Just got a text from an old co-worker. He helped a neighbor take down an apple tree and asked if I wanted it. Heading out tomorrow to pick it up and I will post some pics when I get to the site. Should go well with half finished stack of mulberry and birch!
If....and this is a big if, I wanted to send some of it to my brother in law (to try to be nice i will just say he's my favorite brother in law on my wifes side, only because hes the ONLY brother in law on my wifes side) who smokes meat, what would be the best way to send it to him? Strip off the bark? Cut it in small lengths? Split it up? Season it first?
Depends on if he uses wood for heat or just smoke. If he uses charcoal for heat, chunks will be fine green. If he uses wood instead, then some seasoning is needed. The bark thing is debatable depending who you ask. I personally use it bark and all in my smokers. Just ask him how he wants it. Just like you, he will want it a certain size and shape.
I have quite a bit of apple that I'm gonna start on tomorrow. Cut off a couple small pieces last week and tried to split them.. Didn't go so well.. I'll be using hydraulics on it..
I BBQ quite a bit on a smoker. I use apple rather than other types I have in stock, (oak, hickory or cherry). Hickory gets a little bitter tasting. The pieces I like are about the diameter of tennis balls cut into 2" chunks. A little goes a long ways and it is easy to over due it.
I use a lot of Apple wood in my smoker.and I do not remove th bark if it's fruit wood your good the only wood I take the bark off of is maple.
Just firewood for me. Might see if my brother in law wants some for smoking. Ended up getting an apple and a crabapple tree. A nice trailer full of wood. Will post a picture in a bit. My old coworker had helped her take down one tree. When I got there it was clear another tree really needed to go too. She was an older gal with bad knees and my old coworker has a bad back so I said I would cut it and take it, branches and all. Spent a little extra time digging around the stump and cutting it close to the ground because I doubt she could afford to have it ground. Turned out to be a lot more work on a 95 degree day then I bargained for, but boy she was appreciative!
My haul is buried under the branches. It will finish out my gooder wood stack plus have a good start on another. Next weekend I will get the branches to the tree dump and snap another picture of my haul. Now....it's beer time....or at least lemonade time.
I forgot that I did have the picture from his text. The wood stacked up against the tree is what he cut. The tree itself is what I cut down.
I've never burned any schlot but I hope it burns well. This was about my 3rd swing with the fiskars on a very small round.. I ended up moving all of it aside to the hydraulic pile..
Mine ranges from about 4" up to 12" from producing orchard trees. I'm tempted to leave everything under about 6" alone and set it aside for three years. A lot of people around me rave about it..
Drvn, I love apple... I probably got 30 plus apple trees on property. 2 big ones 2 foot plus diameter at base that keep splitting. it splits worse than elm.. bigger pieces use hydraulic! But it is the prettiest burning wood in coaling stage IMO. ya got to watch it flames burn blue and green. plus I think it has more BTUs than sugar maple.
I unloaded the branches and brought back the wood. I bucked some of the longer stuff, then piled it up for a cooler day to finish cutting, splitting and stacking. Not a big haul but some good btu's for me.
