Bad wood -

[seanshankus]

This weekend I picked a bag of "lite my fire" kiln dried fire wood from home depot. for 5 bucks this is a bag of kiln dried hardwood (pecan, oak and/or hickory). I thought awesome. So I fired up the smoker (started with a chimney of briquettes), tossed on about 4 pieces and smoked a slab of baby backs for about 4 hours. I noticed a odd smell most of the way through and it was confirmed in the first bite. Terrible, nothing but chemical mintyness. total ruin.

Has anyone else tried with this wood? this wood claims to have uses for gourmet cooking, smoking, etc. So it should be at least food safe. Any ideas of what I tasted or if I did something wrong?

sean

p.s. here's a link to what I bought, not trying to advertise, just give full details.

[Jerod Broussard]

The reviews appear to show many people having trouble getting this stuff to light. Is it possible you had the ultimate smoldering wood bad smoke experience?

[seanshankus]

hadn't really thought of that, so yea I guess so. but would it have smoldered with a full chimney of HOT coals under it? the barrel temp was between 230 and 250 for the entirety of the cook.

[Jerod Broussard]

How much of the wood was left after the cook?

[Huskee]

Maybe it's not as advertised. Maybe it was pine or something. Or...cottonwood...lol

[CandySueQ]

Maybe it was bug sprayed and not kiln dried. State of Florida is picky -- got to spray wood, kiln drying isn't enough.

[seanshankus]

By the time I was done with the cook, the logs were probably a third of what they were, and looked like lump charcoal. In fact I through them in a firepit (with some tongs) very light, hard. I wonder if I really needed to let this wood just go longer before I put the food on. My fear is that its incorrectly advertised and its either crap wood or wood that has been chemically enhanced.

I guess I see three options:
1) rub - I used a combination of sugar, dark brown sugar and Grippos seasoning
2) truly "bad wood" - its not the types of wood that were advertised or there's some additive to the wood that isn't advertised
3) I put the meat on to soon.

I'm not to sure how #3 would have made the food taste the way it did.

[seanshankus]

So I guess the real question is do I try with this wood again, and if so how?

[Spinaker]

I would not try it again. There are plenty of other options. Why risk ruining any more meat?