Cutting your own wood

Abarnette

I have recently found some hickory and cut some arm size limbs off of it. Does anyone have any advice or experience with just going out in the woods and getting your own smoking wood?  Because there a lot of varieties of oak and hickory. I am from Virginia. 

Sea2Ski

@abarnette I do it all the time. Nothing to it. Not really sure what information you are looking for. 

I have lots of trees on my property, and have 2 wood burning stoves.  When a tree or limb comes down, the logsplitter come out and everything gets split and stacked.  If oak, I usually keep splitting a 'clear' section and split it into sticks about 1/2" by 1/2 inch and 18" long. Those usually get used for beef cooks. I also know someone who works at an orchard, so I have access to apple and peach as well, but those are smaller sized trimmings, so they get cut by loppers. And one coworker has a shagbark hickory, so I get some of that as well. 
Personally, I let everything dry before using, but that is because I have the time, space and volume to do that, but I have read you can burn it all green - I just never have. 

rifrench

I do it all the time!

Carolina Q

I have maple and dogwood in my yard. Always a branch to prune as needed. Couple of guys on here use just the bark from shagbark hickory. Oak and hickory are fine, though hickory is pretty strong. 

Here's a site with more info...
http://virtualweberbullet.com/woods.html

For more, just google smoking woods.

JethroVA

@Abarnette where are you? I'm in Richmond and cut my own firewood and smoking wood.  I use hickory and oak on pork.  Maple on chicken. 

Teefus

I back up to the woods and have ample amounts of Oak, Hickory, Maple, and Cherry. I tend to shy away from orchard trimmings, as they've often been hosed down with pesticides for years. 

blasting

Teefus said:

I tend to shy away from orchard trimmings, as they've often been hosed down with pesticides for years. 

I hadn't thought ok of this, thanks.

Sea2Ski

This is one of the times I am all for certified organic

HendersonTRKing

Has anyone tried Smoke & Flame?

https://youtu.be/TBb9O-aW4zI

lkapigian

I just saw Your Own Wood, I cautiously clicked on this thread ....I get mine dumped in my driveway couple cords at a time , no fireplace just for cooking and firepits 

Abarnette

JethroVA said:

@Abarnette where are you? I'm in Richmond and cut my own firewood and smoking wood.  I use hickory and oak on pork.  Maple on chicken. 

Yeah i am in richmond Virginia

Abarnette

Sea2Ski said:

@abarnette I do it all the time. Nothing to it. Not really sure what information you are looking for. 

I have lots of trees on my property, and have 2 wood burning stoves.  When a tree or limb comes down, the logsplitter come out and everything gets split and stacked.  If oak, I usually keep splitting a 'clear' section and split it into sticks about 1/2" by 1/2 inch and 18" long. Those usually get used for beef cooks. I also know someone who works at an orchard, so I have access to apple and peach as well, but those are smaller sized trimmings, so they get cut by loppers. And one coworker has a shagbark hickory, so I get some of that as well. 
Personally, I let everything dry before using, but that is because I have the time, space and volume to do that, but I have read you can burn it all green - I just never have. 

Abarnette

well everyone i found some hickory cut some limbs off and it did a great job.  I am thinking about trying some wild cherry they are kind of a nuisance around my parent's fields so if they make for a good flavor win win.  

littlerascal56

Bought a dead apple tree from a local for $40.  Cut it up and use it for all my cooks! Good to go for a few years.

nolaegghead

Use veg oil for you chainsaw blade

milesvdustin

Yeah, you dont want the dino oil burning off in your food. I run my saw turned way up on the oiler, oil is cheaper than bars. 

fishlessman

i mostly use the bark right off the shagbark hickory, several trees within a 5 minute walk. maple i like shavings for mostly quicker cooks. oak i like huge chunks and sometimes use a split out of the wood pile. grape vines all around me roadside. theres a hatchet in my truck at all times

The_Stache

And don't forget the lowly Hackberry.  It is a fruit tree and this time of year just yells to be cut down as it hosts aphids and sprays sap just before the leaves drop.

It actually is very good smoking wood.  I found out about it from one of the local better eateries years ago!

Skiddymarker

Good set of loppers is the answer,IMO. Extension handles that will cut up to 2" diameter sticks. The caution about chain oil noted above is real, but if you watch what you are doing, split a fire log to about 2" diamter than use the loppers to trim off the ends, you are good to go. 
I like branches <2" diameter as they tend to be less gnarly, dry quickly, lop and split easy. Lots of fruitwood and alder in the PNW; hickory, maple and pecan not so much. 

Thatgrimguy

I only use local wood. I go through way too much to buy bags at this point with the big offset.  I knock chunks off and keep them for my egg.

Abarnette

After cutting limbs of the tree I used a circular saw to cut the limbs into smaller pieces back at the shop and threw away the end I cut with the chainsaw. 

Abarnette

Good idea about the vegetable oil in the chainsaw bit I am borrowing a saw right now. 

Carolina Q

I cut mine up with a band saw.