[riverhawk]

After the ice storm last year I have a lot of ash and oak wood. I have read the both are good for smoking red meats.
Anybody been using ash wood to BBQ and or smoking.
Thanks

 

[Root Hog or Die]

Yep. they are both good. Chunks of oak are particularly good for BBQ, they burn long and hot.

 

[DirectDrive]

After the ice storm last year I have a lot of ash and oak wood. I have read the both are good for smoking red meats.
Anybody been using ash wood to BBQ and or smoking.
Thanks

True.
And it's the staple wood for Santa Maria style grilling.

The Best Barbecue in California Is in Santa Maria, Don't You Know?

In and around Santa Maria, succulent oak-grilled barbecue is a way of life (and likely the best in California). So why isn’t it better known?

www.sunset.com

 

[LGB]

Many types of wood are good for smoking, including dried grape vines. What you want most of the time is a wood that does not contain a lot of oils (walnut, teak, etc). The exception would be western red cedar or western incense cedar which are great for fish (but not eastern Cedar). Wood from fruit trees is excellent and anyone with a yard usually has fruit trees to prune.

 

[Finn-icky]

I can't speak for Ash but suspect it would be fine. Oak is good also but be aware it can be a little tart or have more of a bark than fruit woods. Some meats are just better with a fruit wood smoke such as poultry, cheese and pork IMHO.

 

[waterbobber]

Many types of wood are good for smoking, including dried grape vines. What you want most of the time is a wood that does not contain a lot of oils (walnut, teak, etc). The exception would be western red cedar or western incense cedar which are great for fish (but not eastern Cedar). Wood from fruit trees is excellent and anyone with a yard usually has fruit trees to prune.

Lots of free apple, cherry, peach, plum, apricot, and pear wood here around Yakima. Just peel the bark to avoid all the chemical sprays they use.

 

[waterbobber]

Cedar is a coniferous wood and that’s the reason it is resinous. Resinous wood should NEVER be used for food smoking. This is because it is softwood and leaves behind unburned carbon.

Cedar wood is not suitable for food smoking because:

Burns fast: As cedar is a conifer wood, it is by nature a softwood. It burns faster and also produces a low amount of heat. This is definitely not a fuel-efficient option.

Thick smoke: Cedar burns to create thick smoke that leaves behind soot in the form of unburned pitch and carbon. This soot will coat the food rendering a foul smell and a bitter taste.

Harmful to your health: The unburnt carbon and nasty residue that is left behind by the cedar wood will react with the food protein to form carcinogens. Carcinogens are extremely harmful to human health.

Damages the smoker: The thick smoke and soot will also create a stubborn layer on the inner part of the smoker. If the layer is not scrubbed off after cooking, then it will impart the same bitter taste and foul smell to the next food that is cooked too

 

[LGB]

Native Americans used cedar all the time for cooking their fish. I use it for smoke/cooking my Kokanee. Soak the cedar board, place whole fish on 5/8"+ thick board and cook on grill (I put it on the flavorizer bars not the top grate) at high heat for about 15 minutes. The board gets charred so it can't be used a second time. Lots of smoke. Fish skin goes from silver to gold color. I also add a little cedar shavings to some of my other wood mixtures in smoking.

 

[dan silverman]

Vine maple!

 

[dirtman]

Some other woods that should NOT be used for smoking food:

• eucalyptus
• pressure treated lumber
• particle board
• painted and stained wood
• lumber scraps
• wood covered with mold
• cottonwood
• weeping willow
• elm

 

[hoghauler]

It looks like you are from Canby so you are local--- its hard to beat vine maple for smoking meats of any kind. The stuff grows all over the hills and easy to get, just take the moss off before you put it in the smoker.

 

[gettin' fishy]

Some other woods that should NOT be used for smoking food:

• eucalyptus
• pressure treated lumber
• particle board
• painted and stained wood
• lumber scraps
• wood covered with mold
• cottonwood
• weeping willow
• elm

You forgot poison oak.

 

[shanem]

You forgot poison oak.

Well there goes my killing 2 birds with 1 stone technique of clearing a patch of poison oak and smoking a pork butt.