Q. What is the difference between seasoned wood and kiln-dried wood?
Seasoned firewood is cut, split and dried outdoors. It typically takes several months for seasoned wood to get to 25% moisture or less.
Kiln-dried wood is heat-treated in a kiln to reduce the moisture content in firewood. This process takes 48 hours and kills any pests which may be in the wood. The moisture content in kiln-dried firewood is 15% – 20%, which allows the wood to burn hotter, longer, and with very little smoke. We recommend kiln-dried wood for all indoor fireplaces. The kiln at Black Dog is fueled by wood to reduce our usage of fossil fuels and promote environmentally friendly practices.
Q. What size are your pallets?
Our wood is professionally delivered by the Large Pallet or Eco Pallet. A Large Pallet is similar to a 1/2 Cord. An Eco Pallet is similar to a 1/4 Cord. Our normal packaging is made up of a giant re-purposed vinyl bag placed on top of a 40×48 wood pallet. We do offer stacked and wrapped packaging at an additional $30 per customized pallet.
Q. What size splits do you offer?
All of our logs are 16″ in length but can be purchased in three different cuts. Our largest cut is the BBQ cut (approx 6″ width). We offer a medium Restaurant cut (approx 4″ width). If you need something smaller for your pizza oven, we also stock kiln-dried hickory Pizza Sticks. They are precision-cut to 16″(L) × 2″ (W) × 2″ (H).
Q. Do you deliver?
We deliver to over 300 restaurants, a variety of stores, and countless homeowners all over Florida. Monday-Friday, our firewood and charcoal pallets travel along I-4 and south. We also deliver to Jacksonville, Gainesville, and Tallahassee metro areas with lesser frequency. We have a 2 pallet minimum for all residential deliveries in north and south Florida.
Q. Is Firewood a source of renewable energy?
Yes! Firewood is not only a renewable energy source, but using firewood as a fuel is eco-friendly. The trees release as much carbon when burned as they absorb when alive. There is no net increase in carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
Additionally, all of our kiln-dried firewood is dried in kilns fueled by firewood. This eliminates our use of fossil fuels in the drying process and reduces our overall environmental footprint.
Black Dog Firewood is a member of the US Renewable Energy Association and the Florida Renewable Energy Association.
Q. What is the 5B-65 Certification?
Rule 5B-65 was enacted in Florida to halt the spread of forest destroying pests and wood-boring insects. This rule requires firewood to be heat treated in a sealed kiln for 75 minutes at 160 degrees of internal temperature. The wood can also be treated by using approved chemicals.
Black Dog only heat-treats our kiln-dried firewood, because we don’t believe that anyone wants to eat food that was cooked with chemically-treated firewood.
Q. What is the best type of wood for cooking?
This is a question for the ages and it has been debated by professionals and enthusiasts for years. While there are some general rules, it simply comes down to your taste buds. In general, you’ll want to use kiln-dried wood, as this will light easier and burn longer and hotter than unprocessed woods. For a more mild smoke try Oak, Cherry, and other fruit woods. For a more robust smoked flavor try Hickory.
Black Dog Firewood can supply you with both firewood and wood chunks for all of your cooking needs.