Wood Management for Offset Smokers 

I've ran into this issue too, especially with cutting through knots, but I find a way to do it without worrying about it throwing my hand into the blade. Put your miter saw on the floor, put your split down making sure to position it all the way back and the way it will be least likely to move. Take a plank of wood, hard directional cut wood, about 18-24 inches long, lay it on the top of the split cross ways, and with your foot step on the end of the plank at the floor, away from the saw platform, to hold the wood down. Obviously for safety use steel toe shoes, but cutting wood like this, I've had the saw catch before but it didn't pull the lumber like when you are holding it with your hand because you are applying enough weight to it. I've cut hundreds of splits this way and I'm very confident when doing it this way.

Same here, tore off the pad of my index finger when the saw hit a hard spot in July while shortening splits for the Okie. Skin graft, hand therapy, the works. Never again. Miter saw PTSD still today. Aaron Franklin has a video where he is cutting splits with a miter saw. I sent him my story. Hope he updates.

Gotta BBQ sing and dance these days to compete

Hahah! I always sing random stuff to my wife and she hates it. So I figure it must be good.

Lol! Fair

I heard you're pretty good at chopping wood yourself.

Right on!

That sucks. There's enough to worry about on an exersise or in theater without dealing with injuries. Hope it didn't affect his ability to work.

I'm a lumberjack and that's OK!

Yeah that’s what I use. I don’t know if I wanna fork over 78 bucks just cuz my wife thinks my saw is unsafe.

Oh yea it's objectively bad haha!

Yea my neighbor has a hydraulic spliter. Nice to just sit down and have a beer while your wood splits itself

You are now a lvl 5 BBQ'er

PUN OF THE YEAR

Haha!

Thanks Thomas. I REALLY appreciate your support.

Thanks!

Thanks Shawna! Maybe I'll record my own album

Thanks man! Yeah I would have never done that a year ago. Now I'm like f$%& it, just send it. I spent too long thinking I had to look like an expert on youtube.

Nice! Let me know how it works for you. I use vegetable oil to oil it every few mins.

Never heard of smoking with almond.

Thanks man! Yea I was looking at those little splitter things you use with a mallet. Could be a good option and safe to boot 👢

Awesome! Do you get lots of hardwood?

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ yes and no... its kinda hit and miss... sometimes the lot I'm cutting will just be pine or it might be just hardwood or there's the norm of it being a mix of both.. we have alot of pine around here (white,red and bull) but we also have some good size hardwoods.. I'm regularly cutting oak (red and white) Maple is pretty abundant too (white and rock/sugar) The tricky ones are finding "wild" fruit trees.. I come across cherry every now and again( probably every 6 months) in the woods but apple is hard to come by, unfortunately I just chipped a whole apple tree a week before I started my smoker build lol..

Good luck man! Let me know how it works out when you get one.

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ Thank you! Will do, I'm looking forward to messing up a lot 😂 but it will be fun!

Sounds like a good addition to add some flavors. I hear people throw onions and fat in there too.

yup

Go flames go!

That's a lot if wood though if it's actually a cord

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ A face cord to be more specific. There is a difference Ive learned. 1/2 was hickory, 1/4 cherry, 1/4 oak. Used it once for some chicken so far. Burned very well. Cant wait to cook with it again!

Sounds like a good supplier

Thanks Man!

How do you do it with the chainsaw? do you just chainsaw it on the ground?

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ i have a box and clamp set up that holds it in place for me while I cut

Miter want to reconsider it

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ I Saw what you did there.

Not much selection here because there's no good hardwoods that they cut down. IT's all imported. But yea, for other states/provinces a good idea for sure.

Yea too many near misses for me on the miter saw

My bathing suit actually. Full dad mode.

I DID mention that in one scene. Yea i'm full of contradictions.

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ It's okay Steve, just stay safe ENOUGH. Tbh I was kinda worried when I saw you with that new toy of yours though. lol

Hey man sorry never tried it!

Hey man, a liquor store near me stocked it for a while. But no longer. I was probably the only one buying it haha!

They sent it to me

No

Thanks for sharing your story man.i know there's a lot of people out there calling me a sissy for warning against it, but these accidents happen all the time. Do it once? Twice? A hundred times? You might be fine. But eventually something will go wrong.

Yes I would get it. It works awesome. I use canola oil to oil it

It can handle a regular size split. Like 4 inch diameter

I just use canola oil

yea mine is the non-pin type. I find when i check a big log and it's at 15% i'll cut it and the inside is 25%+ potentially. They dry alot faster when split.

That sucks man! Sorry to hear that

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ life goes on man! Haha almost like it never happened

For sure!

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ 👍

Where are you from? Google your local firewood suppliers and see if they have hardwoods other than mesquite or ship in from other states. Or call them if they are old school and don't have much info on their website. Or lean in to the mesquite and just kiln dry it and burn it hotter to mellow the flavors. There's something cool about embracing your local smoking wood.

Just screwed together some wood blocks

Calgary!

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ just a stone throws away. Merry Christmas to you and your lovely family.

It's 4x4 and 6.5 inches deep but if I did it again I would go 7 inches deep.

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ Thank you very much.

I use timberridge farms near calgary to get my apple.

Nope. Doesn't do well in AB