Scrub oak OK for smoking?

Yes you can....

Just make sure it's well seasoned.

Season it for a few years and you should be good to go. I prefer a more robust smoke, therefore due to its hardness I use oak to form a bed of coals and add flavor from there. However, Oak in and of itself is very nice.

Give it at least a few months if using in a WSM, greener wood can smoke a little more than seasoned wood because of the moisture.

Schubox said:

A few years? OK, guess I'll cut some up and store it for a good while! Thanks guys.

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Unless the wood has been inside and handled right, never us wood that is a FEW yeas old, unless its for your fireplace. 6 months is plenty, but really I prefer it as green as I can get it. You do need to know how to use that fresh wood so learn good fire control habits.
Dave

I would think if you're using small pieces you should be able to cut the wood split it into the size you are looking for and expect it to be seasoned in a couple of months or so in Colorado where it's pretty low humidity in the winter time.

The smaller the pieces you make the quicker it should dry. Do you have a wood stove or some kind of place you could put a batch of wood chunks next to to speed things up a bit?

Mike

I'd say 6 months is plenty for use on a WSM. If you're sure it's oak you should be fine. You can take a picture of a tree and close up of a leaf and post it here if you want. People around here are pretty good at identifying types of oaks.

Friedturkeyspam said:

I would think if you're using small pieces you should be able to cut the wood split it into the size you are looking for and expect it to be seasoned in a couple of months or so in Colorado where it's pretty low humidity in the winter time.

The smaller the pieces you make the quicker it should dry. Do you have a wood stove or some kind of place you could put a batch of wood chunks next to to speed things up a bit?

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^ +1 ... I agree......

As you know scrub oak is much smaller in diameter than regular oak, therefore the time it takes to dry will also be reduced in proportion to the diameter. To get green wood to about 20% moisture takes about six months, but could be much less with smaller or shorter pieces of wood.

When cooking you can place a couple pieces on top of the cooker to aid in rapid drying for use in your next cook.

The simplest way to make sure your wood is dry, is to look for checks (cracks) in the end grain. As wood dries the ends will usually show splits or cracks across the grain. Although these may not be large cracks with smaller scrub oak.

Seasoned wood also has a distinct sound: knock two pieces of wood together and you'll get a crisp, solid sound. Green wood will make a duller, muffled sound. Over time, you'll gain a confidence for telling seasoned (dry) wood.