# Apple wood for smoking



## aandabooks (Jun 15, 2010)

I picked up a good size limb of apple wood yesterday from a neighbors yard that had half a tree come down in a storm. Got about 8 cu.ft of wood and I cut it like I would to put in the woodburner. 

I've just taken up smoking meat and have a small charcoal smoker. What would be the best way to prepare the apple wood for smoker usage? So far I've just been using stuff in a bag from the store and soaking it in water. The apple was live when it fell.


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## yooper (Jun 15, 2010)

cut it into 2 inch cookies and soak in water before smoking. you can leave them whole or smack em with a hammer to make em smaller. I like to mix apple with cherry. especially for ribs..

edit... you may want to dry for a bit, when green they will give off a lot of creasult in yer smoker


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## TreePointer (Jun 15, 2010)

A recent discussion:

Apple wood and cooking/smoking questions


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## smokinj (Jun 15, 2010)

I cut my wood for the smoker in about 12in. splits and start it with charcoal and the rest with wood its much cheeper that way.


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## HuskyMurph (Jun 17, 2010)

i put a huge apple tree in my rafters ill keep it up there for a year. then take a bit down cut it up small 1 to 2 inchs thick. depending if your going for a longer smoke or just adding some flavor to some brats. look up UGLY DRUM SMOKER on you tube made 3 each about 50 bucks in parts made out of a 50 gallon drum. hold alot of meat and hold temperature for 12 hours on one load


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## ct greenman (Jun 17, 2010)

smokinj said:


> I cut my wood for the smoker in about 12in. splits and start it with charcoal and the rest with wood its much cheeper that way.



I have a brinkman smokinpit and do about the same as you.


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## SWI Don (Jun 17, 2010)

I have a Chargriller smoker with the side firebox. I start with a chimney of charcoal and run wood from then on. Wood is in lump charcoal sized chunks. It's cut up a little coarser than the chunk stuff you can get at Walmart (at least what they had last year, I have my own supply now) 

Make sure your wood is seasoned. Unseasoned wood can add a nasty flavor to the meat. I have had pork shoulder that was smoked with unseasoned wood and it was not good.

Enjoy your find. Usually there will be some dead dry pieces on an old apple tree you can use right away. If the tree happened to have been actively managed (ie regualary pruned) then you may want to hold off using it for smoking.

Don


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## Junkrunner (Jun 20, 2010)

SWI Don said:


> I have a Chargriller smoker with the side firebox. I start with a chimney of charcoal and run wood from then on. Wood is in lump charcoal sized chunks. It's cut up a little coarser than the chunk stuff you can get at Walmart (at least what they had last year, I have my own supply now)
> 
> Make sure your wood is seasoned. Unseasoned wood can add a nasty flavor to the meat. I have had pork shoulder that was smoked with unseasoned wood and it was not good.
> 
> ...


:agree2::agree2:


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## NC4TN (Jun 20, 2010)

First of all, get your big chunks of apple and make some noodles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfEeN36Gv3k

Put 'em in a plastic bucket and soak for 30 minutes. Sprinkle on your charcoal every hour or so....I have replenished every half hour; it just depends on what you're smoking. 

The quality of your final product is directly proportionate to the quality of your meat and the temp that you maintain. Stay away from supermarket meat and try to find a good slaughterhouse that can supply you with fresh pork or beef. 


Here's my self built Lexington, NC chimney style pit. The left side is just a fireplace where I burn wood down to coals (the fire pit). The right side is the smoking chamber (ashpit) where the BBQ happens....low and slow. No charcoal, no gas; just wood. That's a load of shagbark hickory in the wheelbarrow. Here I'm preheating the ashpit with a little poplar wood fire. 






Here's everything going with the ash pit doors closed with the next batch of replenishment coals being made, which will be shoveled into the ashpit.





And here's the final product on it's way to becoming NC style pulled pork BBQ; 2 shank-end half shoulders purchased at 79 cents per pound. I've cooked over 200 pieces of meat in this pit. I can cook up to 5 whole pork shoulders.





Or.....here's the "poor boy's pit": a dry layed cinder block pit and covered with roofing tin. 55 gallon drum serves as the burndown barrel. Works like a charm. Direct heat is the only way to go. Use rebar just under the top layer of blocks to hold the cuts of meat. I had a grand total of $12 invested in this pit; blocks and roofing metal came from an old building that got torn down and the rebar cost me $10 from a scrapyard and $2 for fuel to haul the above.


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## Wood Doctor (Jun 20, 2010)

smokinj said:


> I cut my wood for the smoker in about 12in. splits and start it with charcoal and the rest with wood. Its much cheeper that way.



Perfect! That's how I do it and it works. :greenchainsaw:


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## Frank Boyer (Jun 20, 2010)

I use fist size chuncks in my weber Smokey mountain water smokers, and 12" long X 2-3" split for my big cookers. I only use one or two pieces of flavor wood over a charcoal base for heat. Most people learning to cook with wood over smoke the meat.

This is a friends BBQ site and my cookers are in the pictures.

http://www.imagesbyjohnvance.com/Barbeque


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## Frank Boyer (Jun 21, 2010)

NC4TN said:


> First of all, get your big chunks of apple and make some noodles:
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfEeN36Gv3k
> 
> ...



NICE PIT! Dave Linebach, from N C, built one very much like yours. That shoulder looks good.


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## taylor6400 (Jun 21, 2010)

I have an offset smoker too. I make mine into 8-12" splits about 2x2 or so in width. I always start with charcoal then depending on how much fire i want to tend i either go to all wood or charcoal for heat and just some chunks for seasoning. To tell you the truth there is not a huge taste difference between the all wood and charcoal/wood Q...but there is a little. Dont soak your chunks you make more smoke than you need, and make sure they are seasoned. You want clean burning clear blue smoke not billowing white smoke. NC4 that is a sweet pit man. Nice work.


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## NC4TN (Jun 22, 2010)

Frank Boyer said:


> NICE PIT! Dave Linebach, from N C, built one very much like yours. That shoulder looks good.



Frank....got my ideas from Dave's website that you are probobly familiar with.

Here the link for those who are interested: 

http://www.ibiblio.org/lineback/lex.htm

I've actually been to his house in NW NC and he showed me his setup. He's even got a real nice wood-fired oven right next to his brick pit. Here's a shot or 2 from my visit to his home. Dave is one heck of a fine feller!


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## Wood Doctor (Jun 22, 2010)

*Fabulous!*

This thread contains posts of pictures of some of the best brick masonry meat smokers that I have ever seen. Terrific engineering, and I am proud of all of you.


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## smokinj (Jun 22, 2010)

wood doctor said:


> this thread contains posts of pictures of some of the best brick masonry meat smokers that i have ever seen. Terrific engineering, and i am proud of all of you.



+100


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## Frank Boyer (Jun 22, 2010)

NC4TN said:


> Frank....got my ideas from Dave's website that you are probobly familiar with.
> 
> Here the link for those who are interested:
> 
> ...


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## Junkrunner (Jun 23, 2010)

I must add my applause. That is right nice!


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