how long to dry hickory

[jfish63]

i have recently gained access to hickory trees that are being cut down and ran through a chipper. i am going to the site and taking the logs before they are ran through the chipper. Is there a smoking difference between smooth bark hickory and shag bark hickory? how long does the wood need to cure before I can use it?

[droller]

i have recently gained access to hickory trees that are being cut down and ran through a chipper. i am going to the site and taking the logs before they are ran through the chipper. Is there a smoking difference between smooth bark hickory and shag bark hickory? how long does the wood need to cure before I can use it?

I don't think you will notice any difference in the smoking characteristics of the hickories you mention. How long it will take to dry is a little more difficult to answer. If you split the logs into the size you will use in, say, an offset smoker and keep the wood under cover, it will be ready to use early next summer.

I have about 4 cords of hickory that I cut and split a year ago last May and then left uncovered to air dry. Smokes beautifully.

BTW, You will have a lot of fun splitting that hickory!:twisted:

[jfish63]

I cut it into 10 inch long pieces and it splits pretty easy. I have the char griller with the side fire box. I am assuming the wood should not be used for at least 6 months.

[david brace]

Droller leads you correctly...6 months is the least amount of time to dry for hickory. Up here in NY hickory is all over the place, and tough to split but gives a good flavor and aroma.

where you at, jfish ?

DB

[jfish63]

middletown ny

[david brace]

Why jfish, we're practically neighbors...I'm over here by West Point...just 35 minutes from Middletown..that is if it's the same middletown...by Rte 84 and 211 and 17M...my in-laws live off Kirbytown Rd...

DB

[Woodman]

I have some 3 year old hickory that is still hard and heavy. It seems to keep forever!

[cappy]

I have some 3 year old hickory that is still hard and heavy. It seems to keep forever!

Yeah, I get mesquite from my place in West Texas. It's so dry that there are still-standing mesquites that died 10 or 20 years ago, whitish-grey on the outside but once you cut into them they're bright red inside and hard as anything. Now that stuff makes some extremely hot, long-lasting coals.

[TexLaw]

Yep, that wood is just like the barbeque it produces: it's ready when it's ready. If you hit the wood and it sounds like a baseball bat, it's ready. If it sounds like a dull thud and it's heavy, it ain't.


TL

[jfish63]

Why jfish, we're practically neighbors...I'm over here by West Point...just 35 minutes from Middletown..that is if it's the same middletown...by Rte 84 and 211 and 17M...my in-laws live off Kirbytown Rd...

DB
that is the same middletown. Will using the hickory now leave a bad taste in the meat due to the high sap content?

[TexLaw]

Yep, it will. It needs to be seasoned, or it will not burn well or clean. Right now, if you tried to burn that stuff, it would sizzle like heck in your firebox. You could see moisture boiling out of it. You will drive yourself crazy trying to keep a good fire. You will sit there, cussing the wood, the fire, the pit, the meat, the green in the grass, and anything else you can think of.


TL

[jfish63]

Yep, it will. It needs to be seasoned, or it will not burn well or clean. Right now, if you tried to burn that stuff, it would sizzle like heck in your firebox. You could see moisture boiling out of it. You will drive yourself crazy trying to keep a good fire. You will sit there, cussing the wood, the fire, the pit, the meat, the green in the grass, and anything else you can think of.


TL
so it will have to be cowboy charcoal and store bought hickory chunks. oh and beer.

[TexLaw]

There's always a silver lining, and it usually is beer.


TL

[yakman]

so it will have to be cowboy charcoal and store bought hickory chunks. oh and beer.

You'll probably cuss just as much using the cowboy charcoal as you would using wet wood. I'd recommend using Royal Oak. My experience with cowboy wasn't too good and I think others here have had similar experiences.

[jfish63]

You'll probably cuss just as much using the cowboy charcoal as you would using wet wood. I'd recommend using Royal Oak. My experience with cowboy wasn't too good and I think others here have had similar experiences.
the cowboy charcoal has been the only kind I can find. At one time I could find Hickory charcoal that was the best.

[david brace]

There's Royal Oak over in Newburgh at Adam's Farms. I don't know about over in Middletown.

DB

[redneck cooker]

Cowboy charcoal sucks!! B&B Lump the only way to go, cause its made in Texas

[jfish63]

Cowboy charcoal sucks!! B&B Lump the only way to go, cause its made in Texas

I guess I have to do a search on cowboy charcoal on this site. I have never had a problem with it. The absolute best I have ever found was Hickory charcoal out of Hickory NC. I was able to find it for 2 years. It looked they chopped up a hickory tree burned it until it was charcoal and threw it in a bag, good stuff.
Maybe I should just use the Ash I have stacked in the back.

[bigwheel]

Well I hate to be unpatriotic but I can't stand B&B charcoal. It smudged up my yard bird something turrible one time whilst using it in the chicken blaster. The mesquite version pops like Orville Reddenbackers popping corn. I take Ozark Oak any old day for fast cooking type stuff. Mexican mesquite in the 40 lb bags for big jobs.

bigwheel


Cowboy charcoal sucks!! B&B Lump the only way to go, cause its made in Texas

[Bad Santa]

I have to agree about Cowboy Brand, was some pretty sorry stuff. I've recently been using Original Charcoal Co. "Rancher" brand lump briquette and have been impressed by it's burn time, flavor impart, and total burn up. Besides at 3 bucks for 20 lbs. it's very hard to beat.

[peps]

I have to agree about Cowboy Brand, was some pretty sorry stuff. I've recently been using Original Charcoal Co. "Rancher" brand lump briquette and have been impressed by it's burn time, flavor impart, and total burn up. Besides at 3 bucks for 20 lbs. it's very hard to beat.


where are you getting that Santa, Im just about out of the B&B and wouldnt mind trying something else.

oh, and congrats, I heard Selma had another youngen....

[Bad Santa]

Of all places Home Depot been selling it as a special item and priced at 2.99 for 20 lbs. Have seen where others have posted where their area stores were already out of it and thought to be a 1 time deal.
Read the write up and testing that the Charcoal Wizard did on it, so went and bought 120lbs of it and have really liked it. Some folks said they got it for 1.99 a bag. Good luck if you find some.

[Woodman]

Peps, If you are coming to Q-fest, I believe they have a factory or warehouse nearby. I think you can buy wholesale there. I know a bunch of guys did that last year.

[yakman]

jfish,

Do you have a Wallymart in your neck of the woods? Not sure where you hale from, but Wallymart in our area carries Royal Oak. I've been happy with that product. Tried cowboy and a couple other brands of lump charcoal and found the burn times were poor or the bags had stuff in it that I didn't want to see (i.e., fiberglass insulation). In one case the lump charcoal from one brand gave off such a terrible tar smell that I declined to use it. Almost smelled like it was treated wood of some kind. I've gone through my share of Royal Oak in the grill this year and haven't run into any problems.

The following link with information on lump charcoal has been posted here before, but you might want to check it out:

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpindexpage.htm?bag

[redneck cooker]

I agree Bad Santa, Rancher brand from home Depot is good charcoal for the money, low ash and long burn times.