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Green Apple Wood

Happy Hog
Happy Hog Posts: 67
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
The wind took down my neighbors :angry: apple tree and now I :) have lots of green apple wood for smoking. How would you guys block this up for use and how long does it have to cure before I can use it?
Would it inpart a bitter flavor if I use some of it while its still green?

Thanks,
I'm a Happy Hog in Virginia

Comments

  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
    For purposes of stacking I'd cut the pieces into 12-16 lengths and no bigger then 4 inch diameters.

    Find a dry place to stack the wood for 4-6 months.

    Green wood wil burn but it produces more smoke as the fluids in the wood burn off. This could lead to a creosote build up. That [creosote] is now good.
  • Skipster
    Skipster Posts: 7
    I am in the process of cutting down a Crab Apple tree...

    In the early spring I pruned it so I won't have to deal with all the leaves. I kept any branch bigger than 3/4" in diameter and used my pruning shears to cut the small stuff into 8-10" lengths.

    If you want to accelerate the drying process of your apple wood, after cooking clean and wipe your grate down very well. Toss a pile of the approx. 3/4" dia. "twigs" onto the grate during the shut-down of your egg as it cools (I go at around 350) and close the dome. Viola! Free kiln to drive the moisture outta the wood!

    I find that after 3-4 goes of this forced drying method, nice cracks appear on the ends of the wood and it is much lighter in weight(less moisture in the wood).

    Then for the cook, I light the fire in the center and place the center of the twigs (2-3) sticks across the middle of the fire, to heat the middle first to drive more moisture out of the wood. The rest smokes as the fire spreads.

    This is working well for me! No acrid smoke taste.

    The bigger stuff I am going to split into chunks and let air dry for several months.
  • I've used it green with no problem- but I don't use a lot of smoke and I don't smoke a lot. My family is very sensitive to smoke flavor as a little bit overpowers the taste of the food for them.

    My neighbor did it first and showed me it was good on pork and venison.
    Fred (of Fred's Franks) told me he often uses green apple- you don't need to soak it.