Smoking with kiln dried hardwoods

Midnight Smoker · August 2008

Ever stare at something so long that when you finally see it, you get a supreme "Doh!!" moment?

Happened to me yesterday as I wheeled the egg out of the 2-car garage like I have every time I've cooked on it for the last year. Only this time I had been cleaning the garage and had to move aside one of my many boxes of red oak scrap wood. You see, my garage is also my wood workshop. I've been sitting on a treasure trove of smoking material and it didn't even register on my hickory focused brain.

I figure the oak and maple are pretty standard fare for smoking, but how about mahogony or walnut?

I have a feeling any of it will just burst into flames due to the extremely low moisture content, so I figure soaking will be a must. Any other tips for getting good smoke out of kiln dried wook instead of just flames?

Thanks.

Haggis · August 2008

There was a thread on red oak a day or two ago - you might want to look at it.

RRP · August 2008

walnut is OK - I don't know about mahogany though. Here's a site that might interest you if you have some other woods as well.
http://www.sizzlersranch.com/bbq-smoking-wood

Slotmercenary · August 2008

i am not sure about the mahogany but i know that if you are going to use walnut make sure it is English walnut and not Black walnut. the black walnut gives off a very heavy and putrid oiley smoke and discharge. the english walnut is very nice but a little goes a long way depending on what you are using it for. start small you can always add more.
living in norcal now i have been doing some experimenting with grape vine and that is also pretty tastey.

stike · August 2008

it won't burn. don't soak it, no need. you really can't get wood to flare if the lid is shut.
hate to say it, to the wood is no longer very dry. it's picked up moisture just sitting in the garage.

Smoking with kiln dried hardwoods

Comments

Categories