How to process apple wood

[planner steve]

Neighbor had a crab/ornamental apple tree taken down and gave me the wood. I believe it has pretty good BTU content. I'll be cutting into 16 inch length and seasoning for at least a year. Will try to split some of the larger rounds. Any issues with how I handle this wood? I seem to recall reading somewhere that apple can rot is not seasoned correctly.

 

[Lakeside]

I had some Crabapple wood once and it was Very Tough to split. Even with my supersplitter it wood take at least three hits to split a 10" round in two. As for seasoning I am think 2 + years.

 

[johneh]

Treat it the way you would treat any hardwood
split and stack off the ground

 

[firefighterjake]

Apple wood is good wood . . . decent BTUs, but often gnarly, knotty and twisted. It can sometimes be a bear to split . . . even with a hydraulic splitter, but the smell alone of that fresh cut and split wood is worth it.

 

[SpaceBus]

Apple wood is good wood . . . decent BTUs, but often gnarly, knotty and twisted. It can sometimes be a bear to split . . . even with a hydraulic splitter, but the smell alone of that fresh cut and split wood is worth it.

There are a few large apple trees in our woods that have dead stems I'm thinking of harvesting. I wish they were bigger so I could put them on the mill. Apple wood is beautiful.

 

[Bad LP]

I'd be cutting that up for smoking meats.

 

[planner steve]

I had some Crabapple wood once and it was Very Tough to split. Even with my supersplitter it wood take at least three hits to split a 10" round in two. As for seasoning I am think 2 + years.

Thanks, I was afraid I was going to hear it didn't split easily.

 

[planner steve]

I'd be cutting that up for smoking meats.

I was wondering if I could save the sawdust and use it for smoking? I do occassionally smoke Kokanee on my gas grill.

 

[Poindexter]

For unknown smoker wood I slice a russet potato in half inch slices, littel oil, salt and pepper, just pile the coals on one side of the cooker with a few chunks (maybe from the ground near the splitter?) of unknown wood and let the potato cook.

If the potato is tasty, you got smoking wood. If the potato is awful, you got cordwood for the stove, and you spent 49 cents on the potato.

If you like lamb, keep an eye out for lilac bushes. There are two lilacs in my neighborhood that give up tasty trimmings for lamb. Lilac wood is supposed to give a flavor very close to Mediteranean oak, but I don't have access to Med. Oak.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Apple rocks for fuelwood! A little tough to split at times as some others said but when dry it throws nice heat and the smell is awesome!

 

[planner steve]

For unknown smoker wood I slice a russet potato in half inch slices, littel oil, salt and pepper, just pile the coals on one side of the cooker with a few chunks (maybe from the ground near the splitter?) of unknown wood and let the potato cook.

If the potato is tasty, you got smoking wood. If the potato is awful, you got cordwood for the stove, and you spent 49 cents on the potato.

If you like lamb, keep an eye out for lilac bushes. There are two lilacs in my neighborhood that give up tasty trimmings for lamb. Lilac wood is supposed to give a flavor very close to Mediteranean oak, but I don't have access to Med. Oak.

Thanks for the lamb tip. Now I just have to find someone who is clearing out their lilacs.

 

[planner steve]

Apple rocks for fuelwood! A little tough to split at times as some others said but when dry it throws nice heat and the smell is awesome!

I've got it cut up and hit a few rounds with the Fiskars. Seemed to split pretty well, although it takes 2 or 3 whacks with the larger rounds. Not in the same league as Sweet Gum.