EXPERIMENT: Pre-Soaked Wine Wood Chips-Make Any Sense?

NJ-Professor

Got access to a huge supply of mesquite wood.

Would like to use for bge.

1-How long does wood take to dry after tree is cut down?

2-I would like to soak chips in wine, let dry, and use later. Would any wine flavor be imparted months later? How long should chips be soaked before drying?

3-Any advantage to extruded smoker chips? Does such a thing already exist?

Thanks!

The Cen-Tex Smoker

soaking in wine will not help. If you want that type of flavor you need to buy Jack Daniels Chips or some of the Cabernet chips that are out. Those are soaked for years and impart a very subtle flavor to the smoke. 

No idea what you mean by extruded chips. Elaborate?

Eggcelsior

Are you talking about wood pellets? If so, they do exist for pellet smokers and can be used in the Egg. Many use them for cold smoking applications.

lousubcap

Regarding drying of wood-air drying wood takes around six-nine months to dry to equilibrium with the environment in the Northeast.  That said, no need to dry to use as smoke wood. 

As C-T said, you would be better off getting a wine barrel and chopping it up to get the desired flavor.  Wood takes a long time to absorb moisture.  FWIW-

Tjcoley

You can always marinate your steak in red wine. Makes for a great flavor.