Wood
 

I see a lot of folks on here use Cherry wood for smoke, is it only from fruit bearing trees or can you use the wild cherry that has the small, non-edible berries?

Does the wood have to cure then get soaked or can you use green wood when smoking? Any dangers in woods? All I have ever used is Mesquite and Hickory chunks out of the bag from the home store...

Thanks
JD in VA

I have only used Cherry wood from a fruit tree. Your wood should be dried, if it is wet it will smolder too much and you may not get clean smoke out of it. Maybe someone else will chime in about the wild cherry trees.

I would not use orchard harvested Chery wood for smoking. Why? Due to the chemicals used to spray the trees that are absorbed and possibly released when smoldering and getting into the food.
I use only Wild cherry wood , my friend has a farm. I never moisten/soak any wood.

Yes you can use "choke Cherry", wild cherry, or ornamental cherry to smoke with. They are similar and have a lighter flavor than orchard cherry.

Yes the wood has to be "seasoned" or dried for 4 to six months depending on the size. I never soak wood prior to use, just add to coals.

You can also buy chunks of wood from doitbest.com and then pick up at a local hardware store and pay no shipping charges. They have apple, cherry, and pecan as well as alder, hickory, and mesquite.

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I have a more or less wild cherry in our yard and have used trimmings from it.

I dry it before using. A couple months in a dry spot is probably enough. If you're in a hurry, put a couple pieces in an oven with a pilot light or put it off to the side of your grill or smoker where it is hot but not hot enough to ignite it.

I don't bother soaking any wood I use for smoking. I control air to keep it smoking vs. burning.

Wild cherry, known here as black cherry, works great! It grows wild here so plenty available and I like the smoke flavor. Seems to add a nice color as well.

Awesome! Thanks for all the great replys, I'll try some scraps I have in a wood pile this weekend and report!

Lots of good info here on wood, scroll way down in the attachment for that.
This can be found in the Bandera 101 stickies in the yellow section up top.
Dave

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/at...1&d=1211119502

Thanks a million, just put in my order!

Just like Woodbutcher said ^^^^^^

How about Crabapple trees? I've got gobs of Crabapple branches from my house :razz:

The apple I use is actually from an ornamental crabapple that someone cut down and advertised on Craigslist as "free fire wood."

Edit: You live in a Crabapple tree? :rofl:

We have black cherry here in New England as well and it works very well. I think Apple might have a little better flavor but is also harder to come by mostly because you do not want to cut any living Apple trees.

My experience has been most trees that grow fruit; nuts; or hardwoods are good for smoking... I have some Pear, Pecan, Oak, and lots of Hickory in my woodpile :grin:.. need to get me a tarp.. lol

My woodpile.. Pear is Closest on the right.. then pecan/oak.. all Hickory on the far end