What is the best wood to use for BBQ?

Hickory
Hickory. This is the “universal wood” used in BBQ and meat smoking. It’s the popular choice because it can deliver near perfect results and can be easily obtained. The flavor of hickory wood is described as savory, hearty, with almost a bacony tang to it.

Can you use any wood for BBQ?

Generally speaking, any wood that is hard and free of resin (or sap) is good for making smoke. If the tree makes fruit or nuts you enjoy eating, then the wood is typically good for smoking. Some wood, of course, makes better smoke than others.

How much is a cord of BBQ wood?

Cord costs vary across the country, but in general you can expect to pay between $120 and $180 for a cord of hardwood that is split and seasoned. While this is the average cost, many consumers can expect to pay more, especially in winter. In some places in the U.S. costs can be as high as $220 to $400 per cord.

Is it better to BBQ with wood?

Wood can also burn faster than charcoal, so you’ll have to replenish your chips more often. Slow to Heat: Flavor-packed BBQ comes at a price—it can take longer for the wood chips to heat up and longer for the food to cook, making it less practical for those who are hosting barbecues or want food prepared quickly.

What kind of wood should you not cook over?

Type of Wood Dried hardwoods, fruitwoods, and nut woods, are the best for cooking. Softwoods such as pine, redwood, fir, cedar and cypress are not ideal for cooking because they contain terpenes and sap. This gives the meat a bad flavor.

Is grilling with wood bad for you?

A growing body of research suggests that cooking meats over a flame is linked to cancer. Combusting wood, gas, or charcoal emits chemicals known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Exposure to these so-called PAHs is known to cause skin, liver, stomach, and several other types of cancer in lab animals.

What wood should you not burn?

Watch out for any wood covered with vines. Burning poison ivy, poison sumac, poison oak, or pretty much anything else with “poison” in the name releases the irritant oil urushiol into the smoke.

How much is a pickup truck load of wood?

A standard, full cord of wood is a volume of 128 cubic feet, measured as a pile 8 feet long, 4 feet high and 4 feet wide. A full cord can weigh up to 5,000 pounds. Small Pickup — 1/4 ton With or without racks this truck bed holds approximately 1/2 (one-half) cord of wood. Two load tickets required.

What does a 1/2 cord of wood look like?

A 1/2 cord of firewood is an amount of wood that fills a space equal to 4 feet long, 4 feet high, and 4 feet deep. How much do I need?

Is it better to BBQ with charcoal or wood?

Charcoal burns hotter than wood. This is because there’s less moisture in it. Wood has an energy value of between 14 & 18MJ/kg when burned, whereas charcoal has a value of 29MJ/kg, so it packs a punch and burns hotter and longer. Charcoal doesn’t give off smoke.

Can firewood be too old?

Practically speaking, firewood never gets too old. If it’s kept dry and stacked properly, firewood could last for 10+ years. However, firewood does decompose (and can even mold) when it’s exposed to the elements or stored improperly.

Is it OK to cook over pine wood?

Generally speaking, pine is not a good firewood choice to cook with. Pine is a softwood that’s full of resin. The flammable resins inside the wood work great for starting a fire (as kindling), but as they burn they occasionally give off a black sooty smoke. This sooty smoke will make your food taste bad.