Old wood?

[BrooklynQ]

Last weekend we were cooking at a friends house that used to be his father's house using cherry wood from his father's wood pile. His father's been gone for about 3 years now. My buddy has no idea how long the wood's been there.

The wood wasn't rotted or wet, but it didn't seem to give off much heat. Can wood be to old to use?

[Bill The Grill Guy]

Originally Posted by BrooklynQ

Last weekend we were cooking at a friends house that used to be his father's house using cherry wood from his father's wood pile. His father's been gone for about 3 years now. My buddy has no idea how long the wood's been there.

The wood wasn't rotted or wet, but it didn't seem to give off much heat. Can wood be to old to use?

Yep, after a while wood looses its ability to produce sufficiant amounts of BTU's. I had some that was like that. Just mix it in with some newer stuff. No sence in waisting it.

[PantherTailgater]

Originally Posted by wdroller

Bill, please don't misunderstand me, but I really would like to know of any evidence you have re this. I mean if it's dry and not rotted.

Can't explain it scientifically but I know that Bill's right based on my experiences with fireplaces, wood stoves and outdoor wood grills that my dad used for years when I was a young man.

[bigwheel]

Well cheery wood aint fit to cook with when its just right let alone when it getting long in the tooth. Discover Oak sometime.

bigwheel

[Bill The Grill Guy]

Originally Posted by wdroller

Bill, please don't misunderstand me, but I really would like to know of any evidence you have re this. I mean if it's dry and not rotted.

Well wdroller, the only evidence I have is 14 years of seeing houses burn, 42 years of wood home heating and 7 years of cooking with wood. It is my experience that as wood gets older it looses its moister. Moister is what controls the heat and the "off burning" of wood. Its not the wood that burns, its the gas that wood gives off that burns. If you look at wood when its on fire, the flame is above the wood. Thats the gasses burning. As wood gets older and looses its moister, the gasses change chemicaly. Thats why an old house will burn fast and hot and a new house will burn slower but steady.

British thermal unit
n. (Abbr. BTU or Btu)
The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water from 60° to 61°F at a constant pressure of one atmosphere.

So, if there is less water in the wood, then the heat will be hotter and faster.

[wittdog]

[quote=Bill The Grill Guy]

Originally Posted by wdroller

Bill, please don't misunderstand me, but I really would like to know of any evidence you have re this. I mean if it's dry and not rotted.

Well wdroller, the only evidence I have is 14 years of seeing houses burn, 42 years of wood home heating and 7 years of cooking with wood. It is my experience that as wood gets older it looses its moister. Moister is what controls the heat and the "off burning" of wood. Its not the wood that burns, its the gas that wood gives off that burns. If you look at wood when its on fire, the flame is above the wood. Thats the gasses burning. As wood gets older and looses its moister, the gasses change chemicaly. Thats why an old house will burn fast and hot and a new house will burn slower but steady.

British thermal unit
n. (Abbr. BTU or Btu)
The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water from 60° to 61°F at a constant pressure of one atmosphere.

So, if there is less water in the wood, then the heat will be hotter and faster.[/quote:3npzwiuq]
And here I was thinking your were supposed to be stopping those houses from burning..

[Bill The Grill Guy]

[quote=wittdog]

Originally Posted by Bill The Grill Guy

Well wdroller, the only evidence I have is 14 years of seeing houses burn, 42 years of wood home heating and 7 years of cooking with wood. It is my experience that as wood gets older it looses its moister. Moister is what controls the heat and the "off burning" of wood. Its not the wood that burns, its the gas that wood gives off that burns. If you look at wood when its on fire, the flame is above the wood. Thats the gasses burning. As wood gets older and looses its moister, the gasses change chemicaly. Thats why an old house will burn fast and hot and a new house will burn slower but steady.

So, if there is less water in the wood, then the heat will be hotter and faster.

And here I was thinking your were supposed to be stopping those houses from burning.. [/quote:2al0p8f4]

Does a prize fighter just step into a ring without knowing his opponiant? Does a cop just start making arrests without knowing the laws. I dont think so. You have to know before getting in over your head.

[wittdog]

Does a BBQ man buy a thermopen that reads in C.........
Just having a little fun Bill...
Can you tell I'm back to work and as misrable as ever

[Bill The Grill Guy]

Originally Posted by wittdog

Does a BBQ man buy a thermopen that reads in C.........
Just having a little fun Bill...
Can you tell I'm back to work and as misrable as ever

Only when you can save 30 bucks. Besides, its not that hard to figure out. Even for a Yankee from NY. Well maybe not a Yankee from NY but I didnt have a problem.

[wittdog]

At least the other side of the Mt. has one that reads in F......
I can just see you know bill...overalls...and your boots off...trying to use your toes to do the conversion.... :P

[Bill The Grill Guy]

Originally Posted by wittdog

At least the other side of the Mt. has one that reads in F......
I can just see you know bill...overalls...and your boots off...trying to use your toes to do the conversion.... :P

Okay, I'll give ya the last word. But I do know my wood.

[wittdog]

Bill I agree with you inregards to old wood..not burning as well.

[Cliff H.]

Was the wood lite weight like Balsa comparatively speaking ?

[Rich Decker]

Robert, I agree almost 100% with Bill. As wood gets older and dries out it does burn faster, because it's dry. But the wood gets lighter and therefore you get less BTU's or heat out of each stick. I burn between 5-10 cords a year to heat my home. I think I heard that all wood has the same BTU's per pound. Heavier woods like hickory and apple have more BTU's per stick then something like popular.

I also think the flavor of the wood gets blander. That's why just about everyone doesn't like kiln dried wood. If it's the only thing you can get then use what you can.

I use cherry and like to split is as I need it. I cut the seasoned wood into chunks and keep the maul near the pit. Freshly split wood smells great and it's easier to split a few chunks at a time then a whole load.

[Captain Morgan]

so...does anyone cook with green/fresh cut wood? Why?

[Cliff H.]

I read somewhere that the Peach Kissed BBQ guy uses green peach wood.

[boar_d_laze]

A few people cook with green wood. There's a fair bit of discussion from the big boys about it too. But what isn't discussed is the fact that you need a BIG firebox to get away with it. Try it in a small offset or a WSM and the product will taste acrid and horrible; plus you and your guests will feel ill. Invite the boss.

Cookers with big fireboxes perform differently across a broad spectrum of paramaters than small fireboxes. One of the differences is that big fireboxes are simply less sensitive to bunk wood. Green wood in your 10' Klose? By all means. In your Silver Smoker? Are you nuts? The same is true for bark, doncha know? The longer I fool around with barbecue, the more aware I am of the differences imposed by different types of cookers.

Wild and black cherry's tastes are more consistent with fruit woods than non-fruit woods. In strength, about equal to maple or pecan, and richer than citrus, for instance. Cherry is incredibly good with fish on its own. For poultry or pork, cherry is okay on its own, but better in a blend.