If you’re a fan of campfire cooking or wood-fired pizza, you already know that firewood can be great for cooking. Unfortunately, not all firewood burns the same. You need to research more about firewood if you don’t want to end up with lots of tears in your eyes during your cookout. If you have ever used firewood, you know how smoky things can get. For less smoke and better results, you may want to check out kiln dried firewood. Here are three reasons why switching to kiln dried firewood can improve your outdoor cooking experience.
1. Low Moisture Content
If you have ever tried using firewood with high moisture content, you know how difficult it can be to maintain the fire, not to mention all of the smoke you end up dealing with. According to Food and Wine, if you are planning to cook using firewood, you should look for wood that has been seasoned for no less than a year. This reduces the moisture content to below 20%. Ideally, you should seek out kiln dried firewood, which has a moisture content of 6% to 8%. This makes it easier to light up, and you also won’t struggle to keep the flames going.
2. Less Smoke in Your Eyes
If you’ve ever cooked with firewood, you’ve seen your fair share of smoke. Smoke is especially significant if you are burning the firewood indoors. Kiln dried wood generates significantly less smoke than regular firewood. We know how impossible it can be to maintain a conversation when there are clouds of smoke constantly surrounding your face. Your eyes won’t stop stinging and watering, and the smoke will definitely soak your clothes. With kiln dried firewood, you can enjoy warm fires without all that inconvenience. Because of the lower moisture content, kiln dried firewood is easier to light up, and it burns well with less smoke. This means it will require less firewood to get the flames that you need.
3. Efficient Flames
Many people who have tried out kiln dried firewood report the brightest and hottest flames they have ever seen in a fireplace. The drying process used to get this wood ensures that nothing is left that can get in the way of the super-hot flames you need. As you might imagine, this makes kiln dried wood better for the environment as well. There are two reasons for this, the first being that you will burn less firewood to get the heat you need. Secondly, since kiln dried firewood has less moisture content, it’s also less smoky, and there’s less creosote and other harmful emissions, which can lead to air pollution.
These are some of the benefits of kiln dried firewood. Are you willing to give it a try? Get in touch with our team at Smoak Firewood today if you want to know more about kiln dried firewood.