Wet Wood

Ok, answering my own questions now...I DID look in the archives prior to posting, but dug further (like 16-17 posts down) and it seems Smokin' Okie is pretty adament about dry wood actually meaning dry, dry. Y'all read it the same? And is that your practice?

My mentor used dry hunks, dry chips or dry sawdust.
Never would he soak seasoned wood in his CS.
dick

My first smoker was an upright water smoker. It used an electrical element to smolder the wood chunks/chips and to heat the smoker itself. For this style unit, at least the one I owned, the book suggested soaking the wood chips/chunks for at least a 1/2 hour before putting in the smoker to keep them from burning up too quickly.

For the Cookshack smokers, you dont need to do this. The wood chunks are not in direct contact with the heat element and should always go in dry. I believe this is what is meant by dry wood. I know others have started with the same type of smoker I mentioned earlier and wondered about soaking the wood first.

Also, your right that the wood should be seasoned before using. It should not be "green, which I guess is what they call wood that isnt seasoned (dried) which would be from a fresh cut live tree.

Either way, dry wood chunks are the way to go.

Have fun!

Well, y'all are correct on one point - "don't soak the wood."

But, on the "green" wood or un-seasoned, wood, some folks here swear by using it. I asked the same question a few years back. Several responded that all they use is green wood - even competition cooks. My conclusion was, "don't knock it until you've tried it!"

Good luck!

I haven't reached the point of experimenting with anything other than seasoned wood..... or dry if you will.

I do take the bark off.... but I can't say that I can really discern a difference.

I do not soak wood like I used to with other smokers.

Green wood might take longer to get to the point where it produces a lot of smoke.... i.e. the meat might be hotter by the time the green wood starts smoking and if the meat is too warm it might not take the smoke as well.... but who knows... it might produce better results for some taste buds or certain meats.

I can only imagine that the dry wood usage that is recommended is the best way to smoke for most applications and is derived from thousands of hours of smoking experience.

Richard

Thanks everyone for your help and direction, and Thunderbyte, you're right about people who have come from other electric smokers...me included.. only knowing to soak the wood because we put it in direct contact with the heating elements. So, ok, I'll put in dry wood and see how it goes.

And I've always had the same concerns about bark, too. I don't think it smokes right, but wood is pretty pricey here and I hate to throw out half the bag because of the bark!

Anybody else out there with different experiences?

I would never recommend using green wood in the CS type smokers because of the production of creosote from green sap.

Other smokers that aren't as tight and insulated might be alright with any wood.

Thanks for the advice GLH. Maybe green wood is the cause of the 'black goop' referred to in another forum thread?

I'm supposing a sprig or two of rosemary now and again won't kill us though, would it?

No it won't, matter of fact, I am pretty sure rosemary and garlic cures most diseases.

Unless you think your wood came from trees that have been insecticide sprayed,I wouldn't worry about bark.

Just my $0.02

Hi Tom...uh, Southern California...palm trees.. cactus... My wood comes from a bag from Barbecue's Galore, and Heaven only knows before that!

I'd hope it was insecticide free, but there's no deciduous hardwood trees around here, and I'm not burning my plastic Christmas tree for nobody!