Oak scraps

Ktim

I work in a wood shop and we have a lot of scrap oak cutoffs from kiln dried red oak, Is kiln dried wood any good for smoking.

trup0241

I have used wood working scraps before in the smoker with no problem.  You just want to make sure the wood wasn't treated either before or after the kiln.

RRP

what @trup0241 said. OTOH have you tried oak before? Personally I find it too strong and overpowering for my tastes. This opinion comes from a person who can't stand mesquite smoke either!

Ktim

Thanks guys. The wood has never been treated with anything. And to RRP I think I will try it on  a brisket first as I like a very strong smoke taste. Again Thanks!

Little Steven

Ktim said:

Thanks guys. The wood has never been treated with anything. And to RRP I think I will try it on  a brisket first as I like a very strong smoke taste. Again Thanks!

It's really hard to find oak around here in BBQ stores. I just go and buy an 8' piece of 1X3" and cut it up. It's probably expensive but it doesn't take a lot.

nolaegghead

Oak goes well with beef.  Aaron Franklin uses oak.  I don't find it too strong....mesquite, on the other hand tastes like coal to me.

Little Steven

Who are you? Cazzy? Namedropper.

Ktim

Thanks Little Steven I have at least 100 pounds of red oak cutoffs from boards  3/4 thick and 5-7 inches wide Just want to throw a few on with a beef cook.

nolaegghead

@Ktim - where yat?  I'm looking for cut-offs for cutting boards.

Carolina Q

nolaegghead said:

@Ktim - where yat?  I'm looking for cut-offs for cutting boards.

I wouldn't think you'd want red oak for that. The pores go all the way through. You can put one end in a glass of water and blow through it like a straw and make bubbles. White oak doesn't do that. Don't know about other varieties.

Ktim

I am In Michigan, just a little southwest of detroit.

nolaegghead

bummer. 

@Carolina_Q I've heard that, I'll have to ask my buddy who made cutting boards for 20 years what he thinks.  It may be as simple as treating with bees wax.   Or maybe he doesn't recommend it.  Will find out.

cortguitarman

I use wood scraps from my shop almost exclusively. I've used both white and red for smoking.

Carolina Q

nolaegghead said:

bummer. 

@Carolina_Q I've heard that, I'll have to ask my buddy who made cutting boards for 20 years what he thinks.  It may be as simple as treating with bees wax.   Or maybe he doesn't recommend it.  Will find out.

Yeah, I have some old 4x12 planks I was trying to decide what to do with. Was hoping they were white oak. Researched how to tell the difference and found that. Sure enough... bubbles. Known white oak... nada.

Might work for a cutting board, but I'd pick another wood myself. Come to think of it, red oak turns black when it gets wet!

gdenby

I don't like mesquite either, but oak is a fave of mine for pork.

White oak is better than red oak, IMO. Post oak is my fave. But there have been people who posted that red oak was their favorite. Matter of taste, I suppose.

Make sure that not only are the scraps not treated in any way, but also that they haven't been wet, or get wet. The pores in red oak are a happy breading ground for a fungus that eats the wood, and leaves lots of uric acid behind. Nothing like smoking w. pee scent to ruin a meal.

nolaegghead

Carolina Q said:

nolaegghead said:

bummer. 

@Carolina_Q I've heard that, I'll have to ask my buddy who made cutting boards for 20 years what he thinks.  It may be as simple as treating with bees wax.   Or maybe he doesn't recommend it.  Will find out.

Yeah, I have some old 4x12 planks I was trying to decide what to do with. Was hoping they were white oak. Researched how to tell the difference and found that. Sure enough... bubbles. Known white oak... nada.

Might work for a cutting board, but I'd pick another wood myself. Come to think of it, red oak turns black when it gets wet!

Talked to my buddy who made cutting boards professionally for over a decade.  He said red oak is fine, never had an issue with porosity - seal with mineral oil he said.  He used red and white oak, hickory, maple, walnut, birch, ash, cherry.  Never had a problem with it and he sold thousands of cutting boards with red oak, some end grain.

This is his kitchen table - it has red oak in it.

Carolina Q

All I know is what I have seen. Hope your buddy is right.

nolaegghead

In the words of Matthew McConaughey,  "Alright, alright, alright" - he's right.  He's an authority on cutting boards and also a user of his boards in his catering (BBQ) business, plus a good number of the BBQ professional competition cooks in the country use his boards, so I trust him.  Not dropping names here (@little_steven) but he knows his schtuff.

Eggcelsior

@nolaegghead, PM me his info. I'm looking for an end grain.

Focker

Seen plenty of maple, cherry, walnut, mesquite and other exotic end grains while researching boards.  Not once have I seen a red oak board.

Seems like the straw-like porous red oak would be a popular schtuff magnet(bacteria).

Meat juices would more than likely run completely through it, pooling underneath.

You'd also go through a schit-ton of mineral oil.  

nolaegghead

@eggcelsior - he sold his cutting board business a few years back and moved from Red Stick to NOLA.  He's still doing the catering - well, focusing on whole pigs for caterers.  I'm going to get him to help me make a huge effin' table like his at my shop, just need to collect the hardwood (my shop is mostly stocked with cypress and heart pine).  If I strike a mother-load of hardwood I'll make you one.  But he doesn't have his shop anymore.

He used to make trophies for many of the KCBS events.  I'll post some pictures.

KenfromMI

I don't find Oak strong at all.  I don't use Hickory or Mesquite because I feel they are too strong. I prefer White Oak big time over red Oak. I usually mix it with another wood even on beef.  

Ktim

Thanks Ken.

KenfromMI

No problem, now if we can just get you drinking a better beer than Budweiser we will be all set LOL

Ktim

That will never happen!!

KenfromMI

There are better Belgian beers I can recommend than Budweiser. LOL   

Ktim

Ok, name one that they sell in 24 packs and I will try it tomorrow.

KenfromMI

You got me there , good beers don't come in cases LOL

Hawg Fan

I used to have an offset pit and never burned anything in it except oak scraps from a mill in town. Red or white oak, both worked well and in my opinion, pretty mild smoke.

KenfromMI

Hawg, did you notice more of a raw sharp flavor from the red? I can't think of any other way to explain it.

Ktim

Thanks Hawg Fan and Ken, I have tried a craft beer from Ann Arbor It`s called Bells amber ale and I must say the taste is very good but hard to drink 24 in one day.