What wood scraps can I smoke/BBQ meat with?

[atgcpaul]

I'm gathering quite a pile of cutoffs that won't do me much good except as
kindling.

I've got walnut, maple, and cherry. I haven't heard of smoking/BBQing with
walnut or maple. I think I have heard of using cherry. Is this safe?

It's a shame I don't use hickory or mesquite.

Thanks,
Paul

[cabinetman]

I'm gathering quite a pile of cutoffs that won't do me much good except as
kindling.

I've got walnut, maple, and cherry. I haven't heard of smoking/BBQing with
walnut or maple. I think I have heard of using cherry. Is this safe?

It's a shame I don't use hickory or mesquite.

Thanks,
Paul

The hardwoods you listed are safe to use. Different woods impart different tastes. Woods with a lot of resins or sap don't smoke well. Try to avoid conifers such as pine, cedar, cyprus, fir, spruce, or redwood. They contain too much sap.
.

[phi1l]

I don't like the taste of cherry wood much, but maple is nice

[Uncle Cracker]

Most fruitwoods (apple, peach, citrus) make good smoke. Hickory and mesquite, too...

[Bruce Cohen]

I've heard that Pressure Treated great, unfortunately, I don't think there are live folks around to testify to that.

Bruce

[Hoover]

In the pacific Northwest, alder is used to smoke salmon, clams, mussels. Cedar is used as a plank to cook salmon over an open fire. Of course the cedar is soaked in water before using.

[jussi]

I heard evergreens were bad. Cedar, pine, fir, etc.

[jackellis]

Salmon cooked on a cedar plank is excellent.

[jussi]

Salmon cooked on a cedar plank is excellent.

I meant wood to burn. I read (although no direct experience) that these types of evergreen, including cedar, gives a nasty taste.

[BrazosJake]

I would avoid almost anything decay-resistant as they tend to be oily and stinky (excepting white oak).

As someone said, any fruit or nut producing tree.

I use a lot of hickory as it's cheap and I like the appearance. I save my plane shavings for fire starting.

Down here, we use mesquite for smoking a lot. It's amazing how something that is cursed as a pest and used as cheap firewood can command $10 PBF as lumber.

[nadz]

smoker woods

i use oak, hickory, pecan, and almost any fruit wood...hickory is preferred, pecan is scarce, oak is nice and mild

[scmhogg]

Paul,

Go easy with the Walnut. It leaves a nasty taste.

Check this link.

http://www.3men.com/whatwood.htm

Steve

[Dirty Dave]

A friend of mine cooks chicken over an open cherry wood fire pit. It is fantastic.

[atgcpaul]

Thanks everyone. It looks like it will be a yummy summer. Ashes to ashes.

Paul

[dbhost]

Any fruit / nut bearing hardwood should be fine. Each gives a flavor all its own. I use a lot of Pecan / Mesquite and tend to use a blend of the chunks for smoking. Remember though, smoking wood is not dry wood. To use woodworking scrap as smoking wood, you should thoroughly soak them prior to use, or they will simply burn up in a flash and be no good for cooking...