Small things matter

[Bugtownboy]

I appreciate smoked food, but it doesn’t do it for me.

Prefer a more natural taste.

I do love the smell of different wood smoke (when properly seasoned). One I still want to try, though, is cooking over vine cuttings/prunings.

The way the grapes are growing this year, next year, maybe.

(We have 6 vines - 4 we planted, one we moved in the garden that’s about as thick as my arm and one that we’ve moved between Essex (via Italy) to Cheshire to Somerset, to France back to Somerset- all as cuttings.

At some point, I’ll cook a meal over the vine trimmings, even if I have to save them for a few years.

[ecogeorge]

vine leaves / pruning's make excellent wine .
George

[Bugtownboy]

Don’t tempt me

[Mr Gus]

A nice ‘circular’ meal tonight.

Would you try a homebuilt smoker on the fruit woods?
That could be quite good on fatty pork? I like the circular idea especially at 1" dia. Not going to use that for much else but to cook and infuse, nice.

The day was quite harsh, didn't see any real sun until after 5pm but it went straight up to 5.8kW incoming when it did appear. No regrets as we are ending up at 78% soc. Hopefully get a few kWh's into EV tomorrow but so far we are still offgrid..

WBS is on gentle, 1 knotty awkward log per hour culled from the bottom woodstore restack and folding solar is on It's holiday yet continuing to charge the phones!

YES, use a smoke box suitable for chunks & bash it with the smoke hammer!

I've never tried fig (due to not seeing any appropriate wood dust of a suitable grade (no chain oil for starters) but for you with some apple both light flavours.

I have just ordered a new smoke cabinet (oddly enough).

[Joeboy]

A nice ‘circular’ meal tonight.

Would you try a homebuilt smoker on the fruit woods?
That could be quite good on fatty pork? I like the circular idea especially at 1" dia. Not going to use that for much else but to cook and infuse, nice.

The day was quite harsh, didn't see any real sun until after 5pm but it went straight up to 5.8kW incoming when it did appear. No regrets as we are ending up at 78% soc. Hopefully get a few kWh's into EV tomorrow but so far we are still offgrid..

WBS is on gentle, 1 knotty awkward log per hour culled from the bottom woodstore restack and folding solar is on It's holiday yet continuing to charge the phones!

YES, use a smoke box suitable for chunks & bash it with the smoke hammer!

I've never tried fig (due to not seeing any appropriate wood dust of a suitable grade (no chain oil for starters) but for you with some apple both light flavours.

I have just ordered a new smoke cabinet (oddly enough).

I have three apple and one plum tree. I will bear this chat in mind and collect any pruned or handsaw detritus.

[Mr Gus]

Likely that you already know, but just in case.

When looking to use your cuttings wood chunks for food tend not to have bark included BUT yours is thin, likely no bark mould nor insects, so can leave it on ..unless you really wish to trial differences.

Whilst you can buy cheap S/steel chip bbq boxes (link below) A simple, decent thickness foil takeaway tray for your pre-soaked chips (from another container) covered with more (old foil) wrapped top, poke holes in the top, (would add a few to make an air inlet too myself depending on performance /smoke wisp output, add to bbq offset from the main heat to encourage smoulder (you know your bbq (a kamado type)?? best.


If it works out that you enjoy the flavours then..
https://www.bbqworld.co.uk/apollo-bbq/a ... d2b03a4433

£5.99 + £2.95 p&p at time of writing.

Technical Specification

Stainless steel.
22.5cm x 9.8cm x 4.4cm. (shallow)

Dimensions
BBQ Dimensions
Height (cm) - 22.5
Width (cm) - 9.8
Depth (cm) - 4.4
Weight (kg) - 0.2

[Bugtownboy]

I've never tried fig (due to not seeing any appropriate wood dust of a suitable grade (no chain oil for starters) but for you with some apple both light flavours.

Gus, as you’ve probably guessed, I’ve no experience with smoking food.

I understand, but can be corrected, that normally, hardwoods are used to smoke food. The fig I would describe as akin to a softwood, potentially pithy.

Burns well, but quick.

I’ve got limited bits left - if you want to try, let me know how much you’d need to play with and I’ll check what I’ve got.

All of it has been manually cut and air dried from an organic garden.

[Bugtownboy]

I have three apple and one plum tree. I will bear this chat in mind and collect any pruned or handsaw detritus.

We’ve saved the normal prunings, Joe, for kindling.

OK, it’s a faff to process, but, is quicker than trying to compost /chip and no less carbon impact.

OK, may have a quicker Carbon hit, but you need to do something.

[Mr Gus]

It would be interesting BTB
I use certified smoke dust rather than chunks , due to having a good firm just up the road that we used to visit when taking the nipper to.Wickkstead park, drop in, pick up some big sacks.

I recently knacked up a supposed half decent chopping thingy.from a reputable manufacturer by putting crushed up bars of lemon chocolate to reduce to powder, i ended up using a far more reliable cheese grater.

(I have several bbqs but really use for cold smoking sadly)

When on a sausage making forum (& other things) Kiwi member used the local scrub wood to great effect, but sadly too pricey to send a bundle, I may have linked a discussion on the old place at the time

With youtube these days youd have your hand bitten off by someone trying to push a bbq channel ..the timings for smoke.absorption of the last one I saw being a prime example of "total b0110x" all said, but not demonstrated with no product, no idea of prep & work required (using the same kit as me) ..tragic, but youtube doesn't have a " complete fantasy" reason for report button

[Bugtownboy]

It would be interesting BTB
I use certified smoke dust rather than chunks , due to having a good firm just up the road that we used to visit when taking the nipper to.Wickkstead park, drop in, pick up some big sacks.

I recently knacked up a supposed half decent chopping thingy.from a reputable manufacturer by putting crushed up bars of lemon chocolate to reduce to powder, i ended up using a far more reliable cheese grater.

(I have several bbqs but really use for cold smoking sadly)

When on a sausage making forum (& other things) Kiwi member used the local scrub wood to great effect, but sadly too pricey to send a bundle, I may have linked a discussion on the old place at the time

With youtube these days youd have your hand bitten off by someone trying to push a bbq channel ..the timings for smoke.absorption of the last one I saw being a prime example of "total b0110x" all said, but not demonstrated with no product, no idea of prep & work required (using the same kit as me) ..tragic, but youtube doesn't have a " complete fantasy" reason for report button

If you do fancy trying it, and can chip it yourself, let me know.

If it becomes the best thing since sliced Hickory, we’ve got a couple of trees/bushes/whatever going bonkers.

The main one is a beast.

We’ve moved it and abused it over four house moves. Taken it all in its stride and gives so much fruit - amazing plant.

That is, if you like figs - but come on, who wouldn’t