Choosing and finding wood

[Fire Wood Pizzero]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Thanks. I just made four Pizzas last night with the Mahogany. The only problem was there were to much moisture in the wood. After last nights firing I stored more pieces inside the oven and today they look dry enough. Mahogany here is abundant which I pick at a local sawmill for free. No complains!!!

[Tscarborough]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

I am a wood slut, pardon my French. I beg, borrow, or pick up from the side of the road any free wood I can. I draw the line at milled lumber or shrubs. I have a 3 year supply of dried oak stacked in my yard, but it has to be split.

[Archena]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

MAHOGANY FOR FIREWOOD. - Article - NYTimes.com

Evidently not - but why would you want to burn such a beautiful wood?

[Fire Wood Pizzero]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Any information about using Mahogany? It is a very hard wood but can't find whether or not the fumes area toxic.

[Roy acuff]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Hello.

It looks pretty good for me.
thanks for shearing.

[goorpoo]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

HI every budy... I live were you can cut your own dryed standing trees... hard maple oak cherry and apple..

[dublintom]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

I have just completed the dome so am not at fire building yet but wondering if anyone uses their oven after cooking to dry out fresh wood. Would there be any problems with this like leaving a lot of sap behind?

[asimenia]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Found this on the internet
as hubby wanted to use some of the woods with toxins as the grow in Greece - think we have to stick to olive trees

ALDER - Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds.

ALMOND - A sweet smoke flavor, light ash. Good with all meats.

APPLE - Very mild with a subtle fruity flavor, slightly sweet. Good with poultry (turns skin dark brown) and pork.

ASH - Fast burner, light but distinctive flavor. Good with fish and red meats.

BIRCH - Medium-hard wood with a flavor similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.

CHERRY - Mild and fruity. Good with poultry, pork and beef. Some List members say the cherry wood is the best wood for smoking. Wood from chokecherry trees may produce a bitter flavor.

COTTONWOOD - It is a softer wood than alder and very subtle in flavor. Use it for fuel but use some chunks of other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor. Don't use green cottonwood for smoking.

CRABAPPLE - Similar to apple wood.

GRAPEVINES - Tart. Provides a lot of smoke. Rich and fruity. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.

HICKORY - Most commonly used wood for smoking--the King of smoking woods. Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavor. Good with pork, ham and beef.

LILAC - Very light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb.

MAPLE - Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds.

MESQUITE - Strong earthy flavor. Good with beef, fish, chicken, and game. One of the hottest burning woods.

MULBERRY - The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple.

OAK - Heavy smoke flavor--the Queen of smoking wood. RED OAK is good on ribs, WHITE OAK makes the best coals for longer burning. All oak varieties reported as suitable for smoking. Good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game.

ORANGE, LEMON and GRAPEFRUIT - Produces a nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.

PEAR - A nice subtle smoke flavor. Much like apple. Excellent with chicken and pork.

PECAN - Sweet and mild with a flavor similar to hickory. Tasty with a subtle character. Good with poultry, beef, pork and cheese. Pecan is an all-around superior smoking wood.

SWEET FRUIT WOODS - APRICOT, PLUM, PEACH, NECTARINE - Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.

WALNUT - ENGLISH and BLACK - Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and game.

Other internet sources report that wood from the following trees is suitable for smoking: AVOCADO, BAY, CARROTWOOD, KIAWE, MADRONE, MANZANITA, GUAVA, OLIVE, BEECH, BUTTERNUT, FIG, GUM, CHESTNUT, HACKBERRY, PIMIENTO, PERSIMMON, and WILLOW. The ornamental varieties of fruit trees (i.e. pear, cherry, apple, etc.) are also suitable for smoking.

Types of wood that is unsuitable or even poisonous when used for grilling. Don't use any wood from conifer trees, such as PINE, FIR, SPRUCE, REDWOOD, CEDAR, CYPRESS, etc.

There are many trees and shrubs in this world that contain chemicals toxic to humans--toxins that can even survive the burning process. Remember, you are going to eat the meat that you grill and the smoke particles and chemicals from the wood and what may be on or in the wood are going to get on and in the meat. Use only wood for grilling that you are sure of.

If you have some wood and do not know what it is, DO NOT USE IT FOR GRILLING FOOD. Burn it in your fireplace but not your smoker.

Also ELM and EUCALYPTUS wood is unsuitable for smoking, as is the wood from SASSAFRAS, SYCAMORE and LIQUID AMBER trees.

Here are some more woods that you should not to use for smoking:

Never use lumber scraps, either new or used. First, you cannot know for sure what kind of wood it is; second, the wood may have been chemically treated; third, you have no idea where the wood may have been or how it was used. For all you know, that free oak planking could have been used in a sewage treatment plant.

Never use any wood that has been painted or stained. Paint and stains can impart a bitter taste to the meat and old paint often contains lead.
Do not use wood scraps from a furniture manufacturer as this wood is often chemically treated.

Never use wood from old pallets. Many pallets are treated with chemicals that can be hazardous to your health and the pallet may have been used to carry chemicals or poison.

Avoid old wood that is covered with mold and fungus that can impart a bad taste to your meat.
__________________

[heliman]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Just a follow up on this post: http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/16/c...html#post79322

I used 3 pieces of this wood over the weekend and after only a few weeks of drying I was surprised to find that it burned very well and produced a good coal. There was very little sap coming out of the ends so it looks like I will be able to use it to supplement the regular wood right away.

[Archena]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Whoops! Should have been four feet, not sixteen inches. [Note to self: when copying someone else's measures make sure it's actually the one you're looking for. And no more math before 8 am for me!]

I guess the length does matter, huh?

[GotRocks]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Um, no, I get cubic measure, metric or standard. It's the 'length doesn't matter' part that makes no sense. It matters if for no other reason than a large pile of random lengths would be nearly impossible to organize let alone visualize into a cube.

A cord is merely 4' x 8' x 16" - nothing difficult to visualize there if you're used to standard. A cubic meter is just 1m x 1m x 1m - also easy to visualize, granted, but a much smaller mass.

I am not trying to bust balls, but your measurements posted are only 1/3rd of a cord.

[Archena]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Um, no, I get cubic measure, metric or standard. It's the 'length doesn't matter' part that makes no sense. It matters if for no other reason than a large pile of random lengths would be nearly impossible to organize let alone visualize into a cube.

A cord is merely 4' x 8' x 16" - nothing difficult to visualize there if you're used to standard. A cubic meter is just 1m x 1m x 1m - also easy to visualize, granted, but a much smaller mass.

[heliman]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

Australian Bottlebrush....

I helped a neighbour cut down a Bottlebrush tree in his front garden today and he offered me some of the wood for the WFO.

It was a dense wood and a lot drier than the gum that I got recently.

Just wondering if anyone has used Australian Bottlebrush in a WFO.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

What is the metric equivalent of a cord of wood?

1 Cubic Metre is about 36 cu ft

I pay $75.00 per full-cord (128 cu-ft)

[brickie in oz]

Re: Choosing and finding wood

I think you are all thinking too hard about Metric?

Cut the 2M length in half, even in if just in theory, its still part of a cubic Metre..

Metric is far easier to work out once you get your head around it, in fact its 12 times easier.