Special for Mik - and Jon - with a side note for SK

07 April 2019, 01:33 PM

Steve Miller

Stopped by this place today. It used to be a tree trimming company and may still be, but they now advertise themselves as purveyors of fine cooking woods. The margins are obviously higher and they have added a couple of lines of smokers, grilles and cooking accessories.

It makes sense when you compare the price of cordwood and the price of the chunks/chips you buy in BBQ places for smoking and grilling. These burlap bags of chunks sell for $17 if the wood is local, and $19 if they bring it in from somewhere else. That's a bargain.

Note to SK - there is an electrical code violation in this picture. The wood rack blocks access to the electrical panel. Yes, I'm obsessed.

I think your smoker uses chips and they sell those too. I have a wood chipper (if I can get it started) and could make these:

I drive by firewood places all the time and I think I will stop in to a few of them and see if they will sell me one or two pieces of wood. There is lots of oak and citrus firewood around here one or two logs would generate enough smoking wood for years. My neighbor just had a huge mulberry tree cut down and now I wish I had snagged a branch or two.

Do you use local woods in your smoker?

07 April 2019, 01:40 PM

Mikhailoh

Interesting. Smoking is really catching fire, pun intended.

I use Weber or some other brand of wood chunks. I doubt if any is local.

07 April 2019, 01:41 PM

ShiroKuro

quote:
Note to SK - there is an electrical code violation in this picture. The wood rack blocks access to the electrical panel. Yes, I'm obsessed.

Ah, good point! I appreciate the fact that you are obsessed, I learn a lot from that!!

07 April 2019, 01:43 PM

Steve Miller

quote:
Originally posted by Mikhailoh:
Interesting. Smoking is really catching fire, pun intended.

I use Weber or some other brand of wood chunks. I doubt if any is local.

What kind of smoker do you use?

07 April 2019, 01:58 PM

Mikhailoh

I have a PK Classic and a Good One Open Range. Also a Broil King Signet 320 gas grill. Haven't cooked on the Open Range yet. Picked it up last fall for a steal - very good shape, $200. $1200 new.

07 April 2019, 02:14 PM

Steve Miller

I looked at a YouTube demonstration of that Good One smoker. Slick!

Let us know how it works when you try it out?

07 April 2019, 04:33 PM

Mikhailoh

I will. I wanted something with a separate firebox from cook chamber. I hear these are excellent units, if a bit of a fuel hog.

First cook will probably be something forgiving like pork shoulder.

07 April 2019, 05:28 PM

pianojuggler

I have a large flowering plum that just fell over in a wind storm. I wonder if plum is any good.

Do you have to dry wood for smoking like you do for the fireplace?

I've also heard you can't use wood that's really old for smoking. I have pieces of a neighbor's cherry tree that was cut down about 15 years ago. She had it stacked in her carport and when she moved out she said I could have all I wanted.

07 April 2019, 05:58 PM

jon-nyc

This thread isn't all that relevant to me but I'm really happy to be included in the special.

07 April 2019, 05:59 PM

Steve Miller

I don't actually know any of this but I do read a few BBQ forums.

quote:
Originally posted by pianojuggler:
I have a large flowering plum that just fell over in a wind storm. I wonder if plum is any good.

Consensus on the BBQ forums is that plum wood is good and imparts a flavor like cherry or apple.

quote:
Do you have to dry wood for smoking like you do for the fireplace?

Most forumites say yes, but there are those that say if you have a really big smoker you can get the fire hot enough to use green wood.

quote:
I've also heard you can't use wood that's really old for smoking. I have pieces of a neighbor's cherry tree that was cut down about 15 years ago. She had it stacked in her carport and when she moved out she said I could have all I wanted.

Consensus is that it burns too fast and imparts little flavor. It also can also be rotted and impart bad smells and tastes.

07 April 2019, 06:00 PM

Steve Miller

quote:
Originally posted by jon-nyc:
This thread isn't all that relevant to me

Well it would be if you got a smoker.

07 April 2019, 06:03 PM

Steve Miller

quote:
Originally posted by Mikhailoh:
I will. I wanted something with a separate firebox from cook chamber. I hear these are excellent units, if a bit of a fuel hog.

First cook will probably be something forgiving like pork shoulder.

I just made a pork belly. It's very, very good!

I see the chart shows smoking vegetables, which I have never tried. Have you?

[edit] I did try bacon wrapped Jalapenos stuffed with cheese. Very tasty but way too much work.

07 April 2019, 06:30 PM

Mikhailoh

I did wonder why Jon was included, although I know he likes BBQ.

Yeah, fruit woods are generally good so I see no reason plum would not be. I'd season it a year but no more. The sap left in the wood is part of the flavor, so I would not use really old wood.

I have never tried pork belly, but I will sometime. It is absolutely melt in your mouth delicious if done right.