Is it oak?

[rarefish383]

Not a problem, I found out the same way, but years before the internet. I come from 4 generations of tree care. For some reason I always thought Pin Oak had skinny pointy leaves. One time I called a Willow, or Laurel Oak, a Pin. Every one on the crew gave me the "stink" eye. Which made me feel about an in tall, because I was the company owners son. I was supposed to know that stuff. When I took the MD Tree Expet Exam I had the highest score in my class that day, but I almost failed the ID. They had a bunch of extra credit trees and I got all of them. That was 15 years and a Botany Major at the U of MD later. Now they don't even have the ID on the test.

 

[Little Al]

Red oak here has rough bark just like number 3 and splinters also. I can supply pictures if needed.

Our most prolific growing oak has rough bark "stringie" spliting excellent burning when seasoned with 20% MC

 

[panolo]

Looks like red oak to me.

Yep. If I wasn't being lazy I'd take some pics of the stuff I got split. Around here everybody gets bur oak mixed up with red oak. There are no smooth branches on bur oak and the acorns are fuzzy.

 

[bfrazier]

Well, you don't need another person saying "Yeah it's Oak" but I have to ask, what would be special about using oak for a smoker? Wouldn't Hickory, Mesquite, Apple, or some other fruitwood be better? (Really.... just asking.)

 

[Gugi47]

For sure Red Oak

 

[Marley5]

Yep looks like Oak.

Funny, local guy who has very successful restaurant smokes all his meat with Oak.

I prefer using apple and Cherry.

 

[bfrazier]

I built a walk in salmon smoker on Kodiak Island in the early 80's. Held several dozen Salmon, if not more, at a time. All we had for hardwood was alder, it never tasted right to me. That fall, or maybe the next spring the bears (of course) destroyed it. I guess smoked salmon flavored smokehouse was a delicacy to them, alder wood or otherwise.