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smoking Woods for smoking

I have a 55 gallon trash bag full of Pear wood, one full of Cherry wood and once I get to my friend with the big chipper with this apple I will have around 2 full of Apple chips, but my question concerns another tree I have been given access to which is Sugar Maple.
Has anyone used Sugar Maple chips for smoking and if so what thoughts do you have on them?
 
just did 40 minutes round trip to get the fallen limb I was told I could have only to find out the neighbor is now getting it but I can cut the tree down if I want. That would be fine if it wasn't 10 feet from their house. I don't want to risk property damage. Oh well maybe I will find some in the future.
 
just did 40 minutes round trip to get the fallen limb I was told I could have only to find out the neighbor is now getting it but I can cut the tree down if I want. That would be fine if it wasn't 10 feet from their house. I don't want to risk property damage. Oh well maybe I will find some in the future.
Go to Home depot and get a Fiskars telescoping limb saw. They go for ~ 40 bucks and telescope out ~ 12 feet. You should be able to get a few of the lower limbs with it. I have one and I cut through 8 inch diameter limbs in less than ten minutes.
The saw blade is a beast.
 
I actually have an older one and thought about it but these are high up limbs due to the former owners apparent need to be a "Better Homes and Gardens" home. I may have to take a ladder with the next time, if I go down there again.
 
Sassafras is said to cause cancer in rats and is often on the list of woods not to smoke with. I've never use it personally but I've also never heard of any real problems from those who do use it

I've read where they recomend removing the bark before smoking with it and making sure it is at least 6 months seasoned in split form. 1 year if the wood is not split.
 
I'll have to give the sassafras a try as I have plenty of small ones around and am always clearing new space.
YOU WILL LOVE IT!!

its a great wood, been eating that deer jerky smoked with sassafras since i was a small boy
you wont be sorry

thanks your friend joe

Sassafras is said to cause cancer in rats and is often on the list of woods not to smoke with. I've never use it personally but I've also never heard of any real problems from those who do use it

I've read where they recomend removing the bark before smoking with it and making sure it is at least 6 months seasoned in split form. 1 year if the wood is not split.
remember these are the same people that say some of the active agents in green tea but the Chinese seem live longer than most people

there also the same people that cant make up there mind about eggs

there good for there not good for you and it goes on and on and on
im not saying that its not true, but you just cant trust indecisive people

besides the amount of saferol you would get it very small and most gets destroyed in the burning process and yes removing the bark would be advisable because the highest percentage of saferol is in the bark ageing is a good idea also

i never seen any problems with it in anyone

hope this helps

thanks your friend joe
 
Actually you'd probably want to remove bark and season any type of smoking wood. Bark and green wood should be avoided
 
No antioxidants would survive the coals-and I have a theory that lab rats aren't really that healthy to begin with(seen a few "labs"...hence the theory)haha.
Allspice/pimento wood....anybody ever use this? Some jerk stands in Jamaica use this to add flavor to the jerk chicken and pork ...but details have escaped me.
I'll blame it on time....been 15 yrs since Jamaica visits stopped.I have yet to come across an equal stateside----but these stalls/shacks did use the pimento berry wood.Anyone?
 
Sassafras is said to cause cancer in rats and is often on the list of woods not to smoke with. I've never use it personally but I've also never heard of any real problems from those who do use it

I've read where they recomend removing the bark before smoking with it and making sure it is at least 6 months seasoned in split form. 1 year if the wood is not split.


Safrole, is the "questionable" carcinogenic in Sassafras. It was used for decades to make soda by our American ancestors. The ruling that it is bad for humans should of been overturned by the FDA(Food and Death Administration), as it has since been found that the bioavailablity factor that harmed rats does not harm us. The American Indians used it as a blood purifier, to no ill avail. As for me, I would take an American Indian sacred use of a herb as advice over ANYTHING the FDA would say. This past year I started to make homemade sodas the old fashioned way. That includes using sassafras.
 
i agree, if the fda cant make money from it they ban it,or tell you its ad for you and if you question them they come to your door with guns think im kidding? im not

look at what they do endorse and you will see that that crap is much much worse!!

thank your friend joe
 
I've never used silver maple, I live in the middle of a sugar maple bush. I have however heard of people using it without any problems, and in some places they use silver maple for syrup so I imagine it is sweet and mild flavored as well
 
OK, I think we all agree that sassafras is safe. :lol:
Now I just have to locate some, de-bark/season it, and start smoking
great you will not be sorry sassafras has a light flavored wood that is quite different than say mesquite or hickory
its one of my personal favorite because i grew up on it


my friend uses nothing but apple, he smokes chiles with it he makes his own chilpoltle and its wonderful!!

thanks your friend Joe
 
I use a lot of apple and cherry as well as maple and some hickory because its all free in my backyard. When I use hickory I like to mix it with maple since one is stong and one is mild. I think it balances out nicely.
Lately I've been cutting a lot of oak and its another good one but I'm starting to like mixing it with cherry or apple.
I also smoke a lot of jalapenos and other peppers with various different woods but I think it takes more than just smoke and pods to make them chipotles. Don't get me wrong they may be great, just not chipotles which should be cold smoked in traditional ways with traditional woods and smoke pits etc.
 
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