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cedar planks

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Austin Egger
Austin Egger Posts: 256
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I was up at my local bbq store and was looking at the cedar planks so I can cook some veggies and salmon. They sell two planks approximately 6in. wide by about 1 ft. long for $11. My question is are these prepped any different than what I can buy a fence picket at home depot for? This might be a stupid question but I can buy a picket for a couple of bucks and get about 6 long planks versus spending $11 on 2 planks? Are there any chemicals that I should worry about doing it either way? If I bought a fence picket, I would clean it as good as I can. Thanks!!!
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  • BigA
    BigA Posts: 1,157
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    that is a question you need to ask home depot, i do know there is a was on the wood, that is why they say let the wood cure in the sun for 6 months before you clean and stain. I wouldnt cook on one, unless you i pressure washed it and then you still need a cleaner to get it all off and i wouldnt want to eat that either. hope that helps, unless you can find an actuall untreated cedar pick!! :unsure:
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  • njegg
    njegg Posts: 4
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    Check Costco or something similar. They usually stock them at a much better price this time of year.
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  • Austin Egger
    Austin Egger Posts: 256
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    Thanks BigA! I could not completely understand your first sentance but it looks like they put some kind of chemical on it. I will inquire about it and see what I can find out. It's just a little expensive to buy them from the store for a cook, especially if I am planning on using two planks :(
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  • ngm
    ngm Posts: 19
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    If you know you have untreated cedar, you can cook on it.

    Cedar for building things might well have fire retardant and other treatments. Great for building an egg table, not great for cooking!

    It is quite possible to get cheap untreated cedar. Your building supply store could very well have untreated cedar. Would you really trust the answer you were given by the store employee to the question "It the cedar untreated?". Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Depends on the store and the employee.
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,757
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    some use cedar shingles ;) read the packaging for chemicals
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
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    cedar is cedar is cedar is cedar.

    there is no such thing as "culinary grade".

    don't buy treated cedar, which will always be marked as such and sold at a premium anyway.

    i buy UNTREATED split cedar shakes or sawn shingles, undercourse grade (means they have knots or blemishes). these are the cheaper grade for construction, usually 18 inches long. score the thin end with a utility knife and snap off. soak 20 minutes or so in the sink and you are good to go.

    treated wood can;'t be sold unless clearly marked that way. and shingles are marked very clearly. the cedar shingle bureau is ridiculously stringent regarding the marking and selling of shingles. there is no reason to think you might unknowingly buy treated wood, even if a 16 year old kid is stocking the shelves at home depot in the lumber department.

    if you were exceptionally skittish for some reason, you can get furniture grade cedar anyway.
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
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    if it's treated, it'll cost more anyway.

    and it must be labeled, never go by the sign hanging over the wood.

    most cedar is untreated
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  • BigA
    BigA Posts: 1,157
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    sorry that was supposed to be wax not was!!!! :ermm:
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  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
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    I asked the same question a few years ago and came to the conclusion, after quite a few different opinions were expressed,that cedar doesn't need 'treating' unless there is a compelling reason for it by the end user.

    I purchased a couple of 6" X 6' cedar pickets and ran both sides through my planner to smooth them up. Then I cut them into 12" lenghs and stored in a cabinet in the Coop. I finally used one to cook some salmon and noticed no difference in he fence board and the one's sold specifically for plank grilling.

    I'll use the cedar fence pickets without fear.

    Spring "Cedar Flavored" Chicken
    Spring Texas USA
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  • Cruezn
    Cruezn Posts: 317
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    I wanna say I saw a pkg of cedar planks at Costco for $15. Don't remember if it was 6 or 12, but either way, alot cheaper than BGE's.
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    And you have the OK from your doctor to keep doing what you have been doing. ;)
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,527
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    Just make sure it's not treated and you'll be fine, the shorter piece is from cedar picket. I don't precut them... cut it just-in-time to fit the fish. The larger piece is fancy packaged maple plank handed out by BGE Canada at a demo.
    fish.jpg

    Gary
    canuckland
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  • BigA
    BigA Posts: 1,157
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    well there is a wax finish on the cedar pickets, i have a friend that does custom fence work and the first thing he has to tell his clients is to wait 6 months to a year for the wood to weather and burn off the finish thats on the wood, it isnt much but there is some there! I would do like spring chicken and run it through a plainer first! but do what you wish, just my 2 cents.
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  • FrankC
    FrankC Posts: 416
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    I just bought a bundle of cedar shingles at lowe's. A full pack for about $18.50. It will be at least 2 years before I need more.

    And BTW, they were in the grill accessories section of the store!

    fc :)
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
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    same here, though mine were the cheaper undercourse kind for about 5 bucks. heh heh heh
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  • Capt Frank
    Capt Frank Posts: 2,578
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    Treated Lumber is PINE, not cedar, western red cedar is sold as most Home Centers and Lumber Yards in two different grades, fencing [pre-cut pickets] and finish or trim grade. The latter is finished smooth on one side and rough on the other and is definetly not treated with anything. It is usually 5/8" or better thick, but not full 3/4". It is PERFECT for grilling planks, I have been using them for 20 yrs or more. Buy as long a piece as you can haul, 1x6, cut it into your desired lengths, sand the rough side a little to keep it from catching fire easily, and cook! Don't forget to soak.
    As I said, I have been doing this for at least 20 years and I may be crazy, but it is not from cooking on cedar :woohoo:

    Capt Frank
    Homosassa, FL
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
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    you can certainly get treated cedar shingles, though, treated for fire retardence.

    being a frugal yankee, i'd suggest not even using the 3/4" stuff (planks). for something that is used once and tossed, the thin shingles are great. they don't need a long soak, and they go right into the trash.

    no cleaning, no reusing, and cheaper.
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  • Capt Frank
    Capt Frank Posts: 2,578
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    I do all of my plank cooks indirect, so charring is minimal. I scrape or sand off any charring, and put the plank back in the box, not the trash, I have some planks that I have used 6-8 times and are still good, frugal? What do you think?

    Capt Frank
    Homosassa, FL
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
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    does the wood smoke?

    isn't the intent of the plank to smoke from the direct heat, and add a little smoke?
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  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
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    Wonder if anythins growing in them 'old' (used) planks? :pinch:
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  • Capt Frank
    Capt Frank Posts: 2,578
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    The wood smokes but burn is minimal on an indirect setup. I started doing this years ago on a gasser that would let me set the plank over a cold burner between two hot ones. Best Salmon [also a good way to do Pork Tenderloin with a mustard/brown sugar glaze] that I have ever had.
    I don't like to get on a soapbox, everyone has their own way of doing things, but I know this way works, and it is inexpensive :) I will say that my hobby is woodworking, and I probably have more tools available to me than most, but a quick sanding/scraping on a 3/4" pc of cedar will renew it for many more uses. Soaking? that just adds to the flavor! :)

    Capt Frank
    Homosassa, FL
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
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    i wasn't thinking you were on a soap box, FWIW. hopefully didn't seem like i was. i just was wondering if it smoked, since the smoke was the point of it in the first place. :)

    i frankly bought the shingles to use as shims more than ten years ago. after using them to him an uneven wall in the bathroom, i still had so many left that i started usng them for planking salmon. that's the only reason i'm a fan of them versus planks...
    hahaha
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  • Capt Frank
    Capt Frank Posts: 2,578
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    The moisture steams out of the wood, so the flavor is imparted to the fish. Nothing against shingles, if you have them, use them, cedar is cedar, and no, to whoever posted it, nothing grows in it. :kiss:

    Capt Frank
    Homosassa, FL
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  • zflava
    zflava Posts: 43
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    I just paid just under $9 for bundles of 6 cedar planks per pack, 6 7/8" x 15 1/2" at Costco.
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