Red Oak for Smoking Wood?

[Rick N Bama]

I now have access to plenty of freshly cut Red Oak. I'm wondering if any of you have used it as a BBQ Wood? FWIW I have a Kamado Joe (think Big Green Egg) that I use for grilling & smoking.

Rick

[Mooseman]

It is great smoking wood. I used it for smoked Mullet down in Florida and it was excellent.

It does need to be dry and well seasoned .

[Moonie]

I don't think fresh cut is a good idea to use, it should be seasoned at least for several months before use, longer if not split.

[Rick N Bama]

Red oak? I wouldn't, I would have no problem with white oak

Why would you not use it? I am reading that it needs to be seasoned for about 3 years before using it.

There's some White Oak yet to be cut which I also plan on getting.

The wood is split & tomorrow I plan on cutting it up into chunks kinda like you see at the box stores, etc. I already do my own Hickory & Apple. I also have some Pecan to cut up.

Thanks

Rick

[Able 5]

Why would you not use it? I am reading that it needs to be seasoned for about 3 years before using it.

There's some White Oak yet to be cut which I also plan on getting.

The wood is split & tomorrow I plan on cutting it up into chunks kinda like you see at the box stores, etc. I already do my own Hickory & Apple. I also have some Pecan to cut up.

Thanks

Rick

Red oak is more pungent than white oak. Just like the acorns. I would save it for the fire place and stick with the others you mentioned. be safe out there

[44man]

I have a great book about woods. There is no distinction between oaks. It says it is mild with heavy smoke and no after taste. Good for everything.
I would try the red oak to see.
Smoking wood is like booze. Some hate Scotch but I can't get enough.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

The old saying is you can use any friut or nut wood.
Oaks make nuts, that's for sure.

BUT, Oak is high in Tannic acid. It may impart more of a sour taste then other woods. Maybe that's what you want ? maybe not.

I mostly use unseasoned wood for smoking meats. My fav is using all the twigs trimmed from my apple trees in the springtime. they are still green and wet. but on the other side of that, I've used mesquite wood I picked up in TX while visiting my folks, that log was dead for a decade before I got it...and it worked great. I also really like sugar Maple ;) ...unseasoned preferably.

Now to my experience with Red Oak. while a hard wood, the Red Oaks around my home town grow quite fast compared to White Oaks. They easily succumb to the disease Oak Wilt. when they die from that, they die fast...like 3 weeks and all the leaves are brown/gone(depending on time of year)...6 months and bark is falling off (while they are still standing).
lastly once they are cut, if not split right away, they'll rot from the inside out in a year or so...unlike any other Oak I've ever cut. Grow fast...die fast. So if you tree died from oak wilt, I'd split it right away.
I've never used red oak for smoking meat...so good luck,
Jon

[jonas302]

You bet it will smoke some good meat try a bit to make sure its to your liking

I just keep a pail by the wood splitter and save those peices of oak maple and ash that that break off while your splitting throw them in the basment and use when dry

[Rick N Bama]

Thanks for your opinions guys. I'll have to use it just to see how it does if nothing else. Hopefully it'll suit our taste.

Rick

[Reloader06]

That Kamado is one of the greatest BBQ's/Smokers ever made. Mine dates from 1963-64

Matt

[Leslie Sapp]

It's great cooking wood, just make sure it's well seasoned. If green, it will impart a tannic, acidic taste to the meat.

[375RUGER]

Oak is good. We have Black Jacks in OK and that is good smoker wood. You probably have those in NA too.
Red oak- try it- you might like it.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Only use I found Red Oak was good for, for me, was to use the dried branches for making canes. Had an elderly lady that raised hereford cattle once tell me that the cane I made her was strong enough to bring a bull down to talking terms with only 1 swat across his poll and not break the cane!Robert

[Rick N Bama]

That Kamado is one of the greatest BBQ's/Smokers ever made. Mine dates from 1963-64

Is yours a Kamado-Kamado? Kamado Joe is basically the same cooker, however the company has only been in business 3 or 4 years. I understand the guys that founded the company were former Big Green Egg employees. We love it! I can sear Steaks at 800° or smoke Pork Butts for 18 hours at 225°. My Pulled Pork is really hard to beat if I may say so.

Matt


It's great cooking wood, just make sure it's well seasoned. If green, it will impart a tannic, acidic taste to the meat.

I'm reading that it needs to be seasoned for around 3 years. Mine has been cut into small chunks that I have stored in the Milk Crate boxes so I'm hoping it'll be ready to use by this time next year. In the meantime, I have plenty of Hickory & Pecan to tide me over:)


Oak is good. We have Black Jacks in OK and that is good smoker wood. You probably have those in NA too.
Red oak- try it- you might like it.

I've heard of Black Jack Oak, but I'm not aware of it growing here. We have other Oaks named White Oak, Post Oak & Mountain Oak. My Dad coulld tell the difference, but the only one I can spot for sure is the White Oak. I know that this is Red Oak due to the appearance of the wood itself, not the bark.


Only use I found Red Oak was good for, for me, was to use the dried branches for making canes. Had an elderly lady that raised hereford cattle once tell me that the cane I made her was strong enough to bring a bull down to talking terms with only 1 swat across his poll and not break the cane!Robert

Hmmmmm, I wonder if a Red Oak Cane would keep my wife under control:mrgreen:

Rick

[Shiloh]

It's what I used for the Thanksgiving turkey.

Shiloh

[rush1886]

Can't speak to the time frame of the "seasoning" process. I was given some red oak chunks by one of my bbq mentors-"for beef" he said--"way better than mesquite" I said!!

[Lloyd Smale]

I would think oak would work fine. to be honest my taste buds cant tell the differnce in what wood i use. I can use mesquite, hickory, apple or even maple and cant tell the differnce.

[Nazgul]

I have a Visions Kamado. Really good stuff comes out of it. Never tried oak, been using apple.

Don

[Typecaster]

Red Oak is the traditional wood used to make Santa Maria-style (Central California) BBQ. The usual cut of beef is a tri-tip, seasoned with just coarse black pepper and salt. I like to sear the outside first, then raise the grate and close the lid on the egg. I also use chunks in my propane smoker.

A lot of which wood to use is personal taste—we much prefer salmon smoked with hickory to the usual alder. Make a foil tray (bend up the sides about an inch), put in salmon, sprinkle with dill, and pour about 1/2" of Chardonnay into the tray. Smoke about half an hour.

[smokeywolf]

+1 on Typecaster's statement! Going to try your salmon recipe.

I use an offset smoker, and Red Oak is, and has been for a couple of years, my first choice for smoking tri-tip. I start with a bed of Mesquite charcoal (not briquettes, but Mesquite trees that have been cut up and charred). As soon as the temp is up to about 325*, I throw a couple of small split logs of Red Oak in the fire box, close the vents down to about 25%, and put the meat in the smoking chamber. Within 30 mins. shes down to 220* and there she stays for an hour. Then close up all vents, wait another 20 mins. and take the tri-tips out.

Happy smoking,

smokeywolf

PS, That's a tri-tip sandwich in my hand that The Goofy Wolf is eyeing.

[Reloader06]

What time should I be there Typecaster?:kidding:

Matt

[7br]

If you ever are clearing brush, mulberry makes an excellent smoking wood too.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Red oak is pretty much all I ever use, I like it better than Hickory. I heard it said, "If Hickory is the King of BBQ, then Oak is the Queen".

[DLCTEX]

Post oak is a Texas BBQ tradition as well as mesquite.

[GabbyM]

Have seventy foot red oak in my back yard that needs to come down.
get a pile of fallen dead limbs every spring. Perhaps I should save the wood.

[Rick N Bama]

Have seventy foot red oak in my back yard that needs to come down.
get a pile of fallen dead limbs every spring. Perhaps I should save the wood.

I do the same thing with the Pecan limbs that fall from my tree. The small twigs are great to use when grilling Burgers.

Rick

[phonejack]

I have a "mature" pecan tree in my backyard. Any twigs,small limbs I find on the ground are kept under cover. The shells are also kept. Great for smoking any red meat.

[Shiloh]

Red Oak is the traditional wood used to make Santa Maria-style (Central California) BBQ. The usual cut of beef is a tri-tip, seasoned with just coarse black pepper and salt. I like to sear the outside first, then raise the grate and close the lid on the egg. I also use chunks in my propane smoker.

A lot of which wood to use is personal taste—we much prefer salmon smoked with hickory to the usual alder. Make a foil tray (bend up the sides about an inch), put in salmon, sprinkle with dill, and pour about 1/2" of Chardonnay into the tray. Smoke about half an hour.

Crab apple or apple wood is good for salmon as well. It can be tough to come by. Try an orchard as a source.

Shiloh