Hi from BC

[tomanique]

Hi all. Look forward to using the information here. I have a Meco water smoker and inherited a Luhr Jensen Little Chief a while back. I use them 3 or 4 times a summer but am getting more into it this year.
I do have a question right off the bat. While I do have a bag of mequite, I also have an abandoned orchard behind my property. My question is can I use the apple wood as is, cut straight from the tree, or does it have to be dried (or elsewise treated)? Same question for maple. Thanks.

Tom

 

[waysideranch]

Welcome. An orchard, wow! Cut it and use it. We love apple here.

 

[tomanique]

Now that's a quick response. Many thanks

Cheers
Tom

 

[tomanique]

Thanks Ken

 

[meowey]

Welcome to SMF! I love apple and probably over-prune the one in my yard so I can use it to smoke!

Take care, have fun, and do good!

Regards,

Meowey

 

[keith54]

Hi and welcome to the forum. I have a Mesco 5031 smoker as well. Neat little smoker. As for the apple wood....I would let it season at least 6 months. Other wise your food my turn out bitter. Also....trim the bark off the wood....or in will have a negative effect on the flavor.

I would be interested in hearing any comments you may have on the Mesco. Especially temp control. There seems to be only a few of us with this brand of smoker and I thought maybe would could share a few tips back and forth. I have only 5 or 6 smokes with mine.

Again, welcome!

 

[tomanique]

Thanks Meowey and Keith.

Keith, funny you should mention temperature control. That's one of my (few) peeves with the Meco. The temp seems to rocket up to "ideal" on the provided guage, but if it's not a warm, sunny day when I'm using it "ideal doesn't last long and it seems I'm sparking up my chimney starter for more charcoal too often(then sometimes I tend to run too hot. Which leads to my second peeve, frequently adding coals tends to release a lot of the smoke from the double door when you slide it up. That same door doesn't like to slide too easily(third peeve) and tends to lead to the occasional burnt knuckle or singed backhand while I jury rig vicegrips to slide the door. Thanks for listening to(or reading) my rant.
What have you done, by the way, for loading the hot coals? The first batch is easy, but after that I used to end up using my wife's garden trowel to scoop them in, leading to more singed knuckles and such

. I ended up taking a metal computer shelf from work and fashioning it into a slide (like on the back of a cement truck), so I can pour directly from my chimney to the bottom pan.

Cheers
Tom

 

[sumosmoke]

Tom - welcome to SMF. Sounds like you're on your way to some successful smokes, especially tasty ones with the apple wood you've got available to ya!

Love your area of the country up there. Have been skiing at Whistler a few times and Vancouver is my favorite city of all time. Been too long since I've been there but re-live the memories by looking at my pictures.

Glad you're here and good luck with your smokes!