# wood chips for smokers



## SCOE (Oct 30, 2001)

i was given an electric smoker for my birthday. i am ready to start smoking, but i have no idea where to get the wood chips. i live in garden city. is there a store in my area that sells them? thanks for your help.

scoe


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## sausageman (Apr 2, 2001)

Meijer has Mesquite and Hickory located near the grills


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## Marcellus Bodi (Jun 17, 2001)

Hi,
I use the Lil Chef its almost like sawdust and I get it at Gander Mountain.I soak it before I put it to make it last longer.I use Apple and Cherry.


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## Ed Michrina (Dec 25, 2002)

sweet wood for Chicken and fish. Oak and masq. ect for meat. If i'm using apple wood I soak it in water then nuke it for a while . let it cool. gets water into the wood good luck.


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## Ed Michrina (Dec 25, 2002)

scoe what type of somker and what area you smoking?


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

SCOE,

I have a Big Chief electric smoker also. I usually get my chips from Dunhams. They've usually got several types to choose from.
I never bother to soak the Luhr Jensen "Chips-n-Chunks" because it is almost as fine as sawdust. It makes plenty of smoke and works great.


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## SCOE (Oct 30, 2001)

i was given a brinkmann gourmet electric smoker. i was going to try and smoke a chicken first. thanks for all your help

scoe


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## Ricky Missum (Jan 10, 2003)

There is a beef jerky outlet, name doesn't come to mind right know, same exit as Cabelo's in Dundee, just head east and he's on the left hand side. Great selection, he also has a outlet in Monroe, can't recall what street, but I've been buying chips from him for years!


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## Ricky Missum (Jan 10, 2003)

To smoke anything, works well with chicken, or any meat, or anything, I mix apple and pear, then throw in a little grape. Like to soak the chips at least a couple hours before I start smokin. If I'm usin chunk's of wood, I soak them overnight. If I got it, I'll throw in some walnut to!


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## SNAPPY (Feb 13, 2004)

Sounds like you need a chainsaw for your next b-day


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## John Oakley (Sep 25, 2005)

you can get them at evergreen or any barbeque store.


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## Ed Michrina (Dec 25, 2002)

anywhere that sells smokers, will sell wood. some sport stores etc.


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## alex-v (Mar 24, 2005)

As Ed mentioned anyplace that sells the smokers will sell the chips. I have seen them in just about every store that sells gas or charcoal grills so that can include K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Meijers, Home Depot, and the list goes on.

If you really like your results you can start collecting dried wood next summer. Pick up apple and pear as mentioned. Some people will just throw it away.


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## DangerDan (Mar 10, 2005)

Scoe,
If your going to do a lot of smoking you should look into getting your wood in bulk. Thats a great thing about Michigan Lots of wood here. Apple trees are pruned in Feb and you can usually get cuttings from the orchards for free. Hickory is easy to find here as well, Cherry the same (at least on the west side) Maple adds a good flavor if not used to strongly, this is also plentiful. The only woods that I have to purchase is Mesqite and Alderwood. 

Some don't experience how fast wood goes but I have a very large smoker and wood can get expensive if I had to purchase all I used.
Menards carries woods for smoking as does Lowes, Wallyworld and Miejers. This is a seasonal product so pickins are slim. Many sporting goods stores will carry the wood also. I have one near my house that I can get wood from in the winter if needed. 

I would suggest as you become more comfortable with recipes you use to experiment by mixing woods to produce flavors. Many people think that flavor comes from the marinade or brine. Although this is true to a point a great flavor can be added by the use of different woods to give the food that perfect flavor.


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## double trouble (Nov 20, 2003)

just got done smoking a turkey for thanksgiving and the salmon just went in. i have a brinkman wood smoker and i just used some walmart charcoal, some oak sticks from the backyard and a packet or 2 of jack daniels mellow charcoal for an experiment cause they were $1.24 at ghetto mart. the wood does make a difference but not as much as some people believe. just don't use soft woods like pine . this is my first year smoking and everybody so far loves the fish .we had a banner year on lake michigan .brining is simple too. 1 cup kosher salt, i cup brown sugar to i gallon water. soak overnight. rinse and smoke. you can get too caught up in wood mixtures and it becomes a chore. the temperature and length of smoking time are just as critical as wood type. in mine i just let it rip. turkey 20 minutes per pound. fish 2+ hours for a rack full. thats it. good luck and welcome to the world of smoking.now go change your clothes cause they smell like you have been camping for a week.


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## alex-v (Mar 24, 2005)

double trouble,
Good basic brine recipe there. It is the one I start off with and make minor adjustments to depending on the type of fish being used.

For my turkey I cut back a lot on the sugar and a bit on the salt. I play with the basic brine recipe for chicken and pork. Pork ribs can be smoke cooked and the "country ribs" can be smoked. I might do a pork butt for Christmas but a lot depends on what is for sale and the weather.

Is your Brinkman smoker one of the metal units with two drums? Mine has the smaller drum off to the side for the fire chamber.


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