I can't seem to find anyone who has fruit wood chunks in NJ and it's
too late to order online for Thursday. Does anyone know any stores in
northern NJ that may have chunks?

(Can I use wood just cut from apple/cherry tree or does it have to be
seasoned?)

Thanks
Mark

> (Can I use wood just cut from apple/cherry tree or does it have to be
> seasoned?)

Don't smoke with green wood....maybe you can find some dead branches to cut
out of some trees, those should work.

-John O

wrote:

> (Can I use wood just cut from apple/cherry tree or does it have to be
> seasoned?)

Yes, you can. Just pre-burn for a bit to drive off excess moisture and
nasty volatiles. It will be just fine.
--
Dave
www.davebbq.com

> wrote in message
>
> (Can I use wood just cut from apple/cherry tree or does it have to be
> seasoned?)
>

When using green wood, be sure to burn it a little bit and get it hot so as
not to get any creosote. You should never buy chips or chunks. All you
need is a couple of tree branches and a saw. If I was closer I'd give you a
bunch.

Sources for wood:
Tree trimmers
Fruit orchards
Town highway department
Power company line services
Neighbor's firewood pile

Next time you see the power company trimming trees, or the town crew
clearing, show up with a cooler of cold soda or a few coffees. You cannot
imagine how many cords of wood I've gotten that way.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/

>
>> (Can I use wood just cut from apple/cherry tree or does it have to be
>> seasoned?)
>
> Yes, you can. Just pre-burn for a bit to drive off excess moisture and
> nasty volatiles. It will be just fine.
> --

Well there ya go. I stand corrected. :-)

Being a "write the directions" kinda guy, should this pre-burn be done in
another fire, or in the smoker before the meat goes on, or something else?

-John O

John O wrote:

> Being a "write the directions" kinda guy, should this pre-burn be
> done in another fire, or in the smoker before the meat goes on, or
> something else?

I've done both. It can be easier to do it outside of the pit where you can
use something like a weed-burner to do the lighting for you :-)
--
Dave
www.davebbq.com

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
> > wrote in message
> >
> > (Can I use wood just cut from apple/cherry tree or does it have to be
> > seasoned?)
> >
>
> When using green wood, be sure to burn it a little bit and get it hot so as
> not to get any creosote. You should never buy chips or chunks. All you
> need is a couple of tree branches and a saw. If I was closer I'd give you a
> bunch.
>
> Sources for wood:
> Tree trimmers
> Fruit orchards
> Town highway department
> Power company line services
> Neighbor's firewood pile
>
> Next time you see the power company trimming trees, or the town crew
> clearing, show up with a cooler of cold soda or a few coffees. You cannot
> imagine how many cords of wood I've gotten that way.
> --
> Ed
> http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/


HAPPY ENDING.....

I cut down a branch off an apple tree (while the neighbor was
sleeping), cut it into chunks and put the chunks in the Weber gas grill
for 45 mins at 500 degrees.

I did the apple brine turkey (virtualweberbullet.com)in the WSM with
the apple chunks and it came out amazing. The funny thing was that my
candy thermometer was way off (I found out only after 5 hours) and I
had the turkey in the grill for 2 extra hours waiting for the breast to
reach 165.
I found another thermometer and it showed 210 as opposed to 140 on the
one I used during the cook. Thinking I overcooked the bird, I warned my
guests, BUT, the turkey was AWESOME.
The temperature outside was around 28 degrees and I was using Wicked
Good hardwood charcoal. No windscreen and no water in the water pan.
The turkey was brined for 24 hours and dried in the fridge for 8 hours
before the cook. All vents were fully open during the 5 hour cook. As I
mentioned, my thermometer was bad so I can't tell what the true temp
was during the cook.
I guess the point of this post is to let people know that 210 at the
breast is not THAT bad.

Thanks
Mark

> wrote in message
> I cut down a branch off an apple tree (while the neighbor was
> sleeping),

Extra credit for that.

Glad it turned out good.

> wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
>> > wrote in message
>> >
>> > (Can I use wood just cut from apple/cherry tree or does it have to be
>> > seasoned?)
>> >
>>
>> When using green wood, be sure to burn it a little bit and get it hot so
>> as
>> not to get any creosote. You should never buy chips or chunks. All you
>> need is a couple of tree branches and a saw. If I was closer I'd give
>> you a
>> bunch.
>>
>> Sources for wood:
>> Tree trimmers
>> Fruit orchards
>> Town highway department
>> Power company line services
>> Neighbor's firewood pile
>>
>> Next time you see the power company trimming trees, or the town crew
>> clearing, show up with a cooler of cold soda or a few coffees. You
>> cannot
>> imagine how many cords of wood I've gotten that way.
>> --
>> Ed
>> http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/
>
>
> HAPPY ENDING.....
>
> I cut down a branch off an apple tree (while the neighbor was
> sleeping), cut it into chunks and put the chunks in the Weber gas grill
> for 45 mins at 500 degrees.
>
> I did the apple brine turkey (virtualweberbullet.com)in the WSM with
> the apple chunks and it came out amazing. The funny thing was that my
> candy thermometer was way off (I found out only after 5 hours) and I
> had the turkey in the grill for 2 extra hours waiting for the breast to
> reach 165.
> I found another thermometer and it showed 210 as opposed to 140 on the
> one I used during the cook. Thinking I overcooked the bird, I warned my
> guests, BUT, the turkey was AWESOME.
> The temperature outside was around 28 degrees and I was using Wicked
> Good hardwood charcoal. No windscreen and no water in the water pan.
> The turkey was brined for 24 hours and dried in the fridge for 8 hours
> before the cook. All vents were fully open during the 5 hour cook. As I
> mentioned, my thermometer was bad so I can't tell what the true temp
> was during the cook.
> I guess the point of this post is to let people know that 210 at the
> breast is not THAT bad.
>
> Thanks
> Mark
>

Mark I live in North Jersey too and the only charcoal I can find other than
Kingsford (yuck) is Royal Oak. Where do you get your Wicked Good?

"Edwin Pawlowski" > wrote in message
...
> > wrote in message
>> You should never buy chips or chunks.

Why? Chips I can understand but why not chunks?

On Sat, 26 Nov 2005 17:32:14 GMT, "Cliff"
> wrote:

>
>"Edwin Pawlowski" > wrote in message
t...
>> > wrote in message
>>> You should never buy chips or chunks.
>
>Why? Chips I can understand but why not chunks?
>
"Buy" is the operative word. You snipped the part of Ed's post listing
places to get wood for free.

"Kevin S. Wilson" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 26 Nov 2005 17:32:14 GMT, "Cliff"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>"Edwin Pawlowski" > wrote in message
et...
>>> > wrote in message
>>>> You should never buy chips or chunks.
>>
>>Why? Chips I can understand but why not chunks?
>>
> "Buy" is the operative word. You snipped the part of Ed's post listing
> places to get wood for free.
>

ahhhhh
TY

Jeff wrote:
> > wrote in message
> ups.com...
> >
> > Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
> >> > wrote in message
> >> >
> >> > (Can I use wood just cut from apple/cherry tree or does it have to be
> >> > seasoned?)
> >> >
> >>
> >> When using green wood, be sure to burn it a little bit and get it hot so
> >> as
> >> not to get any creosote. You should never buy chips or chunks. All you
> >> need is a couple of tree branches and a saw. If I was closer I'd give
> >> you a
> >> bunch.
> >>
> >> Sources for wood:
> >> Tree trimmers
> >> Fruit orchards
> >> Town highway department
> >> Power company line services
> >> Neighbor's firewood pile
> >>
> >> Next time you see the power company trimming trees, or the town crew
> >> clearing, show up with a cooler of cold soda or a few coffees. You
> >> cannot
> >> imagine how many cords of wood I've gotten that way.
> >> --
> >> Ed
> >> http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/
> >
> >
> > HAPPY ENDING.....
> >
> > I cut down a branch off an apple tree (while the neighbor was
> > sleeping), cut it into chunks and put the chunks in the Weber gas grill
> > for 45 mins at 500 degrees.
> >
> > I did the apple brine turkey (virtualweberbullet.com)in the WSM with
> > the apple chunks and it came out amazing. The funny thing was that my
> > candy thermometer was way off (I found out only after 5 hours) and I
> > had the turkey in the grill for 2 extra hours waiting for the breast to
> > reach 165.
> > I found another thermometer and it showed 210 as opposed to 140 on the
> > one I used during the cook. Thinking I overcooked the bird, I warned my
> > guests, BUT, the turkey was AWESOME.
> > The temperature outside was around 28 degrees and I was using Wicked
> > Good hardwood charcoal. No windscreen and no water in the water pan.
> > The turkey was brined for 24 hours and dried in the fridge for 8 hours
> > before the cook. All vents were fully open during the 5 hour cook. As I
> > mentioned, my thermometer was bad so I can't tell what the true temp
> > was during the cook.
> > I guess the point of this post is to let people know that 210 at the
> > breast is not THAT bad.
> >
> > Thanks
> > Mark
> >
>
> Mark I live in North Jersey too and the only charcoal I can find other than
> Kingsford (yuck) is Royal Oak. Where do you get your Wicked Good?

http://www.wickedgoodcharcoal.com/newjersey.html

(fairly pricey though) around $22 for 22 lb bag. It's good stuff. Once
you go lump, you will never buy Kingsford crap again.

On 26 Nov 2005 21:27:26 -0800, wrote:

>> Mark I live in North Jersey too and the only charcoal I can find other than
>> Kingsford (yuck) is Royal Oak. Where do you get your Wicked Good?
>
>http://www.wickedgoodcharcoal.com/newjersey.html
>
>(fairly pricey though) around $22 for 22 lb bag. It's good stuff. Once
>you go lump, you will never buy Kingsford crap again.

Fairly pricey? I think you mean "extremely pricey," because there is
nothing fair about lump selling for a dollar a pound.

Fifty cents per pound is the limit for me, and then I grumble all the
way out the door.

On 24 Nov 2005 18:50:22 -0800, wrote:

>I cut down a branch off an apple tree (while the neighbor was
>sleeping),

Um. Was that because it's the neighbor's tree?

--
-denny-
"Do your thoughts call ahead or do they just arrive at your mouth unannounced?"

"It's come as you are, baby."

-over the hedge

>
> Um. Was that because it's the neighbor's tree?

Yes. He is senile and lives alone. I have no way of explaining why I
need to cut a branch off one of his trees. Free pruning for him, smoke
wood for me :-)

>>
>> Um. Was that because it's the neighbor's tree?
>
> Yes. He is senile and lives alone. I have no way of explaining why I
> need to cut a branch off one of his trees. Free pruning for him, smoke
> wood for me :-)
>

Apple isn't exactly a topiary where a couple branches will be noticed. IME
apple grows crazy if it isn't pruned heavily, so it sounds like you're doing
the old coot a favor. ;-)

-John O