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Smoking with redwood???

Deluca
Deluca Posts: 159
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
Is redwood decent to smoke food with?

Thanks

corey
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Comments

  • Gator Bait
    Gator Bait Posts: 5,244
    Hi Corey,

    Welcome to the forum. I am going to take a guess that no, redwood would not be very good. Redwood is a conifer, has cones. Typically conifers make poor smoke woods due to the pitch they contain is high in turpentines and resins that do not taste very good. Like I say, I am guessing. One way to find out for sure would be to try it on a piece of chicken. I would only risk one piece until I knew more.

    Good luck,

    Gator

     
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  • Deluca
    Deluca Posts: 159
    Thanks Gator,
    The reason I asked is because I cut one down in our yard a year ago and had some branches lying around. I started a small bonfire with them tonight and it sure smelled good! I guess I could just do what you said and give it a try....

    Corey
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  • Gator Bait
    Gator Bait Posts: 5,244
     
    Hi Corey,

    I found this site that list it as one to avoid as a smoke wood. Going from what you say and how the fire smelled I would still give it a test. I have noticed that chicken sucks up smoke more then some other meats so you may want to take it easy until you have an idea of what it is going to be like.
    Let us know what you determine, it would be interesting to hear.

    http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/woods.html

    I know grilling on cedar planks is very popular. I am not sure of the botanical difference/similarity between redwood and cedar except that they are both soft woods. You may be pleasantly surprised.

    Gator

     
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  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    Gator Bait is correct. You should not use redwood or any of a number of other tyes of wood.

    Here's a list of smoking wood applications that may be of help in the future. It's from the Texas BBQ Forum.

    http://www.texasbbqforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=1346

    The very last statement confirms what Gator Bait said. There are other products used for smoking that are not listed above. For example, coffee grounds, coffee wood, sugar cane, seaweed, etc. Even the flavor of coal is preferred by some (it was an ingredient in the first charcoal briquettes invented by Henry Ford). I'm fairly certain there are places in the world where animal droppings are favored for it's smokey flavor.

    Personally, I'm sticking with the basic five or six that most of us have ready access to.

    Hope this helps.

    Spring "Smoke 'em If You've Got 'em" Chicken
    Spring Texas USA
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  • Deluca
    Deluca Posts: 159
    MAN I LOVE THIS WEB SITE!!!!!!

    Both great links with good info on smoking!!!

    I did pizzas last night! Can't wait to do something tomorrow!!!

    Thanks Guys!

    Corey
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  • BobS
    BobS Posts: 2,485
    Even pine smells good burning. IMHO, there are too many good woods to mess with it. I would make it a small test.
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
    You cut down a redwood growing in your yard???

    You live the Northern west coast??

    DO NOT use it for smoking. I would bet there would be some woodcrafters around that would love to get those branches.
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  • Deluca
    Deluca Posts: 159
    If the trees were planted 5 more feet away from the property line they probably would have stayed.... And yes I'm in Seattle, or a suburb of. There isn't much left of the branches and tree. Less than a wheel barrow. I gave it all away last year.
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