Apple wood drying

[alx]

This is the rack i built in front of a window at my garden house.It will dry wood in chunks that are green in 6 months.If tree fell/cut in winter maybe 8 months.For normal smoking once she is dry you have at least 16 months to use it.From my experience the apple,peach,pear wood is smaller branch,but takes more time to dry them my oak etc...Let it cure properly and know regrets...

 

[smokingohiobutcher]

OH BOY!!! Here we go again!!!

I'm outta here
before the fur starts flying!

Later SOB

 

[nwdave]

Shoot, you're in amongst a whole bunch of orchards being on the dry side of the mountains. Going to be trimming back a pear and apple tree next spring for smoking next fall. Don't overlook grape vine. You have many Concord vineyards too. My concord grape gets trimmed every year and that wood DOES not go to recyle or clean green whatevers.

 

[emil]

I just cut some cherry a couple weeks ago. I cut it like hockey pucks and put it in a plastic mesh bag that those frozen fun pops come in. I then put it over one of the heating vents in my house. Living in Wisconsin and since its been colder than a well digger's ass it gets warm air blown on it most of the day. The pieces are dry and splitting after only a week. Too bad it's been too cold to use the UDS. Maybe next Saturday on the ice at the fishing contest. Woo-Hoo

 

[hog warden]

I agree with these guys. What you are waiting for is the water in the wood to evaporate out. A stick of wood is not much more than a bundle of straws. Water moves up and down the straws to the ends, not through the sides. Cut them into short lengths and it has less distance to travel. Put a stick of green wood on a fire and water bubbles out the ends, not through the sides.

If it dries too fast, it shrinks and cracks (checks). That will ruin lumber, so they paint the ends of logs with latex paint, but still send them to the sawmill green. They are then stickered (stacked with sticks between them) for air to get in and circulate. In this case, they are forcing the water to evaporate through the sides instead of the ends. This is a long, slow process. A kiln speeds that up, but taken too far, they will dry too fast and check.

But checking and cracking doesn't matter with firewood or smoking chunks.
This stuff was cut a little over a month ago but the short pieces are now dry enough to use:

 

[hog warden]

PS:

The cherry and mulberry, which have straight grain and will split easily, dried faster than the pecan.

The ends of the cherry chunks were wet for a couple days after cutting. The pecan never was. It is still a little green. Maple and hickory would have the same problem. They are going to take longer

Apple would more like cherry and would dry fast, if it's cut in short lengths.

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Just burn it somewhere else-to coals- all the creosote will be brunt off byt then and it will still get good flavor.The creosote comes from green wood IN the firebox,not coals. Explain better Trav.

 

[silverwolf636]

Last spring I came across someone cutting down a 30 ft wild cherry and she said I could take what I wanted. These were pieces from 2 in to 9 inch in diameter and I cut them about 12 - 14 in long. I was anticipating atleast 9 - 12 month wait until I read about green wood smoking. Since this was a relative to the fruit tree I only waited 3-4 months and have been using it since. You cold use a cheap cut and try it out on and see what you get.
As the others say: there's my .02 worth. lol
--ray--

 

[badfrog]

any of you guys in Fl cook with citrus wood? I have never heard of it or done it, just wondering how it would do.