New Member with a Question

[shadygrove]

First off I want to say hello. I am a new member here and love to use my Masterbuilt Electric Smoker. I just picked up smoking within the last year. I have question about using pecan, but not pecan chips. The electric smoker I have uses wood chips. I have 3 pecan trees in my back yard and I am always picking up branches. I thought one day I can break these branches up and use them like the wood chips. Well, I started a nice little fire in the electric smoker. The fire wasn't big enough to harm anything, but it did elevate my cooking temp. My question is: Is there a way to use these pecan branches as wood chips with out starting a fire in the electric smoker?

 

[Bearcarver]

First off I want to say hello. I am a new member here and love to use my Masterbuilt Electric Smoker. I just picked up smoking within the last year. I have question about using pecan, but not pecan chips. The electric smoker I have uses wood chips. I have 3 pecan trees in my back yard and I am always picking up branches. I thought one day I can break these branches up and use them like the wood chips. Well, I started a nice little fire in the electric smoker. The fire wasn't big enough to harm anything, but it did elevate my cooking temp. My question is: Is there a way to use these pecan branches as wood chips with out starting a fire in the electric smoker?

Yes, Cut them up into little slices with something like a Miter Saw, but be very careful, especially cutting anything cylindrical and bent, etc. It could twist, jump & snap at any time.

Bear
 

 

[countrysmoke]

I agree with bear, also make sure they are dry and not green

 

[pineywoods]

Welcome to SMF glad you joined us

I agree with Bear cut them into smaller pieces or find someone with a chipper and run the branches through it. I use a band saw for cutting the small stuff down smaller

 

[alblancher]

Welcome to the forum, you'll like it here.

I was under the impression that people with electric smokers kind of got a smolder out of their wood and not an actual burn.  You may try putting the pieces of branches or chips in a covered pan with holes drilled in the top of it.  This will reduce the amount of air available to the chips and keep them from flaming up.  You may ask around if an aluminum pie pan with heavy duty aluminum foil wrapped around the top will work.  For that matter you can make a pouch out of the heavy duty alum foil, perforate it and lay above the element. 

Good Luck,

I am sure others with more experience using electric smokers will be able to help you

Al 

 

[daveomak]

Welcome. I have used tree branches many times. My success has been using "cookies".

I take the branches and slice them on my mitre saw. Usually about 1" thick 2" dia. Diameter is not important as long as they fit in your pan. Bigger dia. means more smoke. Smaller dia. would provide thin blue smoke. (I just learned about that since joining this forum)

Very important. Put only one piece of wood in the pan at any time. It takes 2 sticks to make a fire.

                        1 piece of wood will not turn into a fire.

                         I know that by experience. Since that experience only one "cookie" at a time goes in

                          my smokers.

 

[rbranstner]

I use the Cookie idea as well. That's good name for them. I think I will use that from now on. Thanks.

 

[mballi3011]

First off welcome Shady to SMF. You'll like it here cause there are alot of really good folks that would just love to help you with anything to do with smoking. Now we like having new folks here to give a new prospective on some of the ways we do things around here. Now if you are really new then I would suggest that you sign up fir the 5-day E-course it free and it will give you the basics on smoking and a few recipes too. Here's a link to it:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/list/127

then you will have a method to your newly found madness and believe me it will be a madness. Then when you start smoking things you will have to learn how to post the pictures / Qview 

here. So here's a link to a tutorial on how to post your Qview so we can see what your doing.

 http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/82034/how-to-post-qview-to-smf

Now the next thing you have to do is run out and get something to smoke. Then just smoke it and if you have any questions just post  them here and we will answer all your questions that you might have. Oh yea there's no stupid questions we were all there in the beginning and we just really like to help others enjoy the fabulous smoked foods that we do. So again

Welcome to Your New Addiction  

GO GATORS      

 

[SmokinAl]

I do the same thing too. I cut more wood with my chop saw for smoking than I do for woodworking. I agree on the name as well.
 

I use the Cookie idea as well. That's good name for them. I think I will use that from now on. Thanks.

 

[cycletrash]

i cut mine into small pieces, sometimes putting them in the microwave to dry them