"GREEN" wood

Rafter R · May 2011

Can you use "green" pecan or cherry wood for smoking or does it need to cure?

The only wood I recall ever being specifically told to avoid using "green" is mesquite, because it will have a bitter smell and taste to it and will put a bitter "seasoning" that will not go away on/in whatever you burn it in. Rule of thumb two years curing on mesquite. I am no expert, this is just what I have been told.

So, what say yee great EggHead community? Are there other "green" woods to avoid?

SheepDog · May 2011

RR I'm no BGE expert, but I'll throw my two cents out there if your interested. I think another big issue may be the amount of heat output. Trying to get "green" wood of any type to burn is a bear, especially without the use of an accelerant.

The Naked Whiz · May 2011

I believe he was talking about using it as a smoking wood in chunks or chips, not as a fuel.

Carolina Q · May 2011

Green is fine for smoke wood. I've never heard about mesquite issues, but I live in CT - I will never see any green mesquite!

SheepDog · May 2011

The Naked Whiz wrote:

I believe he was talking about using it as a smoking wood in chunks or chips, not as a fuel.

ahhh He sure was... sorry was a little distracted by a 5 month old!

gdenby · May 2011

I think you need to let the wood cure in the burning Egg. I tried a big chunk of sappy green peach last spring. Took well over 30 minutes for the heavy white smoke to lift. Another chunk, dried for a year, did not increase the "white smoke" period, but moved into the good "blue" smoke in the usual 20 min.

BobS · May 2011

I think you will hear strong opinions both ways -- kind of the same way you get strong opinions about removing the bark or not.

Some people do not like hickory or especially mesquite, because it tends to be pretty strong. In a similar way, I think the answer here is partly whether you like the result or not. But there is certainly no harm in trying.

I used to use green hickory and thought it was great. That was before getting a BGE and I liked the fact that green wood had a tendency to smoke rather than burn.

I used green pecan and thought that was fine too. These days I use dry wood becase that is what I have, but I never take the bark off unless it wants to fall off on its own.

BobS · May 2011

I think you will hear strong opinions both ways -- kind of the same way you get strong opinions about removing the bark or not.

Some people do not like hickory or especially mesquite, because it tends to be pretty strong. In a similar way, I think the answer here is partly whether you like the result or not. But there is certainly no harm in trying.

I used to use green hickory and thought it was great. That was before getting a BGE and I liked the fact that green wood had a tendency to smoke rather than burn.

I used green pecan and thought that was fine too. These days I use dry wood becase that is what I have, but I never take the bark off unless it wants to fall off on its own.

The Naked Whiz · May 2011

A five month old what? :laugh:

Ripnem · May 2011

The advice I got was avoid mesquite.

Burn that stuff when it's green, that's when you'll get the best flavor.

lowercasebill · May 2011

i am not a mesquite fan ,, but as far as other woods ... myron mixon uses green and lots of folks [not me] soak their chips and chunks. . green should be fine ,,

"Sparky" · May 2011

I use apple and plum wood for smoking all the time.I trim pieces right off the trees in my yard,and throw them into the egg :ohmy:

Rafter R · May 2011

Yes using for smoke not fuel...

ahh to "bark" or not to "bark", that was my next question, you guys always provide the information relevant.

NO mesquite? :huh: Well that is all I have ever used, but you burn what is at hand. In West Texas ... that is mesquite. I see it for sale and find that odd, but then we have more than our share. OAK, Hickory, etc. you have to buy out here so I have never used it. My inlaws are in East Texas so I cut some limbs off thier roughly 70 feet tall Pecan tree and thought let's use that. I swear that things trunk has to be 4 feet in diameter! :woohoo:

I also got some cherry from a tree they removed. Father in law mentioned a stack of hickory on the back place ... I'll check that out tomorrow, if the fire ants and other "wood Bugs" have not infested it like they did the pecan branches that the wind provided at ground level :angry: .

Thanks for all your input. Ya'll are the best

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