Chipping Wood

[stitan06]

thanks for all the info the buckets are free my wife works at a bakery so she can get as many as i want plus easier to store

 

[etexsmoker]

I just cut a hickory or oak tree, buck it up, split it, and let it season.  One tree will last me a year and I usually can find a dead one so mother nature has already taken care of the seasoning.

 

[bud evans]

What works well for me is a jointer you can get them pretty reasonable at the discount tool stores. I just happen to have a craftsman so I use that, spray it down with pam when you done to prevent rusting on the knives from the wet wood. You can make a pile of chips from just 1 block of wood. when storing the extra chips keep them in a well ventelated container to prevent molding. ( onion sack, large open box) until they have a little time to dry

 

[smokenjoe46]

Try a produce market for burlap bags that corn on the cob comes in. I was given some green apple cuttings that I put in a tight plastic container. It molded. This year I put the trimmings in a plastic bag, but left it open. No mold. Cabinet shops make a ton of shavings. Just ask them to save some when they plane hardwoods like oak, maple and cherry. No pine, tell them what you want to do with it. Good luck.

 

[steve k]

I think its probably good advice to store chips in a breathable bag away from moisture, but as I was splitting some peach yesterday, a thought occurred to me. There was moss and lichens on the bark of the tree I was splitting, and probably many different forms of mold and mildew I couldn't see, and humans have been cooking with this type of wood since we were cavemen.  We started cooking and smoking our meats because we figured it out that it killed all of the bugs, bacteria, molds and mildew that made us sick when we ate raw meat.  It's probably why we developed a taste for smoked meats.   I've never thought any of my smoked meats tasted moldy or mildewy, and I wondered, since the wood is burned, along with any mold or mildew, does it really matter all that much?  Has anybody ever used wood chips that got a little moldy because they were stored in a plastic bag instead of burlap?  Did it taste bad?  'Just wondering.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

I think its probably good advice to store chips in a breathable bag away from moisture, but as I was splitting some peach yesterday, a thought occurred to me. There was moss and lichens on the bark of the tree I was splitting, and probably many different forms of mold and mildew I couldn't see, and humans have been cooking with this type of wood since we were cavemen.  We started cooking and smoking our meats because we figured it out that it killed all of the bugs, bacteria, molds and mildew that made us sick when we ate raw meat.  It's probably why we developed a taste for smoked meats.   I've never thought any of my smoked meats tasted moldy or mildewy, and I wondered, since the wood is burned, along with any mold or mildew, does it really matter all that much?  Has anybody ever used wood chips that got a little moldy because they were stored in a plastic bag instead of burlap?  Did it taste bad?  'Just wondering.

I've never used wood that had mold or moss, so I can't say if it's OK or not. I've always removed questionable bark (visual or off-odor), then inspected the wood itself.
 

I did have a nearly full 25lb bag of mesquite get moved from under it's cover and got wet from rain early last spring...didn't find it until it was too late. Tons of green/blue mold everywhere and areas of mildew as well, except for the upper couple inches of the chunks which appeared to have dried before the spores had taken hold. I hated to do it, but that was the first time I ever tossed any smoke wood, all but maybe 3 - 4lbs. I think the rest got used for firewood in the outdoor fireplace/chimnea.

Eric