Orchard Wood

[black_dog]

This is my first post hope it gives something to the group. I drive truck and haul wood byproducts. Orchards all have a life span and have to be removed for new orchards. They grind them on site and haul to there yard or to cogeneration plants. I sometimes haul ground wood from a orchard removal service and they have semi truck loads of almond,apple,cherry,walnut. All piled up in separate piles at there yard. I also pick up sawdust and things at lumber mills where same orchard wood is brought to burn for steam generation. If you have orchards in your state someone cleans them up. Also orchards have pruneings and die off and I've found the owners happy to have it hauled off. I gather plastic shopping bags every time I get low on wood. Have not hauled out of yard with the stockpiles for a couple months now so will have to check on other types of wood, when I go back.

[lynsey123]

Very cool , you sure won't have any probs getting wood for your smokes.
By the way welcome to the site.

Herb

[Texas-Hunter]

No a bad idea Black Dog... Wish there were some orchards around here... There are a few small family owned Peach orchards in East Texas... I just might stop in the next time Im out that way and ask how often they prune or cut there trees... It would be cool to score some Peach or Pear wood..

[Kingudaroad]

Welcome to the forum Black Dog. I do a lot of cold smoking with sawdust in a pan on an electric skillet. Good stuff!

[black_dog]

The sawdust I haul is pine and fir, so can't use that. The orchard wood comes out shedded and dries out super fast. Pretty nice for smokeing. You could look in phone book under orchard removal. If close enough drive by,and see what they have in there yard.

[JustSmoke2]

Not sure but I would be concerned with getting some chips with oil on them from a chainsaw. Thats if how there are cutting them up to go in a chipper. Couple of pieces with bar oil might make a great smoke go bad in a hand basket. If theres no present of oil issue then you are on a great find.
For those here in Michigan they prune trees usually February. Check with any local apple farm I am sure they will give you all you want. Heck they might even have a brush pile thats already seasoned.

[black_dog]

Only use chain saws on walnut to cut the English graft off the black walnut stumps they haul the black off for other uses. They just knock trees over and push up close to grinder with big loaders. Grinders have built in grapples to put trees in.

[Bbqgoddess]

Black Dog, that is good to know, we do have some small orchards around here as well... may have to stop in and see what they have going on..
Enjoy the site!

[black_dog]

Just a suggestion have a small chain saw with ya if you stop at a farm house, to check on wood more than likely they will have something laying about. It will save them from cleaning it up. It's just extra work to them.

[Big Guy]

I wouldn't use any wood from a comercial orchard. The amount of pesticides they spray on the trees during their life span scares me off. It has to get right into the wood. I just don't need the extra risk, I have no scientific data, just common sense

[Richtee]

All modern pesticides have a very limited life. They are usually applied during the exact time the pest is around. Also, any systemic stuff used is only gonna be in the cabmium- the growing part of the tree, or bark.

The days of DDT-like stuff are gone. I would not hesitate to use aged orchard wood. Green...no... but aged stuff should be fine.

[black_dog]

All the wood used in smokeing probably came from an orchard. Unless you get your wood out of somebody's back yard. Who grows trees just for smokeing?

[black_dog]

Is pear wood good. I've been driving past pear orchards for the last couple of weeks. The pears look about ripe, but never thought about the wood.

[Texas-Hunter]

Is pear wood good. I've been driving past pear orchards for the last couple of weeks. The pears look about ripe, but never thought about the wood.

Yes it is.. I was lucky enough about 10 years ago to score some.. One of my customers tree was struck by lightning... Very mellow flavor..

[Big Guy]

I cut all my own smoking wood right out of the bush, Maple, Oak, Cherry, Ash.