All,
I got a log (or large tree branch) from a box elder tree last fall and
Im letting it dry out before I cut it up for my smoker. Does that give
good flavor, and for what meats is it best? Is there anything I need
to look out for that would prohibit me using this wood in a smoker?

thanks in advance!

On 26-Mar-2007, "skeeter" >
wrote:

> All,
> I got a log (or large tree branch) from a box
> elder tree last fall and
> Im letting it dry out before I cut it up for my
> smoker. Does that give
> good flavor, and for what meats is it best? Is
> there anything I need
> to look out for that would prohibit me using
> this wood in a smoker?
>
> thanks in advance!

It's been awhile, but IIRC Box Elder was common to
the woods around my house in Northern Indiana
when I was growing up. I think we never burnt any
of
it because we simply couldn't cut it down. The
wood
was too hard for us to cut it with hatchets and
axes.
Also IIRC, it attracted a hoard of some kind of
weird
insect that was found nowwhere else. Barring
advice
from someone who knows more about it, I'd burn a
little bit of it and see how it smells. If the
smoke
irritates the sinuses or burns your eyes, I'd
leave it
alone.
--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)

On Mar 27, 6:59 pm, "Brick" > wrote:
> On 26-Mar-2007, "skeeter" >
> wrote:
>
> > All,
> > I got a log (or large tree branch) from a box
> > elder tree last fall and
> > Im letting it dry out before I cut it up for my
> > smoker. Does that give
> > good flavor, and for what meats is it best? Is
> > there anything I need
> > to look out for that would prohibit me using
> > this wood in a smoker?
>
> > thanks in advance!
>
> It's been awhile, but IIRC Box Elder was common to
> the woods around my house in Northern Indiana
> when I was growing up. I think we never burnt any
> of
> it because we simply couldn't cut it down. The
> wood
> was too hard for us to cut it with hatchets and
> axes.
> Also IIRC, it attracted a hoard of some kind of
> weird
> insect that was found nowwhere else. Barring
> advice
> from someone who knows more about it, I'd burn a
> little bit of it and see how it smells. If the
> smoke
> irritates the sinuses or burns your eyes, I'd
> leave it
> alone.
> --
> Brick(Youth is wasted on young people

Yup - I live in NW indiana. I have not seen any black/red winged bugs
on it - I know what
they look like. I'll see if I'll be able to use my chopsaw with a new
blade on it to cut it into
discs. Fortunately I was able to grab it from a neighbor as a tree
serve was cutting it down. I'll probably
be able to get at least 2 smoking sessions out of it.

On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:59:00 GMT, "Brick" >
wrote:

>
>On 26-Mar-2007, "skeeter" >
>wrote:
>
>> All,
>> I got a log (or large tree branch) from a box
>> elder tree last fall and
>> Im letting it dry out before I cut it up for my
>> smoker. Does that give
>> good flavor, and for what meats is it best? Is
>> there anything I need
>> to look out for that would prohibit me using
>> this wood in a smoker?
>>
>> thanks in advance!
>
>It's been awhile, but IIRC Box Elder was common to
>the woods around my house in Northern Indiana
>when I was growing up. I think we never burnt any
>of
>it because we simply couldn't cut it down. The
>wood
>was too hard for us to cut it with hatchets and
>axes.
>Also IIRC, it attracted a hoard of some kind of
>weird
>insect that was found nowwhere else. Barring
>advice
>from someone who knows more about it, I'd burn a
>little bit of it and see how it smells. If the
>smoke
>irritates the sinuses or burns your eyes, I'd
>leave it
>alone.

Box Elder bugs, I grew up in Minnesota, they used to scare the crap
out of when we were kids. Not because they bite, but because there
were swarms of them. Box Elders are in the Maple Family, so you
should be able to smoke with it. I'd follow Bricks advice and burn
some of it to see what the smoke is like. I have one in the front
yard that lost some limbs during the last storm, guess I'll cut some
of it up and see for myself.

On 27-Mar-2007, "skeeter" >
wrote:

> On Mar 27, 6:59 pm, "Brick"
> > wrote:
> > On 26-Mar-2007, "skeeter" >
> > wrote:
> >
> > > All,
> > > I got a log (or large tree branch) from a
> > > box
> > > elder tree last fall and
> > > Im letting it dry out before I cut it up for
> > > my
> > > smoker.

.. . .

> > --
> > Brick(Youth is wasted on young people
>
> Yup - I live in NW indiana. I have not seen any
> black/red winged bugs
> on it - I know what
> they look like.

Yup, that's what I remember. Never saw those bugs
anywhere else.

I think someone mentioned Sassafras here not long
ago.
It was thick around my house. That and Shumac were
everywhere in dense thickets. We burnt a lot of
sassafras
for campfires and weiner roasts. The root bark
made some
good tea as well, but it was hard to dig it up.

I'm from South Bend originally. Not too much else
in the
Northwest of the state. LaPorte, Valparaiso, and
New
Carlisle come to mind. Of course there's Gary and
Calumet
City, but nobody ever admits to being from there.

--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)