Making BBQ smoking chips from hickory trees

[Chuck52]

About the only use I've found for the wood from a Bradford pear I cut down has been smoking chips. Can't split that wood because of the curly grain, but it does break up if you hit it hard enough. Since I smoke in an electric smoker I use 2" pieces that sit on the element.

Chuck

 

[Knotbored]

I just used a Lil Chief smoker with some sawdust packaged sometime back in the 60's. This has been in storage forever but it worked just fine.
I purchased a package of hickory/alder chips much courser and it didn't work nearly as well. I don't soak chips-it just creats soot and I want dry smoke.
A friend told me he chainsaws with the grain (rip saws) and gets long strands that work perfectly in those electric burner small smokers. I will try that using maple cordwood next time.

 

[om21braz]

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

Most of the BBQ places around here use hickory and it is mostly cut up slabs. I'm not sure about the hickory bark making bitter smoke either, but if you examine their woodpiles, there's not much bark there.

 

[dmccarty]

When I split firewood, mostly oak with some hickory, little pieces of wood gets split off. I throw that wood into buckets and use it was fire starter and for the BBQ.

I use pieces of firewood to make some coals and add the smaller pieces to start the fire and for smoking.

Later,
Dan

 

[lockhaven]

just cut it up to any size that will fit into the smoker, no science here. We use hickory for smoking meat. If the wood is dry you will have to soak it in water before using it. the chainsaw "dust" works good too