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Oak floor scraps

iabbqguy
iabbqguy Posts: 27
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
We're having red oak flooring installed all through the first floor of our house. This is being done by installing the oak flooring, then sanding, staining, and finally urethane finish coat.

The guys putting the floor down have a lot of little chunks of oak left over from all the cutting. Since it's not stained or urethaned or anything, would it be ok to use this in the BGE??? It seems like a waste to throw it away and I'd like to put it to good use if I could. Just curious if anyone else has tried this before. Thanks..

Comments

  • ric3677
    ric3677 Posts: 278
    I think you need to use the charcoal. Burning wood would be a not so good thing in the egg. Now if you have more time than money and want to make your own, there was a guy on here just recently that is doing just that. Says it's really easy. It would have to be to make up the time difference in a 5 dollar bag of lump that lasts a lonnnnnnnng time.

    jmho Rick
  • iabbqguy
    iabbqguy Posts: 27
    Whoops, I didn't make my plan very clear. I am curious if I can (or should) use the oak for smoking, as one would use hickory, apple, cherry, etc.

    Like most everyone else around here I have neither the time nor the ambition to try making my own lump. :laugh: I'm plenty happly with the bags of lump charcoal I buy.
  • No Yolk
    No Yolk Posts: 42
    We put hickery flooring in our house, and I use little scrapes when I want a little differant smoke flavor.
    Doug
  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
    unless you are sure it is virgin wood , totally untreatd raw dried wood i would pass. ask the installers, call the manufacturer.
    bill
  • ric3677
    ric3677 Posts: 278
    I don't think oak would give you the flavor you want. I burn lots of oak scraps here in the winter and the smoke is not that enjoyable. I think the apple cherry and hickory are the better bet. But what the heck, give it a try on a cheap piece of meat and make your own decision. Wait a sec.....did I just say cheap piece of meat? Whoops. :)

    Rick
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    using it for added smoke is fine. don't use it (or any wood) as a fuel source though.

    it's not treated. tongue-and-groove oak flooring, unless it is prefinished, is furniture grade, with no chemicals, etc.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Ar-Cee
    Ar-Cee Posts: 105
    When I was using a stick burner type smoker I avoided Red Oak as a cooking/smoking wood choice. It is very strong and I think too acrid. White oak is a very good smoking wood and was my standard base wood. Even if you have "virgin" red oak, I would try it first on something you don't care about because to me, it is not a "first choice" type cooking wood. Just my 2 cents. thanks rc