moldy wood

Get a $3 chicken and try it out.

Easy test.

The wood is wet or it would not mold. Get it dry someway, like put it in the cookshack over night at 190 deg. Not in the firebox but on the racks. As long as the heat does not go over 215 deg for long the wood will not burn. In 24 hours the wood will be dry, white mold should brush off. If you see any black mold I would not use it, black mold run all the way through wood. White mold will grow to black mold if you do not dry the wood.

rt, do you mind telling us where you got the wood?

I had the same problem with my apple wood. It was still semi green when I got it and I cut it into 1" thick rounds. Stored those in one of those clear plastic storage containers they sell in discount houses.. the kind with a snap on lid. Well about 3 weeks after that I noticed the white haze on the wood. It smelled like mold.. just like you described. I used a wire brush on the chunks I wanted to use right away with NO ill effects. Left the lid OFF the woodbox till it was dried. Put the whole box outside in the sun during the day for several days and the white went away. So Im guessing.. the wood wasnt fully dried and molded. Ive since used up all that apple wood... twice. hehe

bob

the wood was bought on the internet, cookshack, I think. I keep it in a tightly covered container in the Garage. Thanks for the suggestions. When it stops raining, I will try 6to dry out. I will also try to bake some in 08 later. I have 30 lbs of butts cookin now, so it'll have to wait a while.

Thanks again.
RT

RT64,

Sounds like the wood may not have been completely dried when you recieved it. It may just need to be allowed to air dry. Most fruit trees have a good amount of sugar in the sap, and sugar is a great food for mold.