What to choose for barbecue - firewood or coal? Proper firewood is the key to a great barbecue.

Both those and others are faced with the question of where to get the “right” firewood for the barbecue? I would like to note right away that it is the kebab cooked on coals from the “correct” firewood that will be tasty, juicy, and tender, the best! Therefore, we will talk about firewood for barbecue, and not about bags of coal, which in the season are mountains in all supermarkets in the country.

What kind of firewood is best for barbecue?

Of course, you can go to the woodpile for a bath in the country and grab a couple of black-and-white poles, chop them thinner, and light them on coals. And there will be a good barbecue on birch wood, which is usually cooked in all neighboring houses in the country village. Or even easier, take a walk through the forest and kindle a fire “as God sent” from fallen dry branches that met along the way. Just do not collect pine branches! Barbecue on pine firewood, as well as on firewood of all coniferous species, will simply lose its taste and aroma, will be saturated with a spicy oily spirit, and there will be a feeling that you are nibbling on wood, alas. It is better to gather branches or chop firewood from fallen dead wood of deciduous trees, kindle a fire and let it burn out. Rake the coals into a compact area and roast meat to health! And there will even be a very edible barbecue. Moreover, you can be absolutely sure that such a kebab is exactly the same, the most delicious one that you can get in such conditions and on such firewood. Of course, for a spontaneous picnic in advance, no one is puzzled by the question of finding the right, suitable firewood for barbecue. But if you are a gourmet at heart, and even more so, the owner of a summer cottage with a garden and a vineyard, then you should know that you can cook the most delicious barbecue in the world! After all, it is firewood from fruit trees that is recognized as the best for this action. How to stock up on such firewood for future use? Oh no, no one will suggest that you cut down all the trees in the garden! It is quite enough to be a caring owner.


Barbecue with apple wood is the best fuel for barbecue.

Prepare firewood for barbecue!

Usually twice a year, gardeners are busy with sanitary and molding pruning of fruit trees. In early spring and autumn, after the harvest is over, here and there you can hear the clicking chirp of secateurs and the methodical recitative of saws. And as a result - mountains of twigs and branches, which are then either taken out to general landfills, or simply set on fire ... Oh, what an unforgivable waste! Meanwhile, all these branches are the most valuable raw material for your barbecue, yes, yes, the very one for which you need to look for firewood every time ... What firewood to use for barbecue? Everything that is sawn and cut in the garden must certainly be preserved. Having carefully sawn and cut into chocks, according to a size that fits freely into your barbecue, the firewood is dried by folding it into boxes or boxes from under fruits or vegetables and putting it away in a shed or under a shed. Several holes can be made in the boxes so that the firewood dries faster. This method of drying is at the same time a convenient way to store and use, because picking up a box or box with neatly folded firewood is much more convenient than putting it on and carrying it in batches every time. It is necessary to store firewood ahead of time, they must at least dry out in the winter.


Apple branches are also suitable for barbecue. When large firewood burns out by half, add branches to the brazier. And they will contribute to the total volume of coal.

If there is even a small garden on your site, then there will still be enough firewood for summer picnics: three or four apple trees, a couple of plums, cherries, pear, hazel, grapevine, raspberry and currant bushes require constant supervision, adjustment and renewal, which means firewood will not be translated. What is the best firewood for barbecue from all this variety? Of course, apple trees, they have the softest and “correct” heat.

And then, if a neighbor drags a huge bough from the same apple tree past you, slow him down and take away valuable raw materials! Even small and thin, at first glance, twigs are great for lighting. Spread them evenly across all the boxes, and your fire will be kindled in one or two!

Who seeks will always find!

All this is good, you say, but what if there is no garden, no dacha, but you really want such a barbecue? There is probably a gardening association not far from your favorite recreational glade, or along the way. So, in every such gardening there is the very place where negligent owners drag fruit branches in spring and autumn. Take a saw, a couple of boxes with you and visit such “gold mines” on the way to a picnic. There are practically no other trees besides fruit trees! Look for a suitable and dried up bough, and drag it to the side. A short work with a saw, and now, you have the most wonderful firewood for the most delicious barbecue!

To the ground...

Well, you’ve figured out the firewood, you’ll say again, but how can you determine when the coals have “reached the standard” and it’s time to fry the barbecue?


Firewood is blazing in the brazier.

The most important rule - firewood must completely burn out! There should not be any, even the smallest tongues of flame. White-gray, with bright flashes of heat, such coals are the most suitable for the beginning of the sacrament. As soon as such coals have formed in your brazier, then check the level of heat with your palm. Raise your palm over the coals at the level at which the grill or skewers will stand and make a calculation. As soon as you can hold your hand on the calculation of 1-2-3-4-5, then the coals are ready for red meat, pork, for example. If you can hold your hand over the heat to 7-10, then you have the best coals for chicken, turkey and fish, as well as vegetable skewers and caramelizing fruit pieces for a side dish or even dessert.

More than 10 calculations hold your hand over the heat, it's time to put shrimp and seafood on the grill.

Dare! We hope that this material not only answered the question you filled in in the search engine “what kind of wood to grill the barbecue on”, but also brought you, as the owner of the garden, or the hunter for true taste, the knowledge of the secrets of cooking the most delicious barbecue of your dreams!

The right firewood is the key to a great barbecue!

Having gathered with friends or relatives, we sometimes go to the country house or just to nature to take a break from the worldly bustle, breathe in the fresh air and treat ourselves to a barbecue. While the table is being laid, we will prepare the barbecue. I must say that cooking barbecue is a very exciting process. The crackle of firewood in the fire and the fire itself has a calming and relaxing effect on a person. But do not forget that the wrong choice of firewood for barbecue can ruin the whole vacation. So, before it's too late, let's figure out which coals are best for making barbecue?

Firewood that should not be used

We must approach the issue of cooking barbecue very seriously if we do not want to spoil all our work and deceive the expectations of society, which is going to try fresh, hot, smoky-smelling barbecue. And therefore...

Do not use: boards used in construction (painted, tarred, varnished, etc.), all sorts of old things, furniture, toys, etc. Barbecue made on such not serious firewood will be irretrievably lost. It will be saturated with the “aroma” of paints and varnish, which will also affect its taste. You can easily get poisoned.

Firewood from the following types of trees should not be used: mountain ash, acacia, alder, poplar, elm, aspen, pine, ash, fir, spruce, cedar and all other species containing resins. Such firewood emits heavy smoke with a taste of resin, which our barbecue is saturated with and absorbs. From such a barbecue, the taste of pine needles in the mouth will last for a long time, which will turn the meal into torment and the holiday will be ruined. Also, when burning, these tree species emit harmful substances that, having soaked the barbecue, will be very harmful to the health of the body.

It is better not to use raw firewood, as they say, there is a lot of soot, but there is no result. When burning, such firewood emits a lot of smoke, which will soak and dry our barbecue.

When lighting a fire, it is strictly forbidden to use - gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel and other acetone containing chemicals. Even if your firewood burns well, the smell and taste of chemistry will still be present in the barbecue.

Firewood that will give a bright rainbow of flavors and aromas to barbecue

We will be helped to kindle the right fire for a barbecue: paper, dry grass, dry branches, and in extreme cases, you can go to the store and buy special solutions for lighting a fire.

The appearance and taste of a good kebab is influenced by many factors: well-chosen and chopped meat, properly selected spices, herbs, spices and other components for the marinade, marinating time, kebab turned on the fire in time and removed from the coals in a timely manner, as well as properly selected firewood different types of trees.

Firewood for barbecue - Don't do it like that!

The girls want a barbecue - Don't do that!

To prepare an unforgettable barbecue, we will use fragrant and warm firewood.

In the first place among barbecue specialists is the vine, it is suitable for any type of meat. When choosing a vine, keep in mind that the thicker branches of the vine will provide you with excellent steady heat (especially true for large batches of kebabs). Grape juice, evaporating from the branches of the vine, impregnates your kebab with an excellent and unique aroma, and the kebab itself acquires an unusual taste. In terms of taste, such shish kebab is much superior to shish kebabs cooked on other types of firewood. We advise everyone to try the shish kebab cooked on the vine at least once.

Grapevine is quite expensive and for many a hard-to-find pleasure, let's look at alternative firewood options.

For cooking barbecue, you can use birch, linden, oak and all kinds of fruit and stone fruit trees (apple, pear, plum, cherry, cherry, apricot, peach and others). While birch, oak or linden just give a good heat, fruit trees can influence the taste of the kebab, making it rich and unique, because when frying, the kebab absorbs the aroma of a particular tree.

  • For chicken, duck, goose and game barbecue - any stone fruit trees
  • For lamb and pork barbecue - cherry, birch or linden
  • For beef kebab - birch, linden and stone fruit trees
  • For fish kebab - fruit tree varieties are best suited
  • For shish kebab from offal - linden firewood and firewood from fruit trees
  • For barbecue from hunting trophies - birch, linden or any fruit trees

If each time you use different varieties of fruit trees, each time you can get a new flavor of barbecue.

You should not use firewood of different tree species at the same time, since they all burn differently and, therefore, coals form and burn out at different times, because of which the temperature changes dramatically and it is difficult to control them, and there will also be an incomprehensible mixed aroma and taste of barbecue

Charcoal or when there is no firewood

Recently, it has become popular to buy ready-made coals - there are several varieties of such coal: briquetted coal and charcoal in bags. They are undeniably convenient, speed up the process. But they do not improve the taste of barbecue. And in extreme cases, on the contrary, they can ruin everything.

Remember! A real barbecue is cooked only on natural firewood - any professional barbecue will tell you this.

Before the start of the heating season, private traders are engaged in the purchase of firewood, paying attention only to the price and appearance of combustible material. For cooking in nature, everything that burns is used, because of which the meat often acquires an unpleasant taste. In this article we will tell you why you should pay attention to the properties of a particular wood, what is the difference between hard and soft woods.

Types of firewood and their properties

Consider the main types of firewood, as well as their features. Let's talk about the difference between soft rocks and hard ones.

Hard rocks

Hardwoods are characterized by the absence of large chambers with air between the wood fibers. Thus, such wood is distinguished by its density, resistance to the external environment, as well as weight. Even a small branch will be very weighty. Such a tree gives the maximum amount of heat.

Hard rocks are problematic to chop and saw. This wood burns slowly, gradually, gives a lot of coals. At the same time, it is not used for ignition, since a high temperature is required for ignition.

Important! Hardwood can burn even when damp, as the density of the fibers prevents it from absorbing too much water. Wet hardwood logs burn much longer than dry ones.

These breeds include:


Breeds of medium hardness

This type includes wood, which has medium parameters. This group includes both coniferous and deciduous trees. Wood during combustion emits an average amount of heat, burns even when wet, but not waterlogged (wet or freshly cut).

Gives a sufficient amount of coal, but burns out faster than the above options. Chopping and sawing such trees is also not easy. They have dense enough fibers to complicate this process, so harvesting firewood takes a considerable amount of time.

The rocks of medium hardness include:


From this list, birch is most often used. Its price is extremely low, and the heat transfer indicators are at a high level. In addition, birch is the easiest to chop.

soft rocks

This is the wood that is used for ignition. It quickly ignites, quickly burns out, leaving no coals behind. Soft breeds have a significant volume of air chambers between the fibers, so the weight of the wood is small, as is the heat transfer. Such rocks are not used for heating, since the consumption is extremely high.

Soft breeds include:


What firewood is better

Different types of firewood should be used for different activities. Why conifers are not used for stoves and fireplaces, and for cooking barbecue it is better to take fruit trees, we will consider further.

To warm up the bath

To heat the bath, hardwood logs are used, as they burn out for a long time, give a lot of heat, and also do not spark. In this case, it is worth giving preference to ash, beech or oak. This wood burns evenly, gives a high temperature, and its consumption is extremely small.

It is not worth melting the bath with needles, otherwise you will have problems with the chimney, and if combustion products start to enter the room, then smoke may occur. Also, these rocks spark strongly, so there is a risk of fire.

Video: how to choose firewood for a bath As for birch, it can be used for heating, but only with a sufficient amount of oxygen. If the air does not flow well, then the firewood will begin to smoke. Birch will burn even with high humidity.

For heating the house with a stove, boiler and fireplace

Absolutely any wood, even soft woods, can be used to ignite a boiler or stove, however, only hard and medium-hard woods are used as the basis. The best option is alder and aspen.

This wood burns without the formation of soot, moreover, during combustion, the chimney is self-cleaning of already accumulated soot, so you do not have to waste time. In terms of heat release, hornbeam, beech and ash are best suited.

Important!One storage meter is equal to 200 liters of liquid fuel.

They have a maximum calorific value, so they not only allow you to maintain a stable temperature in the house, but also reduce the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe storage for firewood. For comparison, 1 hornbeam storage meter gives 2.1 megawatts per hour, and spruce - 1.4 megawatts. Almost half the heat, and the area occupied by firewood is the same.
The worst are logs from poplar, pine, spruce, elm, apple. They should be abandoned for two reasons: the release of a large amount of tar or smoke that clogs the chimney, as well as the appearance of sparks during the burnout process, which can cause a fire.

Separately, it is worth talking about birch. In principle, this is a good option, but only with a sufficient amount of oxygen. If it is not there, then birch tar will begin to be deposited on the walls of the chimney in large volumes. As a result, the effect will be like from a firebox with pine or spruce logs.

Firewood that sparks strongly is not suitable for a fireplace, so we immediately discard soft rocks, as well as spruce and pine. Such firewood will not only ruin the sight glass of the fireplace, but will also cause the room to smoke even with good draft. In the absence of protective glass, a fire may occur due to flying sparks.

Video: what kind of wood to use for the stove and fireplace The best option is the same alder and aspen, which burn without emitting soot. To get a beautiful intricate fire, you can use small stumps or roots of hard rocks. Cedar wood smolders for a long time, allowing you to enjoy the beautiful picture of hot coals.

If the smell of burning wood is taken into account, then it is better to take an apple tree or a pear. They will fill the room with a wonderful fruity aroma. A classic for a fireplace is beech, which gives a lot of heat, does not spark, burns out for a long time, and also does not emit a lot of smoke. Beech firewood has a good smell, so they are often used for smoking.

For barbecue

The taste and aroma of barbecue depends not only on the meat and marinade, but also on the firewood on which it is cooked. For this reason, you should take care to light the fire with the right wood.
Fruit trees are always used to prepare barbecue, as they give the necessary aroma, burn without soot, and also have good heat transfer rates.

In this case, there are some favorites, namely:

  • cherry;
  • Apple tree;
  • grapes (thick vine).

You can also use firewood from,. What should be abandoned is needles and spruce.

Such wood will cover your meat with a thick layer of unpleasant-tasting plaque that will not only spoil the look, but also the taste. Such a barbecue will have to be pre-cleaned from burning.

  • (a lot of soot);
  • and (bad taste of meat).
Video: how to choose firewood for barbecue

Important! It is forbidden to use the wood of poisonous trees, otherwise you will get poisoned.

As for the previously mentioned rocks that are used for space heating, they are not suitable for two reasons:

  • it is difficult to ignite them, and you will have to wait more than one hour for burning out;
  • they give absolutely no flavor to the meat, unlike fruit trees.

Basic rules and requirements

Consider the rules for storing and warehousing firewood, which will help preserve the material, as well as properly use the area.

Only completely dried chopped firewood should be stored for further storage. As a warehouse, a canopy or closed room is used, which protects the material from the sun and precipitation. The presence of a draft does not play a big role, however, the ventilation of the room should be carried out if it is completely closed.
Firewood is laid out on bricks or another base that does not allow them to come into contact with the soil. This is necessary so that the wood does not begin to absorb moisture like a sponge. To provide good support, iron or wooden beams are placed on the sides of the woodpile.

Storage

During storage, firewood should not be exposed to rain, snow, or sunlight. The room in which wood is stored must not be heated. Even if the logs are located at a great distance from the floor, the water will increase the humidity of the air, respectively, the firewood may become damp.

Remember that wood only begins to rot when the humidity is over 30%, so it is important to prevent large volumes of firewood from getting wet. It is better to remove wet logs if it is not possible to dry them quickly.

It is also necessary to leave a small gap between the stacks of firewood so that air can circulate. If this is not done, then the firewood will begin to deteriorate.

Did you know? In the tropical part of Brazil, a tree has been discovered that produces a lot of resin. This resin can be used as a diesel fuel without further processing. At the same time, one tree per year is capable of producing up to 500 liters of "free" fuel.

We looked at what types of wood should be used for various purposes and why conifers are not suitable for lighting. Hardwood always costs a lot more, but it justifies its costs.

As soon as more or less warm weather sets in in the spring, Russians massively open the barbecue season, going to the dacha or just in nature. It is very difficult to find a person who would not like this dish. Meanwhile, in order to cook a really good barbecue, it is not enough to choose the best meat and marinate it correctly. Here you also need to choose the right firewood, because a lot depends on the type of wood.

So, let's look at this issue in more detail. As you know, barbecue is cooked not on wood, but on smoldering coals. Accordingly, we need firewood that will give off a lot of heat. In the first place in this indicator, many experts put the vine. Its main advantages are, in particular, the ability to easily ignite and burn well.

Also smoldering coals will give uniform heat. Without this, good roasting is simply impossible to achieve. In addition, the heat will also be very stable. Another undoubted advantage of the vine is a pleasant aroma that gently envelops the fried meat. It also adds a unique flavor to the barbecue.

In other words, the vine is deservedly considered the best in this regard. However, it has significant drawbacks. In particular, it is quite difficult for an ordinary man in the street to collect the volume necessary for cooking barbecue. Not everyone can afford to buy a vine for this in a store.

However, you should not be upset, because there are many other, also very good options. For example, many believe that the following trees provide the best firewood for barbecue:

  • Birch;
  • Linden;
  • alder.

All of them are about equally good for making delicious barbecue. However, it is worth remembering that oak, birch and linden firewood give a very strong heat. Accordingly, it will be necessary to carefully monitor so as not to overdry the meat. On the other hand, this is just an ideal option for a large company, when the barbecue is cooked in several passes. One piece of advice can be given here. If you opted for oak, linden or birch firewood, then it is better to use a deep barbecue.

Many people believe that it is much easier and more profitable to use specially prepared coals (bought in a store), it seems to be both easier and faster, but they do not improve the taste of barbecue and, as you yourself understand, it is better to choose firewood, because barbecue wood is nicer!

Barbecuing is a serious business. Using your neighbor's fence, your childhood wooden toys, or your mother-in-law's old shed as barbecue wood is a detrimental effect on your product. A kebab made on such strange woods, of course, will not be able to please you with its pleasant aroma and worthy taste.

So what do we know about firewood? - this is an ideal fuel for fireplaces, stoves familiar to us, boilers (running on solid fuel), grills, barbecues, barbecues.
When firewood burns, the same amount of carbon dioxide is released as when wood rots. So obsolete trees can, even need to be burned. The most "hot" firewood is considered to be birch, the most "little hot" - from aspen.

Undoubtedly, firewood, from the side of fuel, is gradually losing its relevance. Still, in our time of electricity and gas, many residents of our country still use stoves. Since neither gas, nor coal, and even more so electricity, can not replace the crackling sound of logs that is pleasant to the ear. loved ones and engage in the exciting process of cooking barbecue?

Not all firewood will fit on the coals for barbecue. Let's find out what is better to use. First of all, structurally, the tree should preferably be strong, dense, in order to burn longer. The quality of coals depends on this, they will provide a long heat. According to this principle, you must immediately abandon the rotten and rotten firewood of any of the breeds. This firewood will burn almost instantly and we will not see coal from them.

Of the logs for cooking barbecue, the most suitable would be: linden, oak and other types of fruit trees, such as: plum, cherry, apple, cherry, pear, peach and others. According to experts, firewood from the vine can be considered perfect for barbecue. Only deciduous trees are suitable for this dish. However, it is not recommended to use coniferous firewood, as they will give the meat an unpleasant taste that will be difficult to kill even with all kinds of seasonings. From poultry and game meat, it is best to make barbecue on the firewood of fruit trees; from pork or lamb - on cherry or birch firewood; from offal - on linden, as well as fruit, but for veal barbecue, firewood from fruit trees, birch and linden is ideal.

You can also add that it is ideal to use a thick dry vine to get a good and long heat from coals. If there is no vine, then juniper or acacia firewood is also suitable. Resinous varieties of trees are strictly not recommended. In the event that it was not possible to find garden logs, then you can use birch logs. From trees (except fruit trees) the bark should be removed, due to which, as a rule, strong smoke appears.

Good firewood - dry logs, small in size (20 - 30 centimeters) is sometimes problematic to chop yourself, and getting them is not so easy. Well, why get them somewhere? You can easily find them here as well. Residents of Moscow, and the entire Moscow region, can easily get all this in our company by simply calling 8-916-916-60-03. A wide range will help you find any firewood for your barbecue, which will ensure you a pleasant stay. To all of the above, it can be added that in a forest area or near a reservoir it is preferable to use, if desired, you can choose oak and linden. In the country, you can add thick branches of fruit trees to this kit in small quantities.