Advice on buying a rick of wood.

jamespt

I want to buy  wood and was looking on craiglist which has it in the size of a rick, which is way more than I need. I will be dividing the wood with at least 6 other and the list continues to grow. I have never bought wood in a rick size. Would that work for smoking? I assume it would work. What are your thoughts? Are there any issues that I should be aware of? I've read that the wood should be seasoned or dried out. Another concern is that most chunks are approximately 16 inches long? 

dan1944

Do not know but would like to have this info tks

DanO08

Generally wood is cut to a length of 16 inches and stacked in a cord. A cord is 4 feet tall by  8 feet long by 4 feet deep. This is roughly 3 rows of wood deep. Volume on a cord is 128 cubic feet. The Rick is a face or one row of a cord. So 4 feet tall by 8 foot long. A lot of time when you buy wood split for fires the sizes of each piece will very dramatically and is not good size for smoking. You will probably have to spend some time splitting the wood down to size. Depending on how much you cook I wouldn't add more than 6 people to your order if you want to have enough wood to last awhile.  You definitely need the wood to be seasoned. Preferably the would needs to be split for a year to season up. 6 months is my minimum for my fire place and there is still moisture  in the wood. For smoking to get a good cook I need a year. But that is all dependent on the size of the cuts of wood too. If you are going to cut it to small chunks then it should season in just a few months. 

I would be leary of purchasing wood off Craigslist.  Generally the person isn't really going to know what kind it is and just making a guess. They also don't know what to look for, you could end up with bugs that can effect the cooks or even infest your vegetation at your house. Virtually all tree companies sell wood for a reasonable price. I would recommend buying from them. They also usually sell smaller cuts for those of who smoke.

stlcharcoal

YukonRon

This is two ricks. Seasoned one year. Check the "face" of the cut log for splits. If it has those natural cracks or splits, generally the wood is seasoned enough to use.

Moleman

Surface cracks don't mean much as to dryness. You can buy a cheap moisture meter at harbor freight for about $15.00. You need to check it on a fresh split. Meaning you need to split a piece in half and go with the grain to see if it's dry. Most people on craigslist regretfully advertise as dry and they are not. I have learned from experience. Good luck. 

JustineCaseyFeldown

You don't need to season it to smoke with it fwiw (but you sure do for burning in a woodstove or fireplace)

YukonRon

JustineCaseyFeldown said:

You don't need to season it to smoke with it fwiw (but you sure do for burning in a woodstove or fireplace)

Absolutely. When I use wood for smoking, i do not like it as if it were kiln dried. I use a lot of peach, pecan and sugar maple. Too dry and it tastes more bitter to me.

Hans61

compare prices, make sure the seller knows what kind of wood he has. I bought a 1/4 cord for backyard fires at my house. The seller, who was very nice, had a huge lumber pile, he had no idea what types of wood he had. For cooking I'd want to know what I was using. For campfires I don't care as much.

bhedges1987

A 1/3 cord split by 6 people is pretty tiny.  I guess unless your cutting it in chunks for your egg and then it would last a while. 

bhedges1987

If you buy cherry off Craig's list they can't scam you. Stuff smells strong !

MaskedMarvel

fishlessman

only problem is if the pieces are too big fot say a miter saw or whatever saw you have. be aware they probably used a chain saw and there will be some chain oil soaked in. not really a problem for me. buy 4 cord and build one of these, mine will be full this weekend, mostly oak and maple

YukonRon

fishlessman said:

only problem is if the pieces are too big fot say a miter saw or whatever saw you have. be aware they probably used a chain saw and there will be some chain oil soaked in. not really a problem for me. buy 4 cord and build one of these, mine will be full this weekend, mostly oak and maple

Nice. Perfect for seasoning wood with all the vented sides. Another project on the horizon for me.

nolaegghead

MaskedMarvel

Focker

I have bought wood off CL, gotten wood from friends, and have recently found a great hardwood operation in IA.  A field guide similar to, like a Mushrooms Demystified, would be great for identification.

Best advice, learn about the species and cut sizing, so you know what you're getting.  My dealings so far have been great.  I know 100% what I am getting.  If I don't, I walk.  Have just missed, by hours, a free pear tree that was already cut.  People will post free stuff just to move it.  CL is worth a look for sure. 

My setup consists of a few free Quikrete pallets from my guys at Lowe's, and two Harbor Freight tarps that were $6 each.  I leave the sides open for airflow, and use a few extra patio pavers to keep the tarp in place. 

Oh, and buy this and Stihl BioPlus Bar Lube.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BANMUY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For the little amount of wood a BGE burns through, you may want to stick to the bags at the store.  Even divided, this is a sh!t ton of wood to egg with. 

Focker

bhedges1987 said:

If you buy cherry off Craig's list they can't scam you. Stuff smells strong !

What does it smell like?
Could never tell an odor difference from fresh cut or seasoned black cherry, wild cherry, apple, mulberry.  Reddish hue, and the bees loving it, are more of a giveaway.  

It is my preferred KBQ wood choice, a pleasant aroma.  It can also put on a nice hue to your que for presentation, the main reason I go to it.  It's pretty hard to decipher burning smokewoods.  Kind of cute at times, the guys pairing Noah's Ark chunks with lamb. 

FarmerTom

One more point to consider.  Here in Ky. there is a ton of wood from ash trees on the market due to almost all our ash trees having been destroyed by the emerald ash borer.  Most are now doted and rotten even if standing.  It has always been one of my favorite woods to cut for firewood since it splits so easily.  However, it is now difficult to find an ash tree that is still solid.  Many property owners are giving the wood away to anyone willing to cut and remove it.  I would want to make a close inspection of any firewood before I purchased it.  

bhedges1987

Focker said:

bhedges1987 said:

If you buy cherry off Craig's list they can't scam you. Stuff smells strong !

What does it smell like?
Could never tell an odor difference from fresh cut or seasoned black cherry, wild cherry, apple, mulberry.  Reddish hue, and the bees loving it, are more of a giveaway.  

It is my preferred KBQ wood choice, a pleasant aroma.  It can also put on a nice hue to your que for presentation, the main reason I go to it.  It's pretty hard to decipher burning smokewoods.  Kind of cute at times, the guys pairing Noah's Ark chunks with lamb. 

fresh cut cherry smells really sweet - almost like watermelon.  I can smell it when I walk out my back door and the wood pile is a good 30ft from the door.

I have a particularly strong sense of smell though.