be perpetuating a myth, but I follow it using the "Can't hurt" logic of taking it off.

I wish there was some reliable scientific basis for deciding whether to remove bark or not.

 

[parrothead]

Rule of thumb. If it comes off easy, remove it. If not then oh well, it's going in the fire.

 

[Bill-Chicago]

He might just be perpetuating a myth

Or he could be pissed his parents named him Jamie

 

[The_Kapn]

Rule of thumb. If it comes off easy, remove it. If not then oh well, it's going in the fire.

That's it from here also.
(At least in the olden days when I burned wood larger than a rabbit dropping) :lol:

TIM

 

[Harbormaster]

And Ernie, don't use a hatchet to take off the bark if you've been drinking.

Friends don't let friends debark drunk.

Remeber that.

 

[Ron_L]

Friends don't let friends debark drunk

:biggrin:

Here's another look at the bark... When the wood was a tree (yeah, Phil... Wood was a tree at one time. It wasn't born split and stacked :-D), what part of the tree did all of the dogs relieve themselves on?

Seriously, I agree with Parrothead. If it comes off easily then I take it off. If it has lots of mold, etc, and I can't get the bark off I toss that chunk into another pile for camp fires, etc.

 

[AlabamaGrillBillies]

Put me in the camp of "if it comes off easy" otherwise I cook with bark on. However I do make a big distinction if the bark has any kind of mold or growth on it, that chit has to come off.

 

[Ernie3]

LOL Harbormaster....Thanks for all the info guys, and Happy Memorial Day!:-D

 

[ibait2fish]

yup...do whatcha have to, and be carefull...

 

[Single Fin Smoker]

What are you drinking?