How long does it take for wood to cure?

[finsfree]

I've got some oak that I just cut about 4 days ago. How long would it take for it to cure so I could use it to smoke my meat with?

 

[cliffcarter]

Depends on what size wood you want to use and drying conditions where you live. In Maine red oak splits can take as long as 3 years to dry so they can be burned in an offset. If you are using wood chunks it will take a lot less time if you cut and split them to the size you want then season them in a cool, dry place. This may take 2-4 months for oak, and IMHO probably closer to the 4 month mark.

 

[jirodriguez]

A rough rule of thumb for unsplit rounds is 1 yr. for each inch of diameter  - but you can cut that time down 4-6 months by splitting them. A good visual indicator is to look at the end of a piece of wood, when you see cracks start to form it is dry. The cracks are formed as the wood shrinks from drying.

 

[cliffcarter]

A rough rule of thumb for unsplit rounds is 1 yr. for each inch of diameter  - but you can cut that time down 4-6 months by splitting them. A good visual indicator is to look at the end of a piece of wood, when you see cracks start to form it is dry. The cracks are formed as the wood shrinks from drying.

IDK but if you think about it wouldn't that rule of thumb be 1 year per inch of radius?