Green Apple Wood with Hickory
Q: Do you think it would be alright to use green apple wood for smoking or should I mix it with dry hickory .or can I use it alone?
A: From my experience.. green wood is usually ok in small amounts. Green wood tends to put off stronger flavors and can ruin a piece of meat if it is used in excess.. it will also build up creosote in your smoker more so than dry wood.
I would definitely mix it with the drier hickory for best results but even then, be careful. Hickory is also a very strong tasting wood and must be used with care.
Be sure you have plenty of airflow.. i.e. make sure your damper is open at least 3/4 and the intake should be open at least 1/2.
If you have the option, be sure and use lump charcoal for the heat and only use the apple/hickory for flavor or if you have a larger smoker you can pre-burn some of the apple/hickory before putting it into the smoker to take the edge off a little.
I tend to smoke something inexpensive like chicken when I am trying a new wood to find out what I can get by with that way if I mess up (and I have) I am only throwing away a few dollars and a few hours of my time playing with fire.
You can probably use the apple alone if you preburn it a little in a separate barrel or metal container.. just let it get a little bit black on the outside before putting it into your smoker.
One other thing that is important.. get a notebook and keep good notes as to what you did, how long, what type of wood you used, weather conditions, etc. and then the next time you can make adjustments to see if you can improve your results.
Visit Smoking-Meat.com for hundreds of great tutorials and guides on smoking meat.
The Technorati Tag for this post is Barbecue Woods
A: From my experience.. green wood is usually ok in small amounts. Green wood tends to put off stronger flavors and can ruin a piece of meat if it is used in excess.. it will also build up creosote in your smoker more so than dry wood.
I would definitely mix it with the drier hickory for best results but even then, be careful. Hickory is also a very strong tasting wood and must be used with care.
Be sure you have plenty of airflow.. i.e. make sure your damper is open at least 3/4 and the intake should be open at least 1/2.
If you have the option, be sure and use lump charcoal for the heat and only use the apple/hickory for flavor or if you have a larger smoker you can pre-burn some of the apple/hickory before putting it into the smoker to take the edge off a little.
I tend to smoke something inexpensive like chicken when I am trying a new wood to find out what I can get by with that way if I mess up (and I have) I am only throwing away a few dollars and a few hours of my time playing with fire.
You can probably use the apple alone if you preburn it a little in a separate barrel or metal container.. just let it get a little bit black on the outside before putting it into your smoker.
One other thing that is important.. get a notebook and keep good notes as to what you did, how long, what type of wood you used, weather conditions, etc. and then the next time you can make adjustments to see if you can improve your results.
Visit Smoking-Meat.com for hundreds of great tutorials and guides on smoking meat.
The Technorati Tag for this post is Barbecue Woods
posted by Jeff at 11:24 AM
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