Chipping Wood

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I too use a planer for cabinet work, and try to run the same species into the dust collection system then save those chips for the smoker.  Recently working with Florida cherry.  Not the same as fruit cherry from up north, but is pretty good.  I use blackjack oak, red oak, pecan etc. from native trees, bust them up with the chain saw and log splitter, then cut "pucks" with the band saw.  Still experimenting with best way to smoke with the chips.  Hard to control flare up.  Recently converted my old Brinkman offset to propane, so am working with that.  Now that summer is gone, will be able to get more involved.
 
Anybody use wood slats from old wine kegs?
Now that is an idea!  Most kegs are oak, and the flavoring from the wine kegs SHOULD be a plus, If you can find some old Jack Daniels kegs that would be NICE!!

The thing about a chainsaw;  when I lived in Montana I went on a Buffalo hunt, (if you could call it that) and the on site butcher used a chainsaw with peanut oil for the bar oil.  That was before the thing about peanut allergies was common knowledge.  It worked quite well, but can you say messy!!

Larry
 
I just smoked a couple of pork loins with the apple chips I made from cutting from my apple trees and my Sears wood chipper.  It has two entry ports.  One is supposed to be for leaves and small branches, the other for larger branches.  The port for larger branches grinds the wood into a larger version of saw dust, which works very well in a smoker box, such as is on a MES, Weber Summit, or the like.  These apple chips worked perfectly yesterday in my Weber Summit smoker box and rotisserie.  I have also used these chips in my chip pan in my Cabelas Pro 100.  Its all good.  I could see where, if one was using charcoal in a brick smoker, or a Weber Smoky Mountain smoker, that you would want bigger chunks on top of the charcoal.  In that case, a hatchet would be in order to split the branches first to let them dry out faster. 
 
One note for those using premium chippers like the Mackissic, older TroyBilts, or maybe some of the DRs: These machines have different sized discharge grate options to affect the size of the product. If I want larger chips I sometimes remove the discharge grate completely. The material spends less time in the drum where they would be struck again and again by the shredding flails.

Also, it's probably best not to loan or borrow one of these beasts. They are safe enough when you are familiar with them but a beginner's mistake could be catastrophic. I'm sure any of the owners would be happy to chip up some smoking wood for anyone who asked. I know I certainly would.  
 
I have had good luck with fruit trees of many types, peach does infuse a nice flavor, as the city grew, they ripped out citrus orchards, smoke shops jumped all over that free stuff. My little sears chipper does well as long as you chip the larger stuff green then dry it.
 
I have had good luck with fruit trees of many types, peach does infuse a nice flavor, as the city grew, they ripped out citrus orchards, smoke shops jumped all over that free stuff. My little sears chipper does well as long as you chip the larger stuff green then dry it.
 
One note for those using premium chippers like the Mackissic, older TroyBilts, or maybe some of the DRs: These machines have different sized discharge grate options to affect the size of the product. If I want larger chips I sometimes remove the discharge grate completely. The material spends less time in the drum where they would be struck again and again by the shredding flails.

Also, it's probably best not to loan or borrow one of these beasts. They are safe enough when you are familiar with them but a beginner's mistake could be catastrophic. I'm sure any of the owners would be happy to chip up some smoking wood for anyone who asked. I know I certainly would.  


Yeah, don't be sticking your hands in one of those, or else you won't have them anymore.  Then nobody will want to eat the food you smoked, knowing where the chips came from.
drool.gif
 
has anyone used hardwood floor left overs?  I have access to a bunch of Brazilian cherry floor boards that were pulled up shortly after installation, can I use these to smoke?
 
I'd go with a resounding 'no!' on that one... Finish could be toxic and you don't know if it was finished before or after installation or even sealed at the factory.
 
I CUT MINE IN WAFERS STRAIGHT OFF THE LOG.

in about 1/4 slabs. I shoot all my chips into a pile and then place them in a wood box.

i try to stay under 6" in dia stuff but some times a little larger gets in there.

these thin wafers are ea sly crunched up or broken and soak up water really well.

the saw chips come off my chain.

I use a chisel tooth chain.

really kicks out the big chunks.zip thru a 6" log in seconds or less

throw the chips in a steel cake pan heaping full  and place it on top of your coals.

the smoke will roll off this.

I reach in with a pair of channel locks to retreive my pan, and reload as needed.
 
I CUT MINE IN WAFERS STRAIGHT OFF THE LOG.

in about 1/4 slabs. I shoot all my chips into a pile and then place them in a wood box.

i try to stay under 6" in dia stuff but some times a little larger gets in there.

these thin wafers are ea sly crunched up or broken and soak up water really well.

the saw chips come off my chain.

I use a chisel tooth chain.

really kicks out the big chunks.zip thru a 6" log in seconds or less

throw the chips in a steel cake pan heaping full  and place it on top of your coals.

the smoke will roll off this.

I reach in with a pair of channel locks to retreive my pan, and reload as needed.
 
I CUT MINE IN WAFERS STRAIGHT OFF THE LOG.

in about 1/4 slabs. I shoot all my chips into a pile and then place them in a wood box.

i try to stay under 6" in dia stuff but some times a little larger gets in there.

these thin wafers are ea sly crunched up or broken and soak up water really well.

the saw chips come off my chain.

I use a chisel tooth chain.

really kicks out the big chunks.zip thru a 6" log in seconds or less

throw the chips in a steel cake pan heaping full  and place it on top of your coals.

the smoke will roll off this.

I reach in with a pair of channel locks to retreive my pan, and reload as needed.
 
I use my band saw to cut up my hickory into small chuncks it works realy well
 
I have a birch tree with wind damage that needs to come down. I don't hear much about using birch to smoke.  Any good?
 
has anyone used hardwood floor left overs?  I have access to a bunch of Brazilian cherry floor boards that were pulled up shortly after installation, can I use these to smoke?
I think they might be ok for smoking if they were run through a planer to cut down through any finish that might be on them.
 
good morning all i start my smoker with a chimmey starter with only enought kingford competition charcoal to get going, then the rest of the day i use Apply wood i have cut into 4 ft lengths with my chop saw, i cook ribs for a resturant here ,
 
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