Toasting Wood (Oak, Pecan, and Cherry)

[Musketear]

So, luckily I was able to find a supplier up the road who sells wood for smokers by the cubic foot. I got a bunch of oak, pecan, and cherry and split it into pieces about the length of my finger x 1 inch x .25-.5 inches.

I was just going to roast this in the oven, probably at about 425, but had a few questions regarding that:

1. Is that a good temperature for all of those?
2. Should I wrap them in foil or just lay them on a baking sheet?
3. Anything I need to be careful of?

Thanks!

[frozenthunderbolt]

So, luckily I was able to find a supplier up the road who sells wood for smokers by the cubic foot. I got a bunch of oak, pecan, and cherry and split it into pieces about the length of my finger x 1 inch x .25-.5 inches.

I was just going to roast this in the oven, probably at about 425, but had a few questions regarding that:

1. Is that a good temperature for all of those?
2. Should I wrap them in foil or just lay them on a baking sheet?
3. Anything I need to be careful of?

Thanks!

Get a cookie tin like the x-mass cookies come in. punch 6-12 pin holes in it. put the sticks in it and toast in one of those little movable toaster ovens and do it OUTSIDE with the door of the toaster oven cracked open - i stick a nail in it to gap the door slightly.

Doing it in the kitchen oven is a good way to quickly earn the ire of wife/gf/flatmates as you flood the house with smoke!

[beelah]

Depends on whether you want dark charred or light toasted woods, as I use both...I use oak staves from those used wine barrels they sell a garden shops...take the barrels apart, clean up the outside of the stave on the belt sander, cut the staves into 1"x1" sticks and then I throw them on the barbecue...cook until they are they are as dark as you want them, from light to very dark, then drop into clean water to cool quickly and to rinse off the soot. The reason for the water wash is in my reading, I found that when the the big boys in the distilleries do their barrels, they quench the burning barrels with water..it does two things, cleans out the soot and also caused the molten sugars found in the wood to crystallize and also to cause the wood to contract quickly making lots of tiny fissures in the wood...nice places for the raw distillate to enter the wood and pickup the vanillin's ( I think that is how you spell it) and The goodies in the wood. Putting then Ina can is good as if you cook them long enough in an oxygen low environment, you get charcoal...this I find if added to the distillate, adds some colour but also helps with smoothing out the harshness.

[Musketear]

Get a cookie tin like the x-mass cookies come in. punch 6-12 pin holes in it. put the sticks in it and toast in one of those little movable toaster ovens and do it OUTSIDE with the door of the toaster oven cracked open - i stick a nail in it to gap the door slightly.

Doing it in the kitchen oven is a good way to quickly earn the ire of wife/gf/flatmates as you flood the house with smoke!

Thanks for the responses you two!

Frozenthunderbolt, how long do you usually leave it in for?

[frozenthunderbolt]

about an hour for a med toast 1.5 - 2 for dark YMMV depending on your oven though - i'de love to have a thermostat contorlled kitchen oven outside to do perfectly as temprature X but the little on/off toaster oven seems to work ok enough to get by

[Musketear]

about an hour for a med toast 1.5 - 2 for dark YMMV depending on your oven though - i'de love to have a thermostat contorlled kitchen oven outside to do perfectly as temprature X but the little on/off toaster oven seems to work ok enough to get by

Well... It is supposed to be 70 tomorrow... Maybe I will just open all the door and windows to house

Anyone have any info on temps for toasting the pecan or cherry?