Hey Grillin’ Fiends! Today, we’re taking a look at Spicer’s Smoking Wood! Spicer’s Smoking Wood offers a range of quality hardwoods including hickory, oak, maple, and other specialty splits. A Pitmaster himself, Shane Spicer knows exactly what all of us are looking for in smoker fuel. If you’re looking for a consistent source of top-tier smoking wood, read on!

Spicer’s Smoking Wood sent us samples for testing and review purposes, however, all opinions are our own.

Spicer’s Smoking Wood – The Process

Every Pitmaster and Backyard BBQ Hero knows that the quality of your fuel makes the biggest difference in your end product. Pursuit of that beautiful thin blue smoke is the name of the game! The initial building blocks to achieve this start right here in the cutting, splitting, and drying processes.

Sizing

Size matters. Correctly sized splits are crucial when cooking on an offset smoker. Too long and the splits may not fit in your firebox. Too wide might make your fire burn hotter than you need it to. To combat this, Spicer’s Smoking Wood offers two sizes of splits; 6-8 inches and 11-12 inches from their XL line. For smaller cookers and drum smokers, chunks are offered which are cut down to 3-4 inches.

Drying Process

The most important part of your fuel is arguably the amount of moisture present in the final product. Obtaining that oh-so-sweet thin blue smoke will be much easier when you keep this in mind. If your wood has too much moisture it produces an acrid, dirty, white smoke and that isn’t the flavor you want on your food. Fuel is considered cured and ready to cook with at about 23 percent or lower moisture content.

I don’t have a moisture meter so I can’t verify exact percentages, but from my experience these chunks from Spicer’s are right on the money! For their drying process, the wood is stacked off the ground and allowed to dry out naturally. Before packaging and shipping, Spicer’s verifies the moisture content with a moisture meter. For a more in-depth look at their process, click HERE.

Value For Your Money

Shown in the above image are 2 chunks of Spicer’s hickory (top and bottom) and 2 chunks of pecan (left and right) from a hardware store brand. Now, I’ve been through bags and bags of chunks from the local hardware store. Bags and bags.

For the dollar amount paid, the box from Spicer’s will contain larger and higher-quality chunks than the other guys. They hand-pick each piece to make sure each box is packed as full as it gets with the highest quality splits.

Hardware store brands usually don’t strip the bark from their splits either. Spicer’s does just that! You’re getting exactly what you paid for without all that extra debris that you can’t use. Bark can hold extra dirt and moisture that does not add a good flavor to food.

Spicer’s Smoking Woods Selection

Spicer’s regularly offers hickory, oak, and maple splits. These hardwood offerings should cover most of you BBQ beasts out there. Occasionally though, some specialty pieces like apple, beech, or cherry are thrown into the mix. Keep an eye out for them because they sell out quickly. Quick tip: if you haven’t worked with beech wood yet, you need to. I find it falls somewhere between oak and hickory on the flavor scale.

Spicer’s Smoking Woods – Final Thoughts

The latest cook I’ve done with Spicer’s chunks was the St. Louis style ribs pictured above. The hickory chunks helped provide incredible color and deep smoke penetration. The flavor they imparted accented the the Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub on top perfectly and made for an incredible dinner!

If you’re looking for a supplier of top-notch fuel for your backyard BBQ, look no further. Spicer’s produces a product tiers above what you find in your local hardware or grocery stores. Their customer service is the best-of-the-best and shipping was incredibly quick. If you have a few days before you need your splits, absolutely order them from Spicer’s Smoking Woods. I know I will!

Recipes to use with Spicer’s Smoking Woods

• Texas Style Smoked Beef Brisket
• Smoked Beef Short Ribs
• BBQ Smoked Pork Belly