Still doing research on stick burners and am trying to determine if I should buy one. Two questions about wood. 1) How much wood do you all use a year? I realize that the amount will vary by cooker efficiency, size, frequency, etc. but am looking for a ballpark on how much storage area I need. 2) Storage. I live in a fairly humid climate (south Louisiana), so how best to store it so that it retains the proper moisture levels, doesn't rot, or mildew? I'm thinking of a small covered cement pad with open sides (maybe some lattice on three of the sides to help deflect rain while allowing air to circulate). I have a shaded backyard with a storage shed and a garage. Thanks!
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Beefchop, it really depends on the size of the stick burner pit. I can only give you an idea on what I use on mine. I have a KBQ sticker burner. It uses very little wood. It uses brick size length and red bull can diameter pieces of wood. I would venture to say, I could cook daily 6 hours a day for a year with a truck load of wood.
I would assume there to be huge variations/efficiencies in stick burners. The thicker the steel the less fuel used but the size of the pit will directly and proportionally increase fuel usage.
If you are looking for an easy to use stick burner and the KBQ is in your budget, I highly suggest putting it on your consideration list. -
I don't have a stickburner so can't comment on quantity but I know wood. Keep it up off the ground(or concrete) and stack it loose. Throw an old piece of roofing metal across it and weight it down with a couple of logs.
I used to stack firewood to dry in 3-piece layers, sort of like a # sign but with 3 slashes. If you stack it like cordwood in your climate it'll mold and rot and that's definitely not Good Eats.
Have fun with your new stickburner!
HTH,
Bill
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Beefchop I have Lang 48" stickburner and in a years time I burned about 1/2 of a rick but I only cook once or twice a month due to my job. I just stack my wood out in the open with a tarp just covering the top. If you cut your own wood and it is green let it sit for six months to season out before using. Hope this helps you out and welcome to the stickburner world.Comment
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I seem to burn about a rick (aka face cord, 8'x4' stack) in a year to year & 1/2. I don't run mine every week though. If you did an all day cook every week you'd prob go through much more. I would guess I use about 12-15ish small split pieces on a typical cook but honestly I've never counted so I might be off, it might be twenty for all I know. The great thing about wood is if you get too much and don't use it fast there's no harm. The longer it sits there, the longer it sits there (lol.)
Like DWCowles I cover mine with a tarp on the top only to allow wind through. And don't worry if your wood gets rained on, it doesn't absorb hardly any and dries out fast. The worst thing IMO is to put it directly on the ground or concrete (I stack mine on top of a layer of pine firewood pieces, to let them be the ground moisture barrier.) The only time wet wood matters a whole lot is if it just rained and you're trying to start your fire with freshly rained-on wood. But if your pile is uncovered and it's raining today but you're not cooking for 3 days, who cares. That's my view.Comment
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I bought this 6 months ago and it's about 2/3 full. I cook 2-4 times a week. I use slightly bigger logs than normal due to my pit size and I keep my temps between 225-275 (whatever the pit settles on I don't fight it). And I generally add a log every hour/hour and a half. I cook on a Yoder Durango 20.Comment
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I recently built a wood shed that can hold about two cords. Since I like to make a lot of fires in the winter and we have a fire pit as well, a lot of this is devoted to non-cooking enjoyment. The research indicates that a good wood shed needs a lot of air circulation to dry out the wood and keep it dry, so mine has an open front, and the sides use staggered boards running horizontally so that rain and snow cannot get inside but there is plenty of air circulation. The floor is also like a deck floor with plenty of of ventilation as well.Comment
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