Making BBQ smoking chips from hickory trees

[lhfarm]

Just had a standing dead hickory taken down. I'd like to make my own smoking chips, if there is an easy way to do so. I'm assuming I can saw the smaller limbs and then split them with a hatchet. Unless there is a better way. Ideas?

Also have an old apple tree that I'd like to use to produce some chips.

Thanks!

 

[nolefan]

I cut down an old dead apple tree a few years back and just used chunks of it along with lump charcoal for smoking. Seemed like too much work to make chips and most of the guys you see smoking on these TV shows just use split hickory logs or whatever for smoking. Seemed to work just fine.

 

[Kays Supply]

I just made a mess of apple chips for some friends using my wood chipper. They loved them. See if you can find someone to run them through a chipper.

 

[skipmarcy]

I just cut my batch of hickory to season - I cut small diameter saplings or branches, approx. 2" to 3" in diameter and about an inch long with the chainsaw or with my miter saw. On the pieces that are 3" in diameter I'll split them once with a quick pop of the hatchet. I cut a milk crate full just last week. I'll soak the chunks in a bucket of water overnite before I use them to smoke. I make whole shoulder bar-b-q in my 30+ year old Weber grill - it will hold 2, 20 lb. shoulders. I start a good pile of charcoal in it, then spread that out and put a solid layer of the wet chunks on top. Check/work your fire about every 1 1/2 - 2 hours add hickory as needed. Shoulders are done in 6 to 8 hours, depending on how hot you keep your fire going - use a meat thermometer. You'll find that you'll still have charcoal left burning for some dogs or burgers even after 7 or 8 hours - seems the coals act as a catalyst and don't burn up like you would expect. Green hickory works just as well for smoking too, creates a little more resin but flavors nicely and gets/keeps you cooking when your seasoned stock is gone. By the way, a milk crate full will do me about 4 or 5 cookings as mentioned.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I don't know about hickory, but bark the apple before you chip it. The bark will make the smoke bitter.

 

[Pete Judd]

I chip up a lot of western red alder for smoking, as well as using some of the larger apple branches after pruning. I strip the bark off both. The alder bark will impart a very sour taste into the fish and meat. I do the same with the apple, just out of habit. I use the chipper, on the smaller stuff, and for the larger alder, it comes from waste cutoffs from the alder boards that I build things out of.

 

[forgeblast]

I have a chop saw, I will hit them with that to make disks that I can soak.

 

[DennisArrow]

For me, I take a branch the size of my wrist and arm over to the radial arm and cut it into 1/2" to 1" lengths, like slicing bologna.............Doesnt smother the charcoal like chips from a chipper do, 3 or 4 last perhaps 30 minutes so I dont have to tend the fire all the time, and easy to store...........

By the way......I use gum, hickory, and wild cherry.............God bless......Dennis

 

[schoolsout]

I'm a fan of chunks for longer smoking periods

I'd cut the trunk into about 4" tall sections and then take an axe to split into manageable pieces.

 

[GGB]

In all the years I've been bbq'n, I'd never thought of the tree bark as imparting a bitter taste to the meat. Every once in awhile I would get a batch of ribs or a pork shoulder that just didn't turn out well, and now you've got me wondering if that might be the reason.

For sure I'll strip the bark going forward to see how it turns out. Just in time to start planning something for this weekend!

GGB