Removing bark from smokewood

I have always removed the bark from my smoking wood. I've heard from different sources that the bark can cause bitterness. I spoke with a guy once at the local bbq store who didn't understand why his food was bitter when burning chunks of wood but not when using the wood chips( chips don't have bark). I don't know if there is an ultimate authority on this, but I just remove the bark anyway!

I always remove the bark before smoking.

that bark will leave your meat barkin'!

In my former woodburning life, we would leave the bark on, but we would not add it to the fire until it was fully involved, no raw logs into the firebox.

Bark does seem to have more going on than straight wood.

Hardly a scientific argument against it, however. I think any raw wood will impart a bitter flavor until it is burning right. Also, it could be a function of the quantity of smoke.

Good luck!

So far, 3 "remove" 1 "doesn't matter".

I'm the latter. My thinking is if you want to remove it, remove it. In the small quantities we use in a CS, I don't think it matters.

I also didn't have a problem with bark when I use a stick burner.

If you want, just run an experiment and let your own tastes tell you.

Smokin'

I think maybe someone used some wood with moldy or mildewey bark once or twice and decided it was the bark causing the bad flavor and it went off like a bad rumour everafter.

I never remove the bark from my wood unless it has mold or moss, then I just toss the whole piece. No complaints about my Q. IMO, removing the bark is excess labor and a waste of time.

I used to have a lot of friends that removed the "bite", which is the small fibery piece that runs down the middle of the tree, because it seemed to affect the smoke. However, over time, most of us learned that the bark was worse than the bite...

I'm with Smokin',about not complicatin' the process.

Now if you fear poison sprays,or your neighbor and his dog might be relievin' themselves on the wood pile,or you're bored on rainy days-I guess it can't hurt none.

Just my $0.02

Fishslayer,

Other than molded bark, as mentioned above, the only wood that I know which requires removing the bark is Alder and it must be stripped when it is cut. When stripped the wood has a smooth blond look that is perfect for hot or cold smoking salmon. I have a good supply of Alder, but prefer red or white bay wood for fish.

smokemullet

I'm a bark remover. Mostly because it just sits there not smoking, not burning, not smoldering, unless you're doing a fire big enough that would incinerate anything, and then after you've tossed on half a cord of wood, who cares if there's some bark on it. In the CS I want that 'little bit' of wood to do all that it can. And by the way, for me that's become nearly exclusively apple.

Oh and bark/bite...funny KCAL!!

Thanks, TO...I was hoping all that BS hadn't gone to waste!

KCAL, Maybe this should be a private question, and if so answer me privately...but, are you associated with KCAL TV station out here? Or is there a KCAL radio station on which you are a 'boss jock' (Bos Jacio). Or what is the handle? Curious is all.

TO-

Not affiliated with the tv station (I do dress up like that weathergirl on weekends, but that's another story).

Knew someone in an Army tank unit with the motto "Fulmen Jacio" (I Hurl the Thunderbolt), and always thought it was cool. I did not want to insult anyone who had earned that motto or trivialize it in any way, so I found something more BBQ appropriate "Bos Jacio" (I Hurl the Beef). Too much time on my hands, huh?

KCAL,

That's funny!

I remember a small unit of reservists that worked in a headquarters building, they had a motto (from memory, which aint so good): "Quien Est Este Populus?" which roughly translated to, "Who are these people?".

Well KCAL, I NEVER would have figured all that out! I do like the I hurl the beef, though. I'm just trying to be sure my beef doesn't make my guests hurl!