# Smoking food



## Steve A W (Oct 23, 2015)

I have never smoked anything before.
I want to get My own chunks for the smoke. Does the wood have to be dry
or fresh cut green?
I have a standing dead apple tree that I'm gonna cut for fire wood.
Could I chunk some of that wood and use it?
Or should I cut a limb from a maple tree and chunk that?
Thanks for any help.

Steve A W


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## gillhunter (Oct 23, 2015)

IMO it should be aged, not fresh. That dead apple tree wood should be good.


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## Jim (Oct 23, 2015)

I agree! Dead aged for sure. And no need to soak either in my opinion.


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## Jim (Oct 23, 2015)

Don't tease us either, that's rude! :LOL2:

What are you smoking on what kind of smoker?


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## Steve A W (Oct 23, 2015)

Thanks for the replies.
I've got a boneless turkey breast that was on sale.
I figure it's cheap enough to learn with.
I'm going to try with My Weber kettle grill.If it works and 
the kids will eat it maybe I'll get a real smoker.

Thanks again.

Steve A W


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## Jim (Oct 23, 2015)

Good luck!


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## Johnny (Oct 23, 2015)

any fruit wood is good for mild smoking. Apple, Pear, etc.
for a more "robust" flavor, hickory and oak without the bark is the norm.
for something with a little "bite", mesquite is the ticket.

as stated: dried for at least 6 months. A splash of Jack Daniels on the meat doesn't hurt.
200-225*f. for a couple of hours - or, until the center internal temperature reaches at least 155*.
Google smoked turkey - lots of good stuff there !!!!


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## JMichael (Oct 24, 2015)

Jim said:


> I agree! Dead aged for sure. And no need to soak either in my opinion.


The only reason I soak my smoking wood is to make it produce more smoke and last longer. If you leave it dry it will burn up a lot faster and produce less smoke. But that's just my opinion.


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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Nov 11, 2015)

JMichael said:


> Jim said:
> 
> 
> > I agree! Dead aged for sure. And no need to soak either in my opinion.
> ...



DO NOT soak your wood. Soaking wood causes poor combustion. You want a clean burning fire. If you have billowing or white smoke, your fire is not burning clean enough and you are flavoring your meat with creosote. You want dry wood, cured wood.

For your Weber: Use lump charcoal and once you have a good fire going, toss is a few pieces of apple wood chunks. Maybe 3" x 3" cubes. Managing the fire/temp on a Weber kettle takes attention. You have to keep the fire small enough to control the temp and burning clean enough not to coat your meat in creosote. But, it can be done for sure...lot's of guys do it.

Good luck! Post pics!


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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Nov 11, 2015)

BTW...a good way to practice and learn your smoker/grill is with rolls of breakfast sausage. Cheap and good. Put some rub on it and smoke it like you would anything else. You can also Google "smoking fatties". A fatty is just a roll of sausage stuffed with just about anything you can imagine. Peppers...cheese...etc. 

For my vacation, I smoked a big sausage roll. Just my rib rub and smoke. Then sliced it for breakfast sandwiches, lunch. Very good!


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## Jim (Nov 11, 2015)

Awesome!


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## Johnny (Nov 11, 2015)

I think there may be a little confusion on some terms here.
and please correct me if I am wrong.

*cooking wood* - main fuel source for the heat for cooking - do not soak in water
*wood CHIPS* - small pieces of wood - that _should_ be soaked in water to make smoke.





.


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## huntersdad (Nov 11, 2015)

Not an expert but what I would say is cooking wood is what you would smoke the meat with from start to finish and just use wood chips soaked in water when using charcoal in place of an all wood fire. Some folks do not have a smoker and use a charcoal grill with chips added to get the smoke flavor.


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## fool4fish1226 (Nov 12, 2015)

I do allot of smoking and I do not soak my wood/chips. I have lately been using pellets with both my vertical and horizontal (off-set) smokers with good results. I just add about a cup and a half of pellets to the front end of the fire which gives me about a 2 and 1/2 hours of nice smoke.


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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Nov 12, 2015)

A quick hit of wet chips might not hurt. But, if you are actually smoking meat do not use any wood, chips or not, that is wet. Wet wood does not burn clean and creates creosote. You can taste it.


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## Johnny (Nov 12, 2015)

*LOL* tasting like creosote ??

I have been smoking fish, meat and fowl since 1963
and to the best of my knowledge, I have never had
anything turn out with a creosote taste. (using wet hickory chips on charcoal).
I have a Bradley now and don't really care for it. I will be going back
to the all-wood cooker/smoker. and yes, I will be using wet hickory chips.

you need to find you some better wood because you
might be cooking with old recycled telephone poles. LOL


*Steve - after you smoke your turkey, please come back and tell us how it went for you.*


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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Nov 12, 2015)

Johnny said:


> *LOL* tasting like creosote ??
> 
> I have been smoking fish, meat and fowl since 1963
> and to the best of my knowledge, I have never had
> ...



Yes, wet wood creates creosote and you can taste it. But, maybe the guys that make a living cooking BBQ don't know what they are talking about either. Clean fire, that's what you want when smoking. Sorry to hear you have been feeding people creosote for so many years, hopefully like you, they didn't know any better.


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## worminken (Nov 16, 2015)

I have a Weber kettle and have never used it other than smoking. I smoke two to three times per week. I build the fire on one side and locate the meat on the opposite side. Or for a long smoke (such as Turkey, ribs or butt) I'll use the snake method by making a charcoal ring all around the outside edge of the fire grate and locate the meat in the center. I get anywhere from 8 to 12 hours of smoke time with this method. I normally keep the temperature 250 to 300 degrees. Keep the top vent fully open and adjust the temperature with the lower vent. I prefer apple or hickory wood chunks, not chips. I would not use the maple for smoking.


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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Nov 16, 2015)

worminken said:


> I have a Weber kettle and have never used it other than smoking. I smoke two to three times per week. I build the fire on one side and locate the meat on the opposite side. Or for a long smoke (such as Turkey, ribs or butt) I'll use the snake method by making a charcoal ring all around the outside edge of the fire grate and locate the meat in the center. I get anywhere from 8 to 12 hours of smoke time with this method. I normally keep the temperature 250 to 300 degrees. Keep the top vent fully open and adjust the temperature with the lower vent. I prefer apple or hickory wood chunks, not chips. I would not use the maple for smoking.




Maple is milder smoke than hickory and oak.


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## BigTerp (Dec 17, 2015)

I have 5 goose breast thawing in the fridge to be dry brined/cured and then smoked into pastrami over the weekend. Stay tuned..........


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## fool4fish1226 (Dec 17, 2015)

BigTerp said:


> I have 5 goose breast thawing in the fridge to be dry brined/cured and then smoked into pastrami over the weekend. Stay tuned..........



Pics Please :beer:


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## BigTerp (Dec 22, 2015)

Goose breast packed with celery seed, thyme, kosher salt, caraway seed, sugar, black pepper and instacure. Into the fridge for 24-36 hours.






Rinsed, patted dry and into the fridge for another 24 hours to dry.





A dunk into red wine and then coated with crushed coriander seed and black pepper.





Onto the smoker at around 200 degrees. Pulled once the center of the breast hit 145 which took between 3 and 4 hours. Delicious!!


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## fool4fish1226 (Dec 23, 2015)

Awesome - looks great - :beer:


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