Wood for smoking


 

Bruce

TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
I don't have a WSM but I use my Genesis 1000 gas grill to smoke various meats. I could post this in the Gas Grill section, but I figure you guys are the ones to ask about wood for smoking. Buying wood in the bags at the stores is pretty pricey. I like, and have been using Apple wood for my cooks. My parents have a crab apple tree that looks like it is on its way out and I told them that if it winds up needing to be taken out, that I wanted it for wood for smoking.
But, before I do that, I have a couple questions:
1. Is Crab Apple wood as good as regular apple wood?
2. Do I need to strip the bark from the wood before I use it in the grill for smoking?

I am just thinking that a 50 gallon trash bin full of Crab Apple wood chunks would be awful handy and inexpensive for the next several years.
Thoughts???
 
I don't care for Apple cause it's to mild for me, but Crab Apple is fine for smoking or grilling. Stripping the bark is personal and as long as they didn't spray it with pesticides ( which is a topical spray) just chunk it, let it season, and enjoy:wsm:

Tim
 
I have found it to be plenty strong enough for me. But I do know it is considered a mild variety of wood for smoking and seems to be one that is recommend for a fairly wide range of meats.

As far as pesticides go, no, they dont spray the tree, but they do get the lawn fertilized and sprayed for pests several times each summer. I could just make sure I don't use the bottom foot or so of the trunk.

I am doing my Thanksgiving Turkey on my grill with some smoke tomorrow. I am anxious to get it going.
 
I am just thinking that a 50 gallon trash bin full of Crab Apple wood chunks would be awful handy and inexpensive for the next several years.
Thoughts???
I bought a 25 lb. box of mixed fruit woods from Fruita Wood this year. I think a 50 gal. trash bin would hold the contents of about ten of those boxes. That's a LOT of smoke wood if you aren't running a restaurant. I've only used about half the box so far.

We have a crab apple tree I thought this year we might have to take down and I was wondering the same thing about the wood. From my reading it smokes similar to apple. If our tree comes down I'll definitely be saving the wood.
 
Yah, I likely won't save an entire 55 gallon trash bin full. But I could probably fill one. I suppose a few 5 gallon pails would be sufficient. But, at $9 for a small bag, I don't want it to run out any time soon.
 
I've been using quite a bit of Crab Apple lately - my BIL took a big limb off from a tree in his yard and didn't want it, so I cut it up and hauled it home.

From branches under around 2-inches, the bark is thin enough that I just leave it on.
If it was big / trunk stuff or where bark got THICK over scars - then I would think about hatcheting away some / most of it

I like a few pieces of Apple (almost ANY type) for poultry and use about a 50/50 mix with hickory for pork
 
I just got a 5 gal pail of Cherry split logs from my buddy. I just need to cut them into 3-4" sections and then split them into smaller chunks. I used it on my Christmas ham and it was great. I will be very interested in seeing what happens with my parent's crab apple this spring. It would supply me with as much as I could possibly use for years. But, I will probably just take some of the prime pieces and split them up to the tune of 4-5 five gallon pails full.
 
I generally use apple wood. Since I have an orchard of 550 trees it is pretty easy to come by. A 5 gallon pail will last a long time for use in a WSM.
 

 

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