smoking Wood Smoking Flavor Chart

[Pepper Belly]

I was happy when I recently got a free truckload of mixed oak and cherry chips/chunks but I'm thinking the cherry is likely black cherry, which I think that may be toxic (cyanide content)

Very carefully sort the cherry from the oak . Get a good idea of the wood grain and color. I don't know if it has cynide I thought only certain seeds and certain nuts had that.

 

[POTAWIE]

I ain't sorting it, it all went threw an industrial sized chipper and got mixed together From what I've read, the leaves, twigs, and seeds contain hydrocyanic acid.
http://www.cookiebabyinc.com/poisonousplants/blackcherry.html

 

[BamsBBQ]

I ain't sorting it, it all went threw an industrial sized chipper and got mixed together From what I've read, the leaves, twigs, and seeds contain hydrocyanic acid.
http://www.cookiebabyinc.com/poisonousplants/blackcherry.html

hey if you dont want that black cherry... you can ship it to..

bamsbbq
sault ste marie ontario..lol

just make sure there are no leaves in it, that is what contains the cynide...just like apple seeds and most fruit pits or seeds do...

again if you dont want it, i will dipose of it for you free of charge..lmao

just noticed you chipped it already...i would use it and have been using oak and cherry mix all my life... havent poisoned myself yet..lol

 

[POTAWIE]

I've used lots of cherry but from what I've been reading, some say to definitely not use black cherry due to cyanide in leaves, twigs, and seeds and others say it is a non issue which is what I'm begining to believe

 

[BamsBBQ]

cherry is cherry..generally you dont use the twigs and seeds anyways...

cherry is my favorite wood to cook with...it has such a nice smell when it is being cooked with.. gives a beautiful smoke ring and a nice dark red hue to the meat you are cooking

 

[TexomaHeat]

No to cedar? Really?

I've used cedar planks when grilling fish, and have even used pieces of the leftover plank as smoking chips. It's never made me sick before.

 

[BamsBBQ]

No to cedar? Really?

I've used cedar planks when grilling fish, and have even used pieces of the leftover plank as smoking chips. It's never made me sick before.

yup no to cedar for smoking... when you are grilling with cedar it is basically just another cooking untensil/plate..you get very smoke flavor from the cedar plank.... cedar has some nasty stuff in it when it is used strictly for smoking

 

[Vespucci]

What's the ixnay on cedar? I attended a bbq where all the meat was hot smoked with really old cedar (may have been old enough anything dangerous in it leeched out). It was terrible. Worst bbq ever, imo. Nobody got sick though.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

No one said it was dangerous, otherwise you wouldn't plank. Bam's referring to flavor I believe.

 

[BamsBBQ]

Cedar is regarded as a soft wood, so because of the resins it is not recommended for smoking. Planking does not release the resins into the smoke.

Cedar is a soft wood. similar to pine. Burned as a cooking smoking wood, it can ruin your pit by depositing tars and a cresote on the pit walls.

A soaked cedar plank under a salmon doesnt ignite, yes it chars on the underside a bit, and the flavors from the aromatics in the wood comes through the cedar and penetrates the salmon, but the wood never actually ignites and burns. The small amount of charring you get is enough to release the oils through the wood but does not produce any significant amount of smoke. You will notice that the entire top side of the plank stays intact as well as throughout, and only the bottom chars up a bit.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

I know how cedar smells and personally I don't think I'd want that flavor anyway.

 

[Vespucci]

Ah! I misunderstood "make you sick." I can in fact verify that cedar makes nasty bbq.

 

[Hophead]

Great list Bams - i didn't know so many choices are available for smoking i have tried some of the list and have some Crown Royal Whisky Pucks im sure its similar to the Jack Daniel's - great flavor got them as a gift.

 

[Sam Salmon]

I take it some people here mean Red Cedar or White Cedar as the one to avoid.

Here in British Columbia Yellow Cedar is very highly regarded for it's mild nutty flavour.

 

[Noshownate]

I want to try corn cob's I see bam you said it should be ground up, but then i think you mentioned something about having chips of cob. I might cut them into slices then smoke with them any one have ideas on this woul dlike to know theyre experience.

 

[richoso12]

Red Oak is excellent for beef if you are smoking or grilling. This is the same wood used in Santa Maria, Ca. known for it's famous Tri Tip, only way they cook it is on a grill and burning Red Oak.

 

[MichChef]

I didn't see Russian Olive mentioned. Do you know if it can be used?

 

[richoso12]

I didn't see Russian Olive mentioned. Do you know if it can be used?

I found the wood to be very light, mild... almost like an apple wood.
It was nice though. Most olive woods can be used for smoking or grilling.

 

[MichChef]

Thanks richoso12,

Russian Olive is more than plentiful around here and my BIL bulldozed a couple a few weeks ago. I'll try to find them and salvage the wood.

 

[Canuck Pepperhead]

Hey POTAWIE thx for the chipper idea I got my hands on a massave amount of maple and apple woods and dont know the route in which to use it..Still need a wood splitter though lol