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wood species

W

WadePatton

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i've been searching high and low for a good, semi-comprehensive thread or essay on the subject. there'smattering here and there.

so if anyone knows of such, please redirect my hickorynut arse to it.

otherwise, why don't we make it happen right here?

it will vary some by region, meat, smoking style, and preferences.

my experience is all hickory all the time.

reading tells me that oak, maple, cherry, and most fruit/nut woods are good. but also that they're different. i've also bumped into some interesting oddities like osage orange (hedge) and differing opinions on sassafras.

well, i've got all that plus black locust, honeylocust, white ash, beech, persimmon, yellow poplar, yellow buckeye, redbud, black walnut, hackberry, sycamore, american elm and some others i've surely left out.

i'm ready to experiment a bit with fuel, but would like to avert disaster.

i'm going to play with oak and cherry next. pretty excited about red oak as i (for unknown reasons) sniffed a fresh split last year and knock me over with a feather if it didn't smell like a good red wine. half the aromas (of a red wine) i'd previously attributed to the grape had come from the barrel.

thanks
 
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its true what you said "it vary's some by region" that will never change you can't imagine how that effects what is written about certain wood. Hickory is similar to Pecan but someone who grew up using pecan would never want to use Hickory and vice versa so that thread you are directed to may have been written by someone who has different tastes then you do. Wild Black Cherry is different then Cherry as there are a variety of Cherry tree's. In NC there are about 80 different names for the Hickory tree.
 
Just to get you goin, Try Australian Pine. Before any of you think I have lost my mind, we have been through this already!

It works, ask Smoking Aussie. Ask me I use it all the time.

It just the word PINE that you don't understand.
 
I didn't see anything listed on Black Locust, just wondering if it's usable or not.....I've got a bunch grown on my property that I'd like to get rid of and it would be great if it could be used to smoke with.

What a fitting post to my new title change under my name to the left. LOL "Is lookin for wood to cook with"
 
Had a link with this info emailed to me the other day, and thought it was fitting:

"The traditional woods for smoking are HICKORY and OAK. Here is a list of woods suitable for smoking:
ACACIA - these trees are in the same family as mesquite. When burned in a smoker, acacia has a flavor similar to mesquite but not quite as heavy. A very hot burning wood.
ALDER - Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds.
ALMOND - A sweet smoke flavor, light ash. Good with all meats.
APPLE - Very mild with a subtle fruity flavor, slightly sweet. Good with poultry (turns skin dark brown) and pork.
ASH - Fast burner, light but distinctive flavor. Good with fish and red meats.
BIRCH - Medium-hard wood with a flavor similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.
CHERRY - Mild and fruity. Good with poultry, pork and beef. Some List members say the cherry wood is the best wood for smoking. Wood from chokecherry trees may produce a bitter flavor.
COTTONWOOD - It is a softer wood than alder and very subtle in flavor. Use it for fuel but use some chunks of other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor. Don't use green cottonwood for smoking.
CRABAPPLE - Similar to apple wood.
GRAPEVINES - Tart. Provides a lot of smoke. Rich and fruity. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.
HICKORY - Most commonly used wood for smoking--the King of smoking woods. Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavor. Good with pork, ham and beef.
LILAC - Very light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb.
MAPLE - Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds.
MESQUITE - Strong earthy flavor. Good with beef, fish, chicken, and game. One of the hottest burning.
MULBERRY - The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple.
OAK - Heavy smoke flavor--the Queen of smoking wood. RED OAK is good on ribs, WHITE OAK makes the best coals for longer burning. All oak varieties reported as suitable for smoking. Good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game.
ORANGE, LEMON and GRAPEFRUIT - Produces a nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.
PEAR - A nice subtle smoke flavor. Much like apple. Excellent with chicken and pork.
PECAN - Sweet and mild with a flavor similar to hickory. Tasty with a subtle character. Good with poultry, beef, pork and cheese. Pecan is an all-around superior smoking wood.
SWEET FRUIT WOODS - APRICOT, PLUM, PEACH, NECTARINE - Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.
WALNUT - ENGLISH and BLACK - Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and game.
BBQ List members report that wood from the following trees is suitable for smoking: BAY, CARROTWOOD, KIAWE, MADRONE, MANZANITA, GUAVA and OLIVE. The ornamental varieties of fruit trees (i. e. pear and cherry) are also suitable for smoking.
Other Internet sources list the wood from the following trees as suitable for smoking: BEECH, BUTTERNUT, FIG, GUM, CHESTNUT, HACKBERRY, PIMIENTO, PERSIMMON, and WILLOW."
 
That looks close to the link Paul posted above. In the link it list woods that are dangerous to use also. I just didn't see anything listed for Black Locust and since there's nasty woods that you don't want to use, I don't want to test it unless I know for sure.
 
Doesn't sound like it's a wood to be used for cooking from what I found on the internet:

Like the honey locust, the black locust reproduces through its distinctive hanging pods. Black locust's pods are smaller and lighter, and thus easily carried long distances by the wind. Unlike the pods of the honey locust, but like those of the related European Laburnum, the black locust's pods are toxic. In fact, every part of the tree, especially the bark, is considered toxic, with the exception of the flowers. However, various reports have suggested that the seeds and the young pods of the black locust can be edible when cooked, since the poisons that are contained in this plant are decomposed by heat. Horses that consume the plant show signs of anorexia, depression, diarrhea, colic, weakness, and cardiac arrhythmia. Symptoms usually occur about 1 hour following consumption, and immediate veterinary attention is required.
 
Standard rule of thumb is if it produces a nut or fruit it is good for cooking with. But like everything else in life there are exceptions to the rule. Just stay away from the flowering trees and you should be okay.
 
so I'm still wondering if I can use russian olive? People have written about eating the fruit of the tree and it being sweet. It's about the only available wood here in the high desert.
 
operative words in the black locust "warning" are "breaks down with heat".

hot enough to combust=heat i say.

i absolutely adore black locust for firewood. i burn tons (literally) of it. but it has to be very very seasoned. if the bark is still tight on it, i won't heat with it. most of what i cut is barkless and has been on the ground for 15 years or more.

if nothing else it could be used to help keep the coals going. especially when cooking with woods less dense than hickory or white oak.

hellfire, if we can't find anything atall about indirect smoke cooking with black locust, i'll do it mydangself.

i will.
 
is lookin' for wood...

found some eh?!

i'll be a farker!
 

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Woods to stay away from....

Woods to stay away from..... :cop:
Many of you will not have to worry about using Mango or Pistachio wood,
but living in south Florida, a hobby of mine has been collecting and growing tropical fruit trees.
I am also a wood carver and a wood turner. I researched woods and found some to stay away from.


Mango, Cashew, Brazilian Pepper, Poison Ivy-Oak-Sumac are all in the "Anacardiaceae Family".
A lot of toxic plants in this family.

I grow many mango varieties and thus prune these trees...but
never burn them or carve with them or use them in the BBQ smoker.. as many people are
allergic to the skin of Mangoes and smoke.

We love our Mango fruit but don't use the wood for anything,
even the sawdust can be irritating.

Pistachio nuts...don't use shells to smoke your BBQ food.
Raw Cashew smoke is poisonous.


Apocynaceae family: Oleander, Periwinkle, Allamanda and Jasmine.

"But aren't oleanders poisonous? Sure they are; so what! You aren't planning to
eat your oleanders, are you? Those of us who live up North should know that rhododendrons
and azaleas, which we all grow and love, are as bad or worse than oleanders in the toxin
department. So is English ivy. Daffodils and lily-of the valley will send you straight to Hades,
too, not to mention all those houseplants: poinsettias, dieffenbachias,
philodendrons, Christmas peppers, and peace lilies (there's a reason they're called peace lilies!).

Your animals are too smart to munch on them, and you and your children should be, too".

This is just a few.

Of course never smoke old painted lumber, treated lumber or
wood that is moldy and water stained.

Just makes sense to use the best, cleanest wood possible.

Regards,
Maxx

:):):)

PS. I have posted this on other forums also.
​
 
I'm glad I searched for this thread. We lost a huge red oak a while ago, and it's finally cut up and ready to split to smoke with. The tree was about 80' tall and was knocked down by the hurrican 18 months ago, so it's also well-seasoned.
 
River Lizard said:
Doesn't sound like it's a wood to be used for cooking from what I found on the internet:

Like the honey locust, the black locust reproduces through its distinctive hanging pods. Black locust's pods are smaller and lighter, and thus easily carried long distances by the wind. Unlike the pods of the honey locust, but like those of the related European Laburnum, the black locust's pods are toxic. In fact, every part of the tree, especially the bark, is considered toxic, with the exception of the flowers. However, various reports have suggested that the seeds and the young pods of the black locust can be edible when cooked, since the poisons that are contained in this plant are decomposed by heat. Horses that consume the plant show signs of anorexia, depression, diarrhea, colic, weakness, and cardiac arrhythmia. Symptoms usually occur about 1 hour following consumption, and immediate veterinary attention is required.
Click to expand...

Yep, and that swill doesn't mention that there are several kinds of ash,
either...use black instead of green or white, and you'll regret it for all your
born days.
 
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