[SmokinFatboy]

Been using my propane grill to smoke and got my first smoker last weekend. Having a blast so far, but the grill is lonely. Cool site. I was surfing the web looking for a BBQ contest/get-together and found this site. I have tons of questions and it looks like this site has tons of information. I have a smoker with a fire box on the side and i'm having fun trying figure out the best way to keep the heat/smoke constantly at the right flow/temp. I have lots of Mesquite, Apple & Peach wood, but was wondering if Apricot wood would be okay. I really liked the Peach wood I used this weekend and figured the Apricot was a relative, so....? Any insight would be helpful?

[Mike (AZBarbeque)]

Hello and welcome to the site again.  Glad you found us, we are certainly a great site/club for all your BBQ questions.

If you have some questions, post them up. With over 600 members, I'm sure you will get several responses.

We do have our big November BBQ Cook-off coming up November 8th and it would be great to see you out there.

If you are not up to competing yet, come on out and volunteer or help out another team and meet everyone.  It will be a great time and it will certainly give you more of that BBQ Bug that many of us here have.

I look forward to meeting you soon and seeing you online here more as well.

Enjoy the site.

Mike

[KidCurry]

Welcome SFB!!  Remember we love new posts and lots of photos! 

Hope to see you posting often!

I've only used Mesquite and Hickory...I would love to try some fruit trees.  I do not know about apricot but hopefully some one will jump in with a good answer!

[Three4Que]

Hey Smokin', nice to have you on the site.  Hope we can be of further service to you.  But in response to your question about apricot wood, I personal haven't tried it but did find this:

SWEET FRUIT WOODS - APRICOT, PLUM, PEACH, NECTARINE - Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory

Hope this helps.  I've only used Apple and Cherry for the fruit woods, so far.

[Quiggs]

Hey SmokinFB, welcome to the site.  Never be afraid to ask questions here, be careful with the mesquite as it can overpower most meats with a long smoke.  I know this because I did it before finding this site!  My brisket turned out almost uneatable (is that a word?).

Quig

[SmokinFatboy]

Thank for the info. I am going to try the Apricot wood with a turkey. I used mesquite entirely on a pork loin and it had quite an edge to it. Is it possible to have too much smoke no matter the wood? 

[azkitch]

Hi, and welcome to the forum. These guys are great! I've been pickin' their brains since early Sept., and just had some pretty good success today w/ribs, chicks, and a pork loin. I believe there is such a thing as too much smoke--I kept feeding Pecan sticks to my Brinkmann Smoke n Pit today, and when I grabbed a piece of the chicken skin, it was pretty nasty. Pretty good, once I got past the skin, but I'm gonna go easier next time.
First thing I learned is make sure your exhaust vent, whatever it be, remain open to prevent creosote build-up. Then I heard about side fire box design and modification. Most folk put a baffle in front of the sfb/cooking chamber portal to somewhat below the grate level, and usually some plates to direct the heat across, as a way of equalizing temps from one side to the other. They range from the fancy to the q&d--quick and dirty. I've seen folded alum. foil. I sacrificed a pizza pan donated by my local Peter Piper. I asked REAL nice. In fact, I owe that manager at least a sample of my latest work...I found a great thread on mods for exactly my unit on one of the other forums. AHA, follow this--just be sure to come back. http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1943  I come here first and last. All those other forums are just flirts!
BTW, I am also David, in N. Phoenix. And Berry Bros. on Washington or near 101 and Cave Creek is a great source for wood.

[SmokinFatboy]

Thanks azkitch.  I have the smoke-n-pit also. (b-day gift from wife and the propane grille was in bad shape from using wood when it wasn't designed for it)
My first attempt was with mesquite and trimmings from my apple trees with the leaves still on. (not a good idea, for a moment i couldn't see the house) Thanks for the info I was racking my brain trying to find a way to even out the heat. I did two pork loins, a whole chicken, a shoulder roast and some tuna steaks all in one session and it was musical chairs till I found a slow cook spot for each. I ran into snag today with the turkey. I couldn't close the lid because of the shelf rack. I ended up taking it out for now, but if you have any insight on how to make it more flexible I would be grateful. I have been throwing the apples from the tree that the birds pick at onto the fire when the smoke dies down. They make a really sweet smoke that is great with the pork. Well back to the bird. Nice to meet you David. Hopefully I will make it to one of the events in the future.

[KidCurry]

Thank for the info. I am going to try the Apricot wood with a turkey. I used mesquite entirely on a pork loin and it had quite an edge to it. Is it possible to have too much smoke no matter the wood? 

My wife really does not like mesquite smoked foods...especially beef.  I like it but for her even a little is to much.  I have found that with mesquite a little goes along way.  Using Hickory I tend to use alot more to get the smoke flavor I like. I mostly cook using KF charcoal, Kroger Lump and hickory chunks.

Also I have found that I like to have a thin wispy blue smoke coming from my smoker, if its a billowy white/puffy smoke then the smoke can add a bitter/off taste that I do not enjoy.  A smaller hot fire tends to work better for me than I big smoldering one.  Remember even if you can barely see the smoke it is still present and imparting its flavor to the meat.
 

[SmokinFatboy]

Thanks KidCurry. I am still working on the whole heat/smoke thing and I think I am making the cook fire too big because I can litterally grille next to the fire box. I will try it smaller and chunk up my wood.

[Crash]

Welcome SFB.  You'll find lots of useful info here...just ask if you cant find it.  As far as the mesquite wood goes, lots of Q'rs frown on it and I personally am not a big fan....too much of a bitter taste IMHO.  Still, it's a personal preference thing.

[BERRY-BRO]

Hello All!
A real quick "cookin' with wood" overview...First rule, use only safe, flowering or fruiting hardwoods! In order from best to worst, for most cooking applications, we start out at the top with the NUT woods, this would include: Oak, Hickory, Pecan, Pistachio, Walnut and Almond, Almond is actually in the Peach family but burns like a Nut wood. Next in line are the FRUIT woods: Cherry, Apple, Peach, Apricot, Plum, Citrus etc. and then we have the BEAN woods: Mesquite, Ebony, Ironwood, Tesoto etc. (NEVER BURN THESE GREEN!!!)
The NUT wood types produce great coals and impart very good flavor, they win most cook-offs and BBQ championships, with the Pecan variety of Hickory winning more than all wood types put together!!! This may be because it is used more often, we are not conducting scientific experiments or analysis! FRUIT wood varieties are lighter in flavor as a rule and don't make as good a coal bed, they burn the fastest of the cookin' wood types, Great for fish, cheeses and other light fares....last, the BEAN woods, are best if used as coal base or for direct grilling. Of course none of this is set in stone, it just works for countless folks cookin' with wood, you may have completely differing ideas, so be it! Thanks for your support! Thomas at <http://www.bbfw.com>

[Mike (AZBarbeque)]

Thomas,  Thanks for the post, it's always great to see you on here providing your expertise.  It is much appreciated.

I am headed over your way now, so I will see you in about half an hour.. 

[SmokinFatboy]

Thanks Berry bro for the wood info. I wish I liked the mesquite more because I have a ton of it, but in the name of the perfect smoke I will plant more fruit and nut trees for the future, cause I am quickly getting hooked on smoking and will need the fuel.

[toys4dlr]

While you plant the apple/cherry/ect tree, wait for it to grow, cut it down and then let it dry (wet smoking wood is no go for bbq, has to be dry) take a trip down to see Thomas at berry Bros.  He has great prices, a variety of differt wood and loves to explain it all.  Oh yeah, tell him you came from this site and he will give a discount.

Congrats on jumping in, my first couple smokes were nasty, so keep trying.  Come to think of it, my last brisket was pretty nasty too.  Oh well, you always look to get better.  Wecome to the site.

best wishes from Another David, this one is in Anthem