Wood Chunks for smoking

I have been buying wood chunks for smoking at Home Depot in small bags.  There must be a better way to buy this stuff in a larger quantity at a lower price.  I've been using apple wood but would like to try hickory or cherry or any wood that would impart a good smoky flavor to beef or fish.  ????????

Thanks,
Martin

I have a pellet smoker and when I grill on my weber I take some of the pellets and throw it in a tray and gives the meat plenty of flavor (hickory )

Martin, I tried some Kingsford Hickory the other day on a Tri-Tip, came out great.
I have some Pecan and Oak in the driveway, LMK and I'll throw some in the car for the next meet-up

Thanks Tony.  I haven't tried Pecan yet but would like to.  Are you going to be at Crabfest?

If you know anyone that is in the wine business, they use small oak cubes in the wine to flavor if they don't age in casks. You might be able to score some of those after they are done. They come in a mesh bag that they soak in the wine like a giant teabag. I've used it, and it works good. Any hard wood or fruit wood will work good for smoking. Stay away from any trees that have a cone, or eucalyptus. They can be toxic. Although, I've done fish on a cedar plank and it tastes great. Smoking meats can be fun and tasty! Hard to roll though!

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=49042.0

If you know anyone that is in the wine business, they use small oak cubes in the wine to flavor if they don't age in casks. You might be able to score some of those after they are done. They come in a mesh bag that they soak in the wine like a giant teabag. I've used it, and it works good. Any hard wood or fruit wood will work good for smoking. Stay away from any trees that have a cone, or eucalyptus. They can be toxic. Although, I've done fish on a cedar plank and it tastes great. Smoking meats can be fun and tasty! Hard to roll though!

Even better, forgo the oak cubes/spirals and just ask around for a used wine barrel. I used to work in vineyard management and would jump on any of the spent barrels that were being discarded by the company's wineries. They may not have been acceptable for wine any longer but they made some delicious tri-trip.

What he said!!! Most of the time they want  big $ for them because ppl will cut them in half for  planters. If you can get them check though, that's the ticket!

I had an idea... what about a cabinet shop?  Maybe you can get untreated oak or other hard wood scrap cheap or free??? Never tried, just thinking.

Check with your local orchards. If you have any. They usually trim around now and typically give it away. Or start growing fruit trees for the smoke wood.

I have a friend who has apple trees in his backyard.  When he prunes them, he chips the branches and lays them out to dry on a tarp.  He has a whole garbage can of apple wood chips for smoking.  However, you need to chip wood up small enough so it burns or smokes well in your smoker.  If the chunks are too big, they may not burn.  My friend's smoker, which he made from a cast-iron railroad signal box, can digest pretty big chunks of wood.  Your smoker may require finer chips.

BUY ?!?

Take you a saw down around any creek and nab a few Alder branches, strip and whittle into chips! Know anyone that prunes fruit trees? Save the whips and sticks. Trim some oak trees or Madrone.

Buy...shucks

Thanks Tony.  I haven't tried Pecan yet but would like to.  Are you going to be at Crabfest?

I got you bro, at Crabfest, couple of pecan logs

I got an apple, pear, and plum and with that comes branches after pruning. I smoked some damn good Ling Collars
this summer with the plum.
But it isWORK, gotta bebark
And split into size 
Hey Martin I got a sample of plum for ya. @ Crabfest!

S cotty

I can get any of those in logs or chunks for ya from my wood supplier.  Logs are much cheaper. Cut them down to chunk size w/ a miter saw. Hit it again with a pick or axe if necessary.

40 sack of logs ~ 12 dollars for cherry or peach, 40lb sack of chunk is 40 dollars. 

Personally, I would stay away from hickory chunks - its too intense.  Cherry, apple, peach, plum, and oak are great in chunks.

What kind of smoker are you using?