Wanted: Fruit Wood Trimmings [In The North] For Smoking Meat

[jaideeguy]

I've been smoking meats with lumiai [sp?] and need a source of fruit woods as I'm getting low. Any wood but mango and preferably 2 inches or larger in diameter. Will pay for delivery or can pick up if not too far from Chiang Mai.

Can pay in cash or bacon..........

thanks in advance

[NeverSure]

Have you considered conserving wood by using a gas or electric smoker? I have one of each.

Basically they are metal boxes with heating elements in the bottom. Those elements aren't really any different than what you'd see on a portable countertop stove.

Then what is basically a small skillet is placed on the burner, and wood chips are put in it. The wood chips are soaked in water overnight. The gas or electricity provides the actual low heat source, and the smoke from the wood chips thoroughly smokes the meat. Every few hours I have to add more wood chips.

This is how all of the large plants I know of that make bacon and jerky in commercial batches do it, as do some restaurants that have BBQ ribs etc. on the menu.

Surprisingly, I can't tell the difference in the finished product. Once you have your favorite rub down pat, and your own method of perhaps marinating in a brine or whatever you do, I really don't think you'd see a difference. The gas and electric is also much easier to hold the desired temperature in the smoker.

I have access (in rural USA) to all of the different hard woods I might want including fruit trees, alder, maple, etc, but it's just too much work to manage all of the process with wood only, especially constantly watching temperatures.

[jaideeguy]

Yeah, I have tried gas, but in my new smoker, my gas hob just won't reach and another problem I had with gas igniting the wood chips is.......is there an easy way to make chips, short of manually whittling them down with a machete?? Would love to borrow one of those heavy duty wood chippers for an hour or 2.

What I do now is get a small bed of coals going and place a foot sized knuckle of wood on it and let it slowly smolder. If the conditions are right, I can get up to 4 hrs on it.

NS.....are you smoking here in LOS??

[mrjohn]

I have used coconut husks for smoking for years and very

effective it is too.

It burns too quickly if very dry so you just need to damp it

down first.

We buy a huge sack here for 80 Bht, lasts 4-5 smoking sessions.

If you live in the south you can get it for free!

Elsewhere in Thailand it's usually available in roadside
gardening shops where it is sold as mulch.

I smoke food over a cheap (oil drum) barbecue and it works fine.

[NeverSure]

Yeah, I have tried gas, but in my new smoker, my gas hob just won't reach and another problem I had with gas igniting the wood chips is.......is there an easy way to make chips, short of manually whittling them down with a machete?? Would love to borrow one of those heavy duty wood chippers for an hour or 2.

What I do now is get a small bed of coals going and place a foot sized knuckle of wood on it and let it slowly smolder. If the conditions are right, I can get up to 4 hrs on it.

NS.....are you smoking here in LOS??

ATM I'm in the US. The burner doesn't ignite the chips into flames. They just smolder and smoke.

I'd try the coconut husks as suggested. I've heard they work well. I also use sawdust, also dampened. I can buy hardwood chips in 10 pound (4.5 kg) bags with a choice of woods. But I usually get it free myself, cut it short with my chainsaw and split it. It doesn't have to be actual chips.

For the gas one, I have the tank and a rubber extension hose which I see sold everywhere they sell tanks and burners.

Here's a picture of one similar to mine. Mine doesn't have the chimney. It just leaks some smoke and a thermostat controls the temperature. FWIW I like the electric one best. It's just less of a pain - plug and play.

http://www.sausage-stuffer.com/w40800-20-meat-smoker.htm