Summer is finally here – ushering in that innately irresistible temptation to gather family and friends and fire up the barbecue! But if you’ve always used charcoal for your barbecues, why not take things up a notch by BBQing with wood instead of charcoal?

Cooking with wood delivers richer smoky flavours, higher heat, and a more authentic outdoor cooking experience. Not sure where to begin? Fear not, grill master in the making! Our beginner-friendly wood fired grilling guide will show you how to choose the right wood, light your fire, control the temperature, enhance flavour, and stay safe – so you can enjoy your best summer BBQ yet!

Why BBQ with Wood Instead of Charcoal?

Switching from charcoal to wood has an array of benefits:

• Better flavour: Different wood types add unique smoky tastes to your food.

• Hotter, longer-lasting heat: Kiln dried hardwood logs burn hotter and longer than charcoal.

• Natural fuel: Wood is a renewable, chemical-free option when it’s responsibly and sustainably sourced, as our wood is.

• More satisfying experience: Building and managing a wood fire feels more primal and rewarding!

Sounding good so far? To get the best results when bbqing with wood, it’s important to use the right kind of wood and follow a few essential steps.

Choosing the Right Wood for Your BBQ

When BBQing with wood instead of charcoal, moisture content and wood type matter. With this in mind, always choose Ready To Burn certified kiln-dried logs – these have a moisture content below 20%, meaning they burn hotter, cleaner, last longer, and with less smoke.

Here’s what you need to get started when bbqing with wood:

• Kindling and natural firelighters to get the fire started and to create a good base for your wood to combust
• Use kiln-dried softwood logs to build the fire and raise temperatures quickly
• Use kiln-dried hardwood logs to sustain the heat for cooking

IMPORTANT TIP: Steer clear of wet, freshly cut (green), or treated wood – these logs smoulder, emit excess smoke, and release harmful pollutants into the atmosphere.

Why use softwood and hardwood?

Kiln dried softwood logs (like pine, spruce or fir) ignite easily and build fire quickly, making softwood species ideal for starting and building fires. Meanwhile, kiln dried hardwood logs (such as ash, oak and birch) burn hotter and last longer, perfect for maintaining steady cooking heat without constant refuelling.

👉 Pro tip: Always choose logs that are Ready To Burn certified to guarantee low moisture, high heat, and low emissions.

How to Prepare and Light Your Wood Fire

Starting a wood fire for BBQing is a little different from lighting charcoal, but it’s easy once you know how.

Steps:

1. Build your base: Arrange kindling and place a couple of wax-dipped natural firelighters in the centre of your fire pit or grill.
2. Add softwood logs: Place some kiln dried softwood logs around the kindling in a teepee or criss-cross shape, leaving sufficient air gaps to allow oxygen to circulate.
3. Light the firelighters: They’ll ignite the kindling, which in turn will light the softwood log when there’s enough energy in the fire.
4. Let it burn!: Allow the softwood to combust to create a lively flame and a small bed of hot embers.
5. Add hardwood: Once you have enough hot embers, add kiln dried hardwood logs to establish a long, hot burn for cooking.

Be patient though! It can take around 20–30 minutes to build up a good bed of embers to create the right environment for optimised wood fired grilling.

Managing Heat and Temperature

The key to success when BBQing with wood instead of charcoal is managing heat effectively.

🔥 Cook over embers, not flames
Wait until your wood has burned down into glowing embers. Cooking over large, dancing flames can char food on the outside and leave it undercooked inside.

🔥 Create heat zones
Rake more embers to one side of the grill to create a hot zone (for searing) and leave fewer embers on the other side for a cooler zone (for slower cooking).

🔥 Control heat with airflow
If your grill has vents or a lid, adjust them to manage airflow. More oxygen = hotter fire; less oxygen = cooler fire.

Enhancing Smoke Flavour

One of the biggest reasons for barbecue lovers making the switch from charcoal to wood is the smoke flavour that wood offers.

Here’s how to tailor the flavour:

• Oak, ash, or beech → neutral, classic BBQ flavour. Our kiln dried hardwood logs contain a mixture of oak, ash and beech.

• Cherry or applewood → sweet, fruity smoke (great for pork and chicken)

• Hickory → bold, bacon-like flavour (perfect for ribs or brisket)

👉 Top Tip: You don’t need to soak logs because kiln-dried wood already has a below 20% moisture content for clean smoke.

Safety Tips for Wood-Fired BBQing

Cooking over wood is fun, but safety must be prioritised:

• Always BBQ outdoors in a well-ventilated, open space
• Keep water, sand, or a fire extinguisher nearby
• Never leave the fire unattended
• Use long tongs and heatproof gloves
• Fully extinguish embers after cooking (pour water, stir, repeat until cool)

Ready to Try BBQing With Wood?

If you’ve only ever grilled or barbecued with charcoal, be bold, make an impression, and make the switch! BBQing with wood instead of charcoal brings unbeatable flavour, natural heat, and an authentic, primal cooking experience you’ll want to enjoy again and again. And by using kiln dried softwood logs to build fires quickly and kiln dried hardwood logs to sustain the burn, you’ll enjoy easier lighting, better cooking, and a cleaner burn with low emissions.

Explore our range of Ready To Burn kiln-dried softwood and hardwood bundles to build and sustain fires, plus kindling and natural wax-dipped firelighters to get your fire going.

Let’s get this wood-fired bbq party started!

Why Use Kiln Dried Logs from The Log People?

Choosing Ready To Burn certified kiln-dried logs from The Log People ensures you achieve:

• Higher heat using fewer logs
• Lower smoke and emissions
• Sustainable, locally sourced wood
• Dependable performance with every fire
• Returnable bags so we can reuse and recycle

Our softwood logs help build the fire fast, while our hardwood logs keep it burning hotter and longer — giving you a consistent, efficient cooking fire.

Burn it. Love it. Tag it! #FireUpTheFeelGood

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