List of the best places to buy quality wood?

[Lex]

Hi Folks,

I know a few places are mentioned in different posts across this Form, but can any of the regulars/experts on the Forum summarise the list of the BEST places in Australia to buy proper wood for BBQing? I'm a new offset smoker user and want to find the best place/s for buying quality wood to use. Not wood chips (can get these from Bunnings), but logs/chunks to place on top of charcoal for long burn. Oddly hard to find proper wood for BBQs at standard retail outlets beyond the "firewood" for sale at service stations (which probably shouldn't be used for BBQs?), so I figure you guys know the best specialist suppliers...

Many thanks!

[Gumb]

Where abouts are you ?

[yakabot]

Where abouts are you ?

This. ^^^
I found a place locally that sells redgum, I think any amount you want, but haven't enquired about the price. Nursery in Wantirna, Vic.

[Narmnaleg]

Some details are here: http://www.aussiebbq.info/forum/viewtop ... 40&t=14488

[Lex]

Thanks guys. I'm in Sydney, but if there are any suppliers who post nationally for a reasonable price, that could be good too.

[Lex]

Some details are here: http://www.aussiebbq.info/forum/viewtop ... 40&t=14488

Thanks Narmnaleg. I notice that the places mentioned in the post sell "firewood" - no reference to suitability for BBQing (save for Brazil Churrasco place as a client of one). Begs the question...how safe are these woods for BBQing as opposed to just use as firewood for warming your house or whatever? Anyone ever questioned that?

[Mixin]

Lex, my mate goes to the yard on Wallgrove rd (west of the M7, north of Elizabeth Dr).
He gets redgum from them, as he likes to burn that in his pizza oven.
They don't really have much else suitable for smoking, but if you know what you're looking at when it comes to wood, you can pick out the stuff you want.
Most of it is already processed into splits suitable for home fires, and fairly well seasoned, so you can easily split them further.

Another option would be to get friendly with a local tree lopper. It can take weeks for the right opportunity to arise, but some might be happy to dump the remains of a tree on your front lawn for a carton of beer, especially on a Friday, like my local guy. It's up to you to cut & season it though.
I have done this with an apple tree a neighbour had cut down last summer. I cut all the branches into foot long lengths, and stacked it all on a rack off the ground, under the eave of the house down the side passage (on the north side) and it dried out over winter. I've been using it for the last 3-4 months. He told me he gets the occasional maple too, but I haven't seen one yet.

[Lex]

Where abouts are you ?

I'm in Sydney. Please let me know if you have any recommendations. Thanks.

[Smokey]

Try Mac and Me fire wood supplies. They sell Iron bark. They were or are on the south side.
Iron bark is about as good as you'll get for pits.

Most people just find there own, I hitch the trailor and throw in a chain saw and head to the bush.
Mostly I was after dead black wattle trees, They would also be good in a pit. Couple of old members here used it exclusively in their offsets as its as hard as Gidgee and has long hot burning coals. Great taste too

[Narmnaleg]

Some details are here: http://www.aussiebbq.info/forum/viewtop ... 40&t=14488

Thanks Narmnaleg. I notice that the places mentioned in the post sell "firewood" - no reference to suitability for BBQing (save for Brazil Churrasco place as a client of one). Begs the question...how safe are these woods for BBQing as opposed to just use as firewood for warming your house or whatever? Anyone ever questioned that?

Hi Lex,

As far as I know firewood can be for heat or for cooking (in both cases it's still firewood). Wood that is sold for wood fire ovens is for cooking and is suitable for BBQ. I've been using Ample's firewood for a while and have been very happy with it.
When I used to buy wood at Bunnings I would look for wood that stated something along the lines of "ok to use in a wood fire oven or pizza oven".

[Lex]

Thanks all for your responses. Still a bit of a mystery as to why the firewood suppliers do not reference suitability for BBQing for their woods. This is the only place I've found that specifically states that their wood is FOOD SAFE. Good selection too, but pretty pricey. Anyone ever used this mob for wood?

http://www.mistygully.com.au/smoking-wood-chunks-5kg/

[Smokey]

OK, I'll open up the can of worms

Most hardwood is from the bush and is fine for food standards.
But you gotta ask yourself, Ever seen an apple or peach plantation grown pure for its wood?
Even nut trees?
These trees are knock overs for replanting of new varietys or rotation of land use.
All commercial fruit and nut trees are sprayed with systemic insectersides. As well as injected for canker type viruses.
No body or company to my knowledge has had a batch actually tested for residue. They just make a claim.
Happy to be proved wrong but only a lab report per field of trees will convince me.
It's not uncommon for me to send off possible asbestos samples to NATA Labs at a clients cost to determine the safety of a building product. The outcome can mean a cheap fix or mega dollars.
It would be great if all wood suppliers , even pellets and chips were required to provide a lab certificate because ATM, we are flying blind. I have NO idea for sure if the apple chunks I have from a vendor here are poison free. And that's my point.

[hoddo]

After an hour googleing the subject, the general consensus is that the sprays used in orchards break down very quickly, that's why they have to spray regularly, and that the heat when burning would destroy any residue. I would be more worried about what's in the fruit. That said I source wood thru local tree loppers who know what I want. Most residential trees are ornamental and not sprayed

[Smokey]

I understand where you are comming from Hoddo,
I could be Totaly wrong but I look at it like this.
You have hart wood and sap wood.
Only the sapwood is alive and the inner heartwood is nearly there to hold the tree up.
SO, Systemics travel throughout the sapwood but all the time, the sap wood dies off and becomes heartwood.
Hence the need to reaply pesticide as new layers of living sapwood and bark cover the old.
Is anything nasty locked up in the dead heartwood? Or even the outer sapwood and bark? I dunno. But I sure would like to know for sure. I wish Keith Bootle , author of wood in Australia was still around to answer. This would make a great Uni students Thiesis.

[Hud]

What about old red gum sleepers? I have just replaced my 30+ year old retaining wall and some of the upright posts are rot and dirt free. I've splintered it into chunks and its nice looking wood.