Wood question

[Chili Head]

I have access to a 5 foot tall base of a cherry tree. All I would need to do is cut it down and chop it into small pieces. My question is: would this part of the tree be good for using in the drum? I know the limbs is what I've seen people using. What do ya think?

 

[cragcrawler]

I'm no professional but I "wood" use it. Sorry had to do that.

I would dry and age it a bit and cut off the bark. The bark is where critters have done their business, mold, and other nasties can be. Bark can produce off flavors because of it. Just my two cents anyway.


Marcus

 

[wneill20]

I would use it, I have a stick burner and I'm always cutting little peaces of logs for my drum.

 

[Salmonsmoker]

Chili,

Was the cherry tree grafted? If so, the trunk section below the grafting union may be a different grafting root stock and not cherry.

 

[Chili Head]

Ok you lost me at grafted lol.
I'll google it and get back to ya.

 

[Chili Head]

I understand what grafting is now. Is there a way to tell by looking? The portion still in the ground is bigger than I can get my arms around and is about 4 - 5 foot tall. The tree has been cut for at least 7 years. I'm going to cut into it next week to make sure it isn't rotten.

 

[Salmonsmoker]

Chili,
If there aren't any of the lower branches left on the trunk to see the graft unions it would be hard to tell. I think by the diameter you describe, it just may be a Wild American Cherry. Naturally growing in the US-the wood that all that fine cherry furniture and finish materials are made from. If it is such, you've got a long term supply of smoking wood. When you cut it, sand it, plane it, if cherry, will have a sweet spicy aromatic smell.(I'm a wood worker-I can smell it in my mind as I type this) Certainly worth the time to find out.

 

[Chili Head]

Nice!
I'll keep you posted.

 

[scooter]

Sure, I would use it. And I think you only need to dry/age wood you intend to burn in a fire to get cooking coals from. If you're going to turn it into chunks to throw on top of your coals for smoke then fresh cut wood which has a higher moisture content produces more smoke.
I cut down a couple small cherry trees on my brother's property. Turned it into chunks and used in my WSMs. Was great smoking wood right after it was chopped down.