Wood for smoking meats?

[crepitas]

Wood for smoking meats?
Does anyone know if old dry rubber tree wood is suitable for smoking meats?
Remember sailing in British Columbia and used Arbutus wood for BBQing...Imparted a horrible taste to prime steaks...had to use for crab bait.

[Pragmatic]

Can't speak for rubber trees but I know the wood from mango trees is definitely toxic.

[pseudolus]

I wouldn't use rubber tree wood, mate. Guava, Persimmon, fruit bearing trees in Thailand would be a good place too start. Coconut husks as well. No matter how dry your rubber wood is, it will still contain hardened rubber and your bacon will smell and taste like condoms

[Topper]

You can get mesquite chips at true value in BKK.

[jamescollister]

No matter how dry your rubber wood is, it will still contain hardened rubber and your bacon will smell and taste like condoms

No, the rubber is in the bark, not the wood, so no bark and you're good go.

Don't know if it adds any flavor to smoked meats or not, but we now use rubber wood charcoal for cooking, works fine.

[Little Chuchok]

Most fruit trees work well.

[Dillinger]

"All wood is good, when you need to smoke some meat"
NZ Dick

[thaimeme]

Most fruit trees work well.

Yep - usually is the case.

[hallelujah]

Most fruit trees work well.

Yep - usually is the case.

Could he not just use a local though? Most of their brains are similar to sawdust, AND he gets to save a tree.

Winner winner chicken dinner.

[kmart]

I wouldn't use rubber tree wood, mate. hardened rubber and your bacon will smell and taste like condoms

Is it Friday night already.?

[Norton]

Use lime and kafir lime. Grows all over the place near the house.

[pseudolus]

No matter how dry your rubber wood is, it will still contain hardened rubber and your bacon will smell and taste like condoms

No, the rubber is in the bark, not the wood, so no bark and you're good go.

Don't know if it adds any flavor to smoked meats or not, but we now use rubber wood charcoal for cooking, works fine.

EFFECTS OF RUBBER WOOD corrected | Abolagba Ph.D - Academia.edu

The smoking effects of two energy sources dried rubber wood (
Heavea brassillensis)
and
charcoal “Okpagha” (
Pentaclethra macrophylla
) on the sensorial and keeping qualities of lean and fatty fish sp. (
oreochromis niloticus
and Herteroclarias respectively) was studied using the full drum smoker. The statistical design was a factorial experiment using randomised complete block design laid out in a 2x2x3 factorial notation. The treatment levels were brine cured, dry salted and unsalted. Physical assessment was carried out using a ten man panel through a 10-point hedonic scale (grading sheets) to evaluate changes in colour, aroma texture, taste, appearance and acceptability of the smoked products. This was done within a period of four (4) weeks at a weekly interval of 7 days to ascertain the relationship between the energy sources on the sensorial qualities, time of smoking and water loss. The study revealed that both energy sources have good preservative effects for fatty and lean fish species since there was no real significant difference in the keeping qualities but at levels of treatment, analysis showed that there was significant difference (p <0.05) in terms of texture and acceptability with brining curing exerting more influence than dry salting. The full drum smoker with rubber wood as its energy source proved economical in terms of cost compared to charcoal. However, charcoal is recommended together with brining due to its greater acceptability in terms of taste, aroma, texture and appearance imparting abilities. The full drum smoker was a good conductor of heat but was less effective due to labour intensity and inadequate control of fire.

Bloody right mate. However, the charcoal smoked fish in this did not smell and taste like rubber jonnies.

[Mickmac]

And just how did you find out what "rubber jonnies" taste like, pseudo ?

[pseudolus]

From the time your mum gave me a kiss when she was on a break at her place of "work"

[kmart]

"Baconlube"??

[Maanaam]

Personally, I wouldn't use rubber wood, despite the report above. Rubber tree wood as charcoal has had the volatile substances removed, and so as charcoal, would be ok (as mentioned in the report).
My rule of thumb is any hardwood. Most citrus and other fruit trees come under that category, with the proviso that the sap is not white (as with mango).
General rule of thumb: white sap, toxic.

[Mickmac]

From the time your mum gave me a kiss when she was on a break at her place of "work"

Well you may be right, she used to work at the meatworks !

[Little Chuchok]

The very best wood IMO is Pohutukawa, but you don't get that in Thailand..

[VocalNeal]

Of all the ones mentioned coconut husks sounds like the one. No tree cutting etc..

Of course won't work in Chiang Mai!

[Maanaam]

Of all the ones mentioned coconut husks sounds like the one. No tree cutting etc..

Of course won't work in Chiang Mai!

I think cocnut husks burn too quickly and are too sooty.

[pseudolus]

[thaimeme]

Personally, I wouldn't use rubber wood, despite the report above. Rubber tree wood as charcoal has had the volatile substances removed, and so as charcoal, would be ok (as mentioned in the report).

Rather irrelevant, as cured charcoal [from any wood] doesn't induce smoke as wood is more likely to.

You're correct to touch upon the toxic saps that are produced from selected woods.

[Maanaam]

Personally, I wouldn't use rubber wood, despite the report above. Rubber tree wood as charcoal has had the volatile substances removed, and so as charcoal, would be ok (as mentioned in the report).

Rather irrelevant, as cured charcoal [from any wood] doesn't induce smoke as wood is more likely to.

You're correct to touch upon the toxic saps that are produced from selected woods.

I was referring to the report.

"The full drum smoker with rubber wood as its energy source proved economical in terms of cost compared to charcoal. However, charcoal is recommended together with brining due to its greater acceptability in terms of taste, aroma, texture and appearance imparting abilities."


Looks like I should stand corrected on the coconut husks, though.

[Allotafargina]

And just how did you find out what "rubber jonnies" taste like, pseudo ?

He works the streets on weekends.

[Nutznbolts]

Mangrove was popular in the NT. Nice taste, no ill effects.
I assume mangroves in Thailand are similar enough to do the job.