Can I Smoke That??

[Rafiki]

Hi guys,
We've been doing a lot of renovating lately in our new place, and have been replacing some existing timbers that were termite affected...
in doing this structural work, my builder & I ripped out many pieces of Oregon structural timber which is in good nick, and was never treated for termites etc (hence the attack). I've kept it to one side, and gotten rid of all affected &/or treated pieces.
I was wondering, can I use these Oregon timbers for smoke/fire in the Weber? Ive got a wood-fired pizza attachment for the Weber, which I think this woo would be perfect for.... just don't want to kill my family!!

is it any good for smoke??


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[beaver]

from what i can tell its a softwood otherwise known as Douglas Fir
everything you read points to not using softwood for smoking due to high sap levels however in this case the Douglas Fir seems to be low in sap.
i have read about some small good smoked with this stuff.

without seeing it its hard to say but i would probably burn a little and see what sort of smell came off it.
if its pleasant and not heavy smoke then i personally would give it a shot.

here is a discussion about it
http://www.aussiebbq.info/forum/viewtop ... =1&t=13269

[Rafiki]

Thanks beaver,
that's been extremely helpful!!
the timber itself has a reddish tinge to it, and I do believe it is Douglas Fir... so I'm gonna can the idea for now.
Does seem like it'd burn o.k, just not for food preperation!

I think I'll keep some of it around for the outdoor fire pit, and get rid of it that way, but the thread you linked has been very informative...

I guess I gotta find me some fruit trees to cut down!!


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[Angryman65]

Spent ten years of my life selling that stuff to the building industry. True Oregon was too expensive to import in the 90's so most of it came from NZ and was actually Douglas Fir.

Because its a softwood its cellular structure is more open than hardwood which allows for faster decomposition as a result of exposure to heat and the easier release of gasses which is what burns in a fire. So it burns faster and gives off more smoke if there isn't an abundant supply of oxygen present. That's where the dirty colored smoke comes from when you first light a fire.

Good kindling, lots of resin in the structural stuff. Furniture grade was clear of resin, branch stubs, overgrowth of injury and had a perfectly straight grain but was very expensive.

It may be possible to use for smoking and there was discussion last year fro memory about a butcher that used it but I've never heard of anyone else.

Better off with fruit wood or hardwood, you may get away with it but there's more likelihood of a bitter taste because of the amount of smoke it will give off.

EDIT: Just reread the first couple of posts and saw the link to the last time we discussed it. It is Friday

[Smokey]

100% NO
Anything from a house demo should be shunned as smoke fodder. Depending on age, There are so many possibilitys of contamination. Unless you built the house and never had it sprayed, Id still not use it.
Most buildings were treated as part of construction with all sorts of bad juju.
Not worth the consideration in my book. Find something natural and hardwood

[chrisg]

I never thought I'd be able to add to one of these discussions but can completely agree with Smokey from family lore.

Dad was a master builder and in the nature of such things had involvement in a number of demolitions, always said you can have no idea whatsoever what has gone on in the past in a house and softwoods do absorb.

He'd happily use the timber for a bonfire, but everyone was to be upwind and a long, long free space downwind

CVheers

[titch]

The age of the house may tell us more.
Sth Melbourne in vic had warehouses full of Oregon as beams etc.
The timber was and still is used, intensely as a recycled building product
Most had been painted with pitch (oil) or used in situations that warehoused substances classed now as not nice.
My thoughts would be to use it as outdoor furniture and spend 10 bucks on a known , safe smoking wood

[Smokey]

Chris made a better point than I did, as did Titch.
It comes down to work safety. reclaimed building material can never be assessed as food grade. It's only good for furniture and stuff.
If I ever found a butcher using reclaimed oregan or Fir, Id have work cover on his ass so fast his eye balls would be spinning.

Saying that, If it's clean And we'll seasoned clear grade. It goes OK when used right.
Little is more when using this wood. A butcher I know back at Sutherland would burn just a few shavings for a short while and that would give his entire cool room and all the meat in it a signature flavour.

[Rafiki]

Thanks for the feedback guys,
I know the house was built in 1982, and the only treatment he carried out was on timbers that touched the outer face of the building... Easy to spot... And smell for that matter!!
I was more talking about the timbers removed from internal walls that look completely raw, and similar pieces had been completely eaten out by termites...

After reading these replies, I think I'll save it for the scrap heap, with a possible use for a fire pit (no food) if we get desperate!!

Thanks for all the advice.... Anyone got any good local fruit tree suppliers in Sydney South?


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[Nath]

Try Terry @ Aussie bbq smoke (vendor section) he sells a good range of smoking wood and various products. Great service aswell


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