Upstate South Carolina Wood sources?

[valien]

Greetings!

As I look to become a smoke master down the road I'm already seeing a need. That need is for vast amounts of quality wood. :)

I live in Greer, SC (Upstate). I'm surrounded by Peach orchards (5-10 minutes away), Apple orchards (hour away in NC), and who knows what else.

Also, being that there are a lot of fruit orchards nearby. How do you all go about contacting them to get wood? Just cold call and ask if they have any for sale? I'd prefer not to get logs as I don't have tools for mulching, but can get chunks.

Any other locals up here know of any good wood sources?

~V

 

[meatball]

You should be near quite a bit of pecan too, if I'm not mistaken. I'm not a local, so I can't give you any exact place to go. But, it sounds like you have the right idea - I would start by calling or stopping by the orchards. They may even let you go out into the orchards and collect some of the smaller branches that have fallen from the trees. Not sure what kind of smoker you're using, but the smaller branches are good for making chips or small chunks that burn well in smaller smokers.

 

[fire it up]

You could give them a call but a lot of orchards season and set out heir wood for sale.
When I started smoking I was buying chips and chunks at Lowe's and such but then I found an apple/peach orchard sells lots of oak, peach, apple, cherry all for great prices.
Couldn't hurt to give some places a call or drive by and see.
Just be sure the wood is seasoned, they shouldn't have it sitting out for sale if not seasoned but you never know.

 

[valien]

Cool. That's the idea I was wondering about. I'll start giving all the local orchards a buzz. We do have a bit of Pecan around here as well. :) My smoker is the Smoke Hollow #3.

Can't wait to get some good fruit wood in it too!

~Allen