Premium firewood and smoking firewood

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unclemoustache

My 'stache is bigger than yours.
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I don't really sell bulk firewood anymore, but I do sell bundles to a local hardware store. I sell them for $4, and he resells them for $6, I believe. I'm happy with that arrangement, and there's not an overwhelming amount for me to sell. Just right.

Anyway, there's a friend of mine who has a restaurant that smokes their meat, and he wants smoking wood. Oak, cherry, hickory, pecan, hard maple, etc. I can get that easily enough, but I'm not sure what to charge. The previous owner was burning Squogs, which costs $500 for a pallet - 38 cu.ft., or just shy of a face cord. $500 for a face cord!! And that doesn't include shipping.

Also, I talked with the hardware store owner, and he mentioned some people want "premium firewood" for burning in their fireplaces. They want nicer smelling smoke.

So here's my plan - when I split this 'quality' wood, I'll leave the outer bark-covered pieces for the firewood, and the inner clean pieces for the smoking wood. It's not a lot of extra effort at all. But what to charge? Maybe $6/bundle for the firewood and $250 for a face cord of smoking wood. That's half of the price of the Squogs. It's a deal for everyone, I think.

What say you?
 
Leave your hardware store prices right where they are. Sell your premium smoking wood for $300. Of course i cant possibly know what the market in your area will bare for bundled wood, premium smelling or otherwise. I know i wouldnt pay over 5 or 6 dollars for it, retail. You sell it for 6, he has to mark that up, unless your planning on selling two types of bundles regular and premium.
 
Smokers like smaller splits and moisture content is critical.

Because they like smaller splits, wood should season quicker, so you'll have less wood seasoning on your premises.

Ive never been a greedy businessman... I would price my premium/smoking wood just above normal firewood. Eventually you'll have to raise prices to control how much you're selling. At some point you'll find a nice equilibrium between price and what you can produce that keeps you happy.

EDIT: You can also sell chips for the grillers...
 
+ 1 On the smoking wood being smaller split and barkless. I am using cherry I had standing dead and have some for the future, but its so rare here, I am looking for another tree for the future. Premium bagged wood bundles should include kindle and smaller splits to get the rest going. I see so many people frustrated with seven large split pieces and nothing else, I can't believe sellers haven't reacted.
 
Premium smoking wood,you need a list.
White Oak 300.00 face etc
Apple?
Hickory?
Cherry?


Yes, I have a couple decent sized cherry trees to harvest right now.
Neighbor has a pecan I can have (if I trade him in oak).
I'm hoping to get some hickory - always keeping my eyes open for that.
Not much white oak, but I might be able to score some large branches.
Lots of pin oak. Gobs and gobs of that. Is that good for smoking, though?
Keeping my eye open for sugar maple. A fair bit of that around here. I have one on the property of one of my rentals, but I'm not cutting it down for firewood!
No fruit wood. But then again, I know the family that owns the largest orchard farms (Yes - farmS) in the area, so maybe I can ask them.

What kind of effort is it worth to me, though? For $300 a face cord, it's worth a bit of effort! But I have so many jobs lined up - kitchens, basements, bathrooms, etc. Ugh. Not much time left for wood.


GeeVee, that's a good idea about the kindling. Never occurred to me that some people who burn wood wouldn't be set up for that. Might be worth it to buy a big box of fire-starters and throw one of those in with every bundle.
 
Yes, I have a couple decent sized cherry trees to harvest right now.
Neighbor has a pecan I can have (if I trade him in oak).
I'm hoping to get some hickory - always keeping my eyes open for that.
Not much white oak, but I might be able to score some large branches.
Lots of pin oak. Gobs and gobs of that. Is that good for smoking, though?
Keeping my eye open for sugar maple. A fair bit of that around here. I have one on the property of one of my rentals, but I'm not cutting it down for firewood!
No fruit wood. But then again, I know the family that owns the largest orchard farms (Yes - farmS) in the area, so maybe I can ask them.

What kind of effort is it worth to me, though? For $300 a face cord, it's worth a bit of effort! But I have so many jobs lined up - kitchens, basements, bathrooms, etc. Ugh. Not much time left for wood.


GeeVee, that's a good idea about the kindling. Never occurred to me that some people who burn wood wouldn't be set up for that. Might be worth it to buy a big box of fire-starters and throw one of those in with every bundle.
IDK Unc but mill some of the nice big pieces of any of that wood . Thats worth more money.
 
GeeVee, that's a good idea about the kindling. Never occurred to me that some people who burn wood wouldn't be set up for that. Might be worth it to buy a big box of fire-starters and throw one of those in with every bundle.
That’s how I’ve sold the few I do…. Add a handful of junk Off the splitter for kindling, and a hunk of birch bark to start it. Campfire in a bag, no axe or splitting needed.
 
I sell bagged wood in bags that are the same size as a 50lb feed sack, 22''x36''. It holds 20 to 25 pieces 14'' long and about 3'x3' give or take. The bags average 50lb give or take.
50lb bag with bark =20 bucks each
50lb bag heart wood =25 bucks each.
50lb bag hickory =35 bucks a bag.
50lb mesquite = 35 bucks a bag
50lb bag of chunk wood =30 bucks a bag
I also gather all my splitter shrapnel and bag it for starter wood at 20 bucks a bag.
I buy 1000 count bails of bags and I get 5 bails at a time witch is =5000 bags.
Last year I sold over 80k worth of bagged wood plus another 20k in cord firewood,
Thats 100K in wood sales for one year. Yes I work my ass off but between producing the wood and bagging it and the rest of my time marketing it. I hit camp grounds,BBQ joints, wood fired pizza joints, back yard cookers and cook off teams. I do this all by myself year round and I am 61 years old.
All that hard work all year long sure keeps me in great shape.
 
IDK Unc but mill some of the nice big pieces of any of that wood . Thats worth more money.

I have a lot of slabs all milled up and drying. No more room for slabs until we rearrange the barns. I bought some pallet racking to help with that.
Also I think the market here is full of people selling their milled lumber and slabs. I'm not sure I'd do too well with it.
But we'll see. once things are dry, we can start marketing them.
 
My cousin has a stick burner smoker and was looking for all hickory. Cost changes based on the time of the year obviously for any hardwood but I think he paid $500 for a cord. Right now mixed hardwood is around $2-250 and all oak $3-350ish.
 
I have a lot of slabs all milled up and drying. No more room for slabs until we rearrange the barns. I bought some pallet racking to help with that.
Also I think the market here is full of people selling their milled lumber and slabs. I'm not sure I'd do too well with it.
But we'll see. once things are dry, we can start marketing them.
I don't live too far from you, so I could take some of your slabs off your hands :laugh: .

Seriously, I only now saw this thread and questioned about firewood prices before. I'm still curious. I only sell Cherry BBQ wood and use to do so by the trailer. It now needs new tires, so I don't take it out often. People buying the wood would come in a full size PU with a six foot bend. The trailer (5x8) wood fill the PU bed stacked but well over the rails.

IMG_0729.jpg

Now because of the tires, I stack the wood in my full size truck with an 8 foot bed. I have a truck box in there, so stacking space is only 6 foot 1/3 cord?). Not the best picture. Usually, I stack the truck a little over the sides, but this is all I had for the guy.

IMG_0730.jpg

I've sold either the trailer or the truckload for $100. I've got a guy who sells to restaurants etc. and would buy all I could get. I'm not greedy either, I just want to get a fair price. Plus for every other guy, I still feel I made be under priced.
 
I don't get it that often. That's why I want to make sure I get a fair price. You can't get any where you live? I'm constantly drooling over all the Cherry cut and posted by all you East Coast guys!
It’s not super common here but not rare either. I actually don’t like it a lot for firewood but it’s great for the smoker! I actually have 4 beautiful splits in my wood evaporator (open fireplace) in my family room. After getting the stove I’ll never use it again. I might pull them if I need them for cooking lol.
 
It’s not super common here but not rare either. I actually don’t like it a lot for firewood but it’s great for the smoker! I actually have 4 beautiful splits in my wood evaporator (open fireplace) in my family room. After getting the stove I’ll never use it again. I might pull them if I need them for cooking lol.
Here either . I scap it up as soon as I see it I do get a lot of apple though lots of old basically abandoned apple orchards. Not really abandoned but the owner moved on to more lucrative crops so the orchards are overgrown and the trees are no longer producing . Also been getting alot of hickory
 
Yes, I have a couple decent sized cherry trees to harvest right now.
Neighbor has a pecan I can have (if I trade him in oak).
I'm hoping to get some hickory - always keeping my eyes open for that.
Not much white oak, but I might be able to score some large branches.
Lots of pin oak. Gobs and gobs of that. Is that good for smoking, though?
Keeping my eye open for sugar maple. A fair bit of that around here. I have one on the property of one of my rentals, but I'm not cutting it down for firewood!
No fruit wood. But then again, I know the family that owns the largest orchard farms (Yes - farmS) in the area, so maybe I can ask them.

What kind of effort is it worth to me, though? For $300 a face cord, it's worth a bit of effort! But I have so many jobs lined up - kitchens, basements, bathrooms, etc. Ugh. Not much time left for wood.


GeeVee, that's a good idea about the kindling. Never occurred to me that some people who burn wood wouldn't be set up for that. Might be worth it to buy a big box of fire-starters and throw one of those in with every bundle.
You asked about pin oak…. I cut tons of it and cookers tend to turn their noses up at it. But, what we call pin oak in south Texas is actually a “water oak” or “swamp oak”. I think an actual pin oak is in the red oak family and has a jagged leaf like a Shumard oak. Our “pin oaks” which are water oaks have a smooth leaf, thicker on the far end. It’s great for milling slabs if it’s not hollow. They are notorious for growing tall, getting hollow at the base and then falling. They are heavy and have a sour smell if not cured completely. Definitely wouldn’t sell them as a “premium”.
 
Sounds like your oak is a white oak.

True pin oaks are in the red oak family.

I think all oaks can get stinky with the right fungus in them, but non- infected pin oak seems to smell just fine.
I agree. I use lots of our pin oak for camp fires and cooking under cast iron but others don’t like it. The inside is very “white” with a darker center. Usually very nice patterns for milling. We have several trunks set up for the mill.
We also have lots of live oak. That’s the cream as far as I’m concerned.
 
I agree. I use lots of our pin oak for camp fires and cooking under cast iron but others don’t like it. The inside is very “white” with a darker center. Usually very nice patterns for milling. We have several trunks set up for the mill.
We also have lots of live oak. That’s the cream as far as I’m concerned.
I've been burning nothing but 2 year old seasoned live oak this year. I agree it is some very nice firewood. Lights easy, burns hot and long and produces a fantastic coal bead. I usually burn red oak since it so plentiful here and it is a great firewood, but live oak is far better.
Mesquite is also some very hot burning wood. Long lasting as well.
I think a lot of people make the mistake and try burning wood that is not fully seasoned and blame it on the wood. Sometimes you gotta burn what ya got.
 

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