To get the most flavorful smoke into your meat means you will need to season the wood. Wood seasoning refers to the process of drying the wood long enough for the right amount of flavor to escape into the meat. The most common way is to dry wood outside in the natural elements.
Experts suggest using wood that’s been dried for at least six months. This will give you the right flavor of smoke. If you’re buying wood, the easiest way to tell if it’s seasoned is to check the ends. If the log ends are dark and cracked, you know they’re dry enough to burn. Wood with green parts still on them are not ideal for smoking. If you still have doubts, we have a dedicated article on how to dry the wood for smoking.