Need Help Finding Dried Hardwood for BBQ Pit

I have just ordered my big barbecue pit from Houston, but I have no idea where I am going to find the dried, seasoned hardwood fuel I need. Ideally, the wood would be either oak or pecan (don't even know if that is available up here), but in a pinch some kind of fruit wood might work.

Does anybody have any suggestions? And please don't suggest some little bag of wood chunks, I need 6" diameter, 18' long logs, like you would put in a fireplace. And lots of them.

Thanks in advance.

Longhorn,

Congratulations on the new pit, what'd you order from Houston, a Klose?

My suggestion is Chicago Firewood, a forests worth of wood, cut to fireplace size, in stock and they always have plenty of oak and hickory. Though pecan, if they have it on hand, will probably be a bit more expensive. Often Chicago Firewood has maple, cherry, apple and some of the more exotic woods, which make for a nice change of pace.

I'd also suggest looking up companies that deliver firewood, if you are going to really be running through the wood, delivery would be my choice.

Please post pictures of the new pit, there are a lot of BBQ people on LTHForum who would be very interested, including myself.

Enjoy,
Gary

Chicago Firewood
1300 N Halsted (Rear Lot)
Chicago, Il
312-335-9696

BellevueLonghorn wrote:I need 6" diameter, 18' long logs, like you would put in a fireplace

I'm not sure what kind of big pit from Houston you're getting. I have one (a Klose BYC), and there is no way I could maintain a sweet, clean fire with logs that size. I typically cut pecan logs that size in half and then split them in quarters. In my pit, it is much better to toss in several small pieces than a big log that could take a while to get started and coat the meat with soot.

How big is your firebox?

Bill/SFNM

No, I didn't order a Klose, but only because they had a 4-6 week order backlog. The Klose pits are supposed to be the best on the market, but I don't want to wait that long for my new toy.

I ordered a Tejas Smoker, model 2040. Like this one:



http://www.tejassmokers.com/

I will definitely check out Chicago Firewood, though I would really prefer to find somebody who can deliver.

Bill/SFNM:

I don't intend to burn them whole. I was figuring that I could split them into halves or quarters. I figure that is the best way to ensure some level of uniformity.

The main reason I mentioned it was that I didn't want somebody recommending that I go buy a bag of wood chunks.

But I am the amateur here, so I am willing to listen to advice from anybody who knows their stuff...

Nice Looking pit. Halves and quarters and eigths will be the way to go. Congrats on your new toy!

Bill/SFNM

BellevueLonghorn wrote:I will definitely check out Chicago Firewood, though I would really prefer to find somebody who can deliver.

Chicago Firewood can/does deliver, although they are not cheap. If you live North or Northwest, you might also check out Meinike Garden Supply. They sell plants and garden supplies, but in the winter time, they sell firewood. They have a mountain of it on their property and would be glad to deliver. They only have oak, though. Actually they have spruce, too, but you woldn't want to use that in your pit.

Meinike Garden Supply
Touhy & Lehigh
Skokie, IL

That's a mighty fine looking pit but isn't that shiny spittoon a mite small?

It is indeed a fine looking pit. I surely hope that I can do it justice. I am a total novice when it comes to piloting a rig like that. I do pretty well grilling and indirect grilling on my Weber, but I know it is not the same thing.

I need to learn quick though, because I am having BBQ withdrawl. After living most of my adult life in Texas, I have become pretty obsessed with BBQ meats. And I don't want to offend anybody, but the stuff that they call BBQ up here does not qualify. I mean baby back ribs cooked in a oven and slathered in sauce may be pretty tasty, but they are definitely not BBQ.

[/b]

BellevueLonghorn wrote:And I don't want to offend anybody, but the stuff that they call BBQ up here does not qualify. I mean baby back ribs cooked in a oven and slathered in sauce may be pretty tasty, but they are definitely not BBQ.

[/b]

You are preaching to the choir, brother. As Gary said, you've got a lot of mighty fine pit men here on this list who know wjere of you speak. There is a little BBQ community here made up of people who know what they are talking about. Pay attention to what Gary says as well as Bill/SFMN. I've smoked a thing or two myself as well.

Here's a list of local firewood folks. A friend of mine recommends Tom Otto.

http://www.thecityofchicago.com/firewood/

nice pit..I concur on Chicago Firewood as well..nice selection and I have yet to get any really bad wood from them. I found their prices be reasonable too

BellevueLonghorn wrote:It is indeed a fine looking pit. I surely hope that I can do it justice. I am a total novice when it comes to piloting a rig like that. I do pretty well grilling and indirect grilling on my Weber, but I know it is not the same thing.

I need to learn quick though, because I am having BBQ withdrawl. After living most of my adult life in Texas, I have become pretty obsessed with BBQ meats. And I don't want to offend anybody, but the stuff that they call BBQ up here does not qualify. I mean baby back ribs cooked in a oven and slathered in sauce may be pretty tasty, but they are definitely not BBQ.

[/b]

thats all part of the fun..the learning curve on a new pit..
try the KCBS BBQ Forum too (www.bbqforum.com).. you will get any and all advice on just about any smoker imaginable from some of the best BBQ'ers in the country

BellevueLonghorn wrote:No, I didn't order a Klose, but only because they had a 4-6 week order backlog. The Klose pits are supposed to be the best on the market, but I don't want to wait that long for my new toy.

I ordered a Tejas Smoker, model 2040. Like this one:



http://www.tejassmokers.com/

I will definitely check out Chicago Firewood, though I would really prefer to find somebody who can deliver.

never had a problem getting Chicago Firewood to deliver our wood

Other BBQ resources.

My son and I went to Chicago Firewood on Saturday and procurred a sample of Red Oak. I also bought a 40 lb bag of natural lump charcoal for a bargain price of $16. I haven't used the charcoal yet, but if it is any where near as good as the other natural lump charcoal I have used, this is a steal. They also had lump mesquite. I may go back and get some of that.

I haven't cooked anything on the new pit yet, but I went through the recommended break-in steps the other day...oiled the smoking chamber and burned wood for 4 hours, keeping the temp around 300 degrees. The oak burned very well and produced the desired faintly blue smoke. So the wood is good and seasoned.

I think I am going to have them deliver some to my place soon. They are charging $25 per 1/8 cord + a $25 delivery and stacking fee.

Anybody know what a typical consumption rate, in terms of logs per hour is for slow and low barbecuing? I am guessing it is probably on the order of a log to a log and a half per hour, but that is only based on my experience the other day.

BellevueLonghorn wrote:My son and I went to Chicago Firewood on Saturday and procurred a sample of Red Oak. I also bought a 40 lb bag of natural lump charcoal for a bargain price of $16. I haven't used the charcoal yet, but if it is any where near as good as the other natural lump charcoal I have used, this is a steal. They also had lump mesquite. I may go back and get some of that.

I haven't cooked anything on the new pit yet, but I went through the recommended break-in steps the other day...oiled the smoking chamber and burned wood for 4 hours, keeping the temp around 300 degrees. The oak burned very well and produced the desired faintly blue smoke. So the wood is good and seasoned.

I think I am going to have them deliver some to my place soon. They are charging $25 per 1/8 cord + a $25 delivery and stacking fee.

Anybody know what a typical consumption rate, in terms of logs per hour is for slow and low barbecuing? I am guessing it is probably on the order of a log to a log and a half per hour, but that is only based on my experience the other day.

Glad Chicago firewood worked out for ya. I have never gotten any "bum" wood from them yet.
As far as wood consumption on your pit it all dpeends on how insulated it is. Outside wetaher/wind can affect it too.
I know my offset is a low end one so i blow through wood pretty fast.I made a charcoal basket for it so i can get a good 5 hr burn before I have to throw more in. Your offset is much higher quality than mine though.

I have a WSM too which i burn a combo of wood chunks and charcoal. that will burn all night on one load using Minion method and sand in the pan.

you all know this is the only (THE ONLY) reason I regret living in the city and not having a yard. Keep your school district, taxes, I'll carry my dog up and down 3 flights of stairs, etc... maybe I can petition the condo board to deed me a corner of the roof to smoke on... eat your heart out willie nelson.

smoky goodness....

Tomorrow is the day I have been waiting for. I am going to cook something on the new rig for the first time. At this point, I am planning on doing some ribs and sausage. I am sure it will not come out perfectly, but I bet it will be good.

I am thinking of going to Paulina meat market to see if I can get some good 3 1/2 and down spare ribs and (hopefully) some Czech sausage. Am I barking up the wrong tree here? I have never been to Paulina, but have heard some good things.

Paulina is an excellent, if pricey, place for any cut of meat. I pretty much only buy steaks from there, for instance, and hit it once a week for sandwich basics for the family.

As far as sausage goes, Paulina is basically German-American and so the further you get from Germany or America the less authentic sausages may seem, though they're always tasty. And I have to say I can't think of a raw Czech sausage that I've seen there, though I may not recognize a name as being Czech. So start there, but you may end up several blocks away at Joe's Market aka Joe the Sausage King. Hungarian sausage from there is recommended highly for grilling.

Paulina Market
3501 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
773-248-6272

Joe's Market
4452 N Western Ave.
Chicago, IL. 60625
773-478-5443

BellevueLonghorn wrote:Anybody know what a typical consumption rate, in terms of logs per hour is for slow and low barbecuing?

This is highly variable, depending on pit construction, wood quality, weather, etc. I usually use about 4-5 larger pieces (1/4 log x 16") to get the pit up to cooking temp and then 2-3 smaller pieces (1/4 log x 8") per hour. Experience will be your guide.

Bill/SFNM

I just mentioned Czech sausage because it is big down in Central Texas where I acquired my affinity for fine BBQ. I am sure either Hungarian or Polish sausage would smoke up very well.

Joe's smoked sausages are very smoky. He makes two kinds of Hungarian sausage. One is fully cooked for eating as is while the other needs to be cooked. Cook them much like bratwurst but don't simmer that mix in the same pot.

Dirk's Fish (2070 N. Clybourn in Chicago) has fresh Monterey Bay sardines today. Cleaned, rubbed with olive oil, and sprinkled with sea salt and they have a beautiful affinity with a very hot grill. A little of Gary's private hot sauce would probably go nicely with them, too, but that's just a guess....

BellevueLonghorn wrote:Tomorrow is the day I have been waiting for. I am going to cook something on the new rig for the first time. At this point, I am planning on doing some ribs and sausage. I am sure it will not come out perfectly, but I bet it will be good.

I am thinking of going to Paulina meat market to see if I can get some good 3 1/2 and down spare ribs and (hopefully) some Czech sausage. Am I barking up the wrong tree here? I have never been to Paulina, but have heard some good things.

I woudl reccomend Costco and get your self some Swifts in the crovac..Now if ya wannna do a nice packer cut brisket then Paulina is the place

How'd it turn out?

By the way, I went to Paulina today and asked about Czech sausage. They said, Hungarian was probably the closest.

I ended up buying a 3 lb. rack of St. Louis style (trimmed) spareribs at Whole Foods. I was there and they had them, so I got them, even though I was looking forward to going to Paulina.

I started my fire using two starter chimneys full of charcoal briquettes and then adding a couple of oak logs once the charcoal was burning well. The fire probably was too hot (275-300) for a good bit of the first hour the ribs were on, but probably averaged somewhere in the 240-260 range over the remaining three hours.

I used a dry rub on the ribs and periodically mopped them with a mop sauce I quickly concocted of beer, vinegar, melted butter and some spice rub. I mopped them no more than four times, in order to open the pit as infrequently as possible.

The ribs themselves were georgeous to look at and were pretty smoky in flavor. There was a modest red smoke ring in the meat as well. Those were the positives. On the negative side, I think my mop conconction was a bit too acidic and the ribs were not rubbed with enough salt. The flavor mix of the rub, mop, and smoke wasn't ideal. It wasn't unpleasant to my taste, but it just wasn't what I was shooting for. Unfortunately my wife, who doesn't like smokey food in general, found the ribs just way too smokey for her tastes. My daughter (2) ate a little of them and my son (4) thought they were great. The other negative was that while the meat was clearly cooked and wasn't dryed out at all, it hadn't become as tender as I like. I don't like ribs in the FOB category, but these required more chewing than I would have preferred. Probably a by-product of cooking them too quickly at the beginning when the fire was burning hot.

So, I would love to hear suggestions on what I could do better to get a nicely smoked and tender rib that isn't falling off the bone. I suspect a combination of a cooler fire and wrapping the ribs about 2/3 of the way through the cooking time will probably do the trick. I am also going to go heavier on the salt in the rub. I may skip the mop this time.

Clean up is another issue. I drained the water out of the bottom of my pit and rinsed it out, per the mfg instructions, which generated more nasty grease and smoke infused water. I now have a big bucket of the stuff in my back yard, with no disposal plan. Any suggestions?

On a brighter note, on Sunday I made a beer can chicken on my Weber that came out perfectly. In fact it was so good that I almost second guessed my purchase of the big pit. Almost.

I now have a big bucket of the stuff in my back yard, with no disposal plan. Any suggestions?

Put a lid on the bucket and toss in your trash. I keep 5 gallon plastic buckets around to dump ashes, grease, and other gunk in. The ashes soak up the grease and other liquid. If I have the lid I put it on and into the trash on trash day. If I don't have the lid, I put the bucket in a trash bag, tie, and put into the trash for trash day.

Dry, chewy ribs may have been undercooked. As far as cleaning goes, I put a pan under the meat to catch the drippings; I clean the pan after every session (well, usually ) . Other than that, I clean out the pit maybe once a year. The cooking grids are put in the dishwasher.

Bill/SFNM

Bill/SFNM wrote:. The cooking grids are put in the dishwasher.

This works!



Burns the gunk right off a grid in about 3 seconds, and doubles as a charcoal starter.

It doesn't work well for glazing crème brulee or crisping chicken skin.