Help identifying wood

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

pmurano

Newbie
Original poster
Mar 7, 2021
6
0
Hello,
I got this wood to use on my offset and I need help identifying what it is and if it can be used to smoke meat with.
Thanks,
Patrick
 

Attachments

  • AA2EFC4A-272C-469F-895F-22667EE2A7BB.jpeg
    AA2EFC4A-272C-469F-895F-22667EE2A7BB.jpeg
    167.4 KB · Views: 82
  • EBA04E4F-6DE2-46DD-A943-3AEB989157B6.jpeg
    EBA04E4F-6DE2-46DD-A943-3AEB989157B6.jpeg
    234.7 KB · Views: 77
  • 51D3FFFA-AF98-465B-AAE3-18099BC05500.jpeg
    51D3FFFA-AF98-465B-AAE3-18099BC05500.jpeg
    300.4 KB · Views: 87
Looks to me like you are in California that might help someone identify it as well.
flatbroke flatbroke may have an idea he knows wood from that part of the US
 
By the grain pic's the bark and the splits I'm about 99.9% sure that is CA Red Oak. I use Red Oak all the time for smoking, and I've literally cut down thousands of them for firewood. What part of CA are ya from that will help determine what it is as well. Or what part of CA did the wood come from?

This is a Red Oak cross section.
1615188994059.png

Below is Red Oak bark.

1615188954545.png


If you're on the CA coast it could be CA Live Oak as well but if I were betting on it, I'd stick with CA Red Oak which grows in the rolling hills in housing tracts across the State and on the coast right next to Live Oaks as well.

CA Live Oak bark is a little rougher looking.
.
1615189292323.png


I'm sticking with Red Oak and that's my final answer!!!

I hope this helps... If you live near the East Bay save me a few splits. Hahahaha.

Dan
 
Last edited:
By the grain pic's the bark and the splits I'm about 99.9% sure that is CA Red Oak. I use Red Oak all the time for smoking, and I've literally cut down thousands of them for firewood. What part of CA are ya from that will help determine what it is as well. Or what part of CA did the wood come from?

This is a Red Oak cross section.
View attachment 488144
Below is Red Oak bark.

View attachment 488143

If you're on the CA coast it could be CA Live Oak as well but if I were betting on it, I'd stick with CA Red Oak which grows in the rolling hills in housing tracts across the State and on the coast right next to Live Oaks as well.

CA Live Oak bark is a little rougher looking.
.View attachment 488145

I'm sticking with Red Oak and that's my final answer!!!

I hope this helps... If you live near the East Bay save me a few splits. Hahahaha.

Dan
Thank you for the thorough response. I really appreciate the help. I’m from SoCal, I believe the wood came from Ventura area.
 
Looks to me like you are in California that might help someone identify it as well.
flatbroke flatbroke may have an idea he knows wood from that part of the US
It's Southern Yellow Pine, the bark is clear that it's a soft wood
Don't use this for smoking!!!!!!!
Now this throws me off a little. What else tells you it’s southern pine? This should be from California.
 
Now this throws me off a little. What else tells you it’s southern pine? This should be from California.
It would have pitch weeping in areas and smell distinctly like pine there would be no question it was pine if it's pine. ( I don't think it is) but could be wrong because it was hard to see the bark clearly. Post a picture of the bark on a good size piece if you can. Red Oak, CA Black Oak, Coastal Live Oak, Interior Live Oak, Canyon Live Oak and CA Scrub Oaks trees grow From the western Sierra's all the way down too Baja in Southern SoCal.
 
Last edited:
It would have pitch weeping in areas and smell distinctly like pine there would be no question it was pine if it's pine. ( I don't think it is) but could be wrong because it was hard to see the bark clearly. Post a picture of the bark on a good size piece if you can. Red Oak, CA Black Oak, Coastal Live Oak, Interior Live Oak, Canyon Live Oak and CA Scrub Oaks trees grow From the western Sierra's all the way down too Baja in Southern SoCal.
Here are a couple more pictures, hope this helps.
 

Attachments

  • F4F284F2-37F9-4A56-A34E-A523FD36E89B.jpeg
    F4F284F2-37F9-4A56-A34E-A523FD36E89B.jpeg
    237.7 KB · Views: 38
  • 3F472868-E13C-48C2-93A8-915B97616682.jpeg
    3F472868-E13C-48C2-93A8-915B97616682.jpeg
    270.5 KB · Views: 40
Doesn't really look like pine to me. The bark is kind of like pine but don't teally think it is and if it were it should have some sap or signs of it
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gonna Smoke
Indaswamp is on the right track, you should be able to determine between conifer and deciduous by the smell of the smoke. If the wood is green expose a couple of the butt ends to the sun and see if any resin, not sap, starts to ooze out, As a general rule pine trees produce resin and sap where deciduous trees produce sap only. Cut the wood with a saw and give the freshly cut wood a sniff.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chopsaw
As far as I know Southern Yellow Pine does not grow in California
 
Indaswamp is on the right track, you should be able to determine between conifer and deciduous by the smell of the smoke. If the wood is green expose a couple of the butt ends to the sun and see if any resin, not sap, starts to ooze out, As a general rule pine trees produce resin and sap where deciduous trees produce sap only. Cut the wood with a saw and give the freshly cut wood a sniff.
 

Attachments

  • 2DE24978-7F5F-44BF-B777-F36F60488190.jpeg
    2DE24978-7F5F-44BF-B777-F36F60488190.jpeg
    257.4 KB · Views: 22
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Hot Threads

Clicky