# Smoking with pine?



## cofi (Oct 7, 2015)

From what I read this is a no go due to cerasote build up but what if I pre burn it  it and just shovel coals? This would be for smoking brisket

The reason I ask is I can cut my own pine (or aspen) for $30 a cord and oak is $400 per cord


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## tropics (Oct 7, 2015)

cofi said:


> From what I read this is a no go due to cerasote build up but what if I pre burn it it and just shovel coals? This would be for smoking brisket
> 
> The reason I ask is I can cut my own pine (or aspen) for $30 a cord and oak is $400 per cord


why not experiment on Chicken,I think it is more then a creosote issue 

Richie


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## krex1010 (Oct 8, 2015)

Pine doesn't make anymore creosote than any other woods, creosote is a product of dirty (wet) smoke finding cool spots to condense on. Pine does have resins in it that have a distinctive flavor so I wouldn't use it if I had other options, that being said if you let it burn down to just coals then most of the species specific flavores will be be gone and It shouldn't result in any off flavors. I have cooked over pine coals in a campfire and the food came out fine. That being said, beef is so expensive anymore, I wouldn't cook it over pine unless I was literally starving and had no other way.


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## mfreel (Oct 8, 2015)

Do a search for pine on here.  I think you'll find that everyone hates it.


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## crankybuzzard (Oct 8, 2015)

Pine wood for smoking/cooking isn't very good at all!

Now, if you want a slight pine flavor, about 1/2 way through the cook, place a small handful of green pine needles on the coals.  We've done that with salmon before and it gives a very distinct flavor.

I don't care for it, but I have a few family members that love it.


tropics said:


> why not experiment on Chicken,I think it is more then a creosote issue
> 
> Richie


Experimentation is a good thing.  Do the experiment 2-5 times before making an entire meal for the family or friends.

You want to make sure you have the system all figured out.


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## doctord1955 (Oct 8, 2015)

Id do as mentioned earlier get a cheap cut of meat and give it a try! What do u have to lose!


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## dannylang (Oct 9, 2015)

i do not think you will be pleased with the flavor you will get from the pine, but different strokes for different folks, give it a try. on a cheap cut of meat of course.

dannylang


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## dward51 (Oct 9, 2015)

The problem is in the resin.  There are a lot of chemicals in pine resin.  That is what they make turpentine from, among other things.   Also pine is a soft wood and not very dense.  It will burn very fast and much hotter than hardwoods will.  Even if the flavor is acceptable, you will be constantly feeding a stick burner with pine.

Why is oak so expensive?   Are there any other hardwoods that are more common in your area?


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## jeepdiver (Oct 9, 2015)

Never tried it but have heard about people using Aspen. I would look into that more.  Pine isn't a good choice from everything I have heard


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## rabbithutch (Oct 9, 2015)

Pine, even when dried, doesn't make good fireplace wood.  It burns fast and gives out fewer BTUs than oak or hickory.  I would never consider using it to cook on.

Now that alder, I'd use that in a heartbeat.  It is great for smoking salmon because it has a mild flavor.  For brisket, it should do well giving you the heat.


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## inkjunkie (Oct 9, 2015)

Live in an area where Ponderosa Pine is pretty much the only native tree. Takes quite a while to season. By the time it is dry a 12" diameter 18" long log is slightly heavier than a paper weight. Have a few neighbors that burn it in the fireplace.....they all have there chimneys cleaned monthly...can only imagine how much "pitch" it would put on the meat...


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## foamheart (Oct 10, 2015)

inkjunkie said:


> Live in an area where Ponderosa Pine is pretty much the only native tree. Takes quite a while to season. By the time it is dry a 12" diameter 18" long log is slightly heavier than a paper weight. Have a few neighbors that burn it in the fireplace.....they all have there chimneys cleaned monthly...can only imagine how much "pitch" it would put on the meat...


I was just about to say basically the same thing. You can burn pine, but its doesn't burn cleanly. When you smoke you want clean heat with flavor. That's why pellets work so well.

And aspen, Buddy lives up in the mountains in Colorado and bought 3 cords of aspen for his fireplace and they burned fine expect they were gone in no time. Very light weigh means a lack of density. Middle of the winter he was looking for more wood.

I never heard of anyone trying to make charcoal from pine, and I am betting there is a reason.


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## inkjunkie (Oct 10, 2015)

Foamheart said:


> I was just about to say basically the same thing. You can burn pine, but its doesn't burn cleanly. When you smoke you want clean heat with flavor. That's why pellets work so well.
> 
> And aspen, Buddy lives up in the mountains in Colorado and bought 3 cords of aspen for his fireplace and they burned fine expect they were gone in no time. Very light weigh means a lack of density. Middle of the winter he was looking for more wood.
> 
> I never heard of anyone trying to make charcoal from pine, and I am betting there is a reason.


Have thought about trying to make chunk charcoal from the trees I take down on our roads. Pretty sure by the time it gets cooked down to "charcoal" it would burn just about as fast as you could shovel it in...


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## sfprankster (Oct 10, 2015)

inkjunkie said:


> Live in an area where Ponderosa Pine is pretty much the only native tree. Takes quite a while to season. By the time it is dry a 12" diameter 18" long log is slightly heavier than a paper weight. Have a few neighbors that burn it in the fireplace.....they all have there chimneys cleaned monthly...can only imagine how much "pitch" it would put on the meat...


Only thing we found Ponderosa Pine(Pecker Poles 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






  ) was good for was corral rails and posts to contain the horses. Too sappy to be used for firewood.


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## inkjunkie (Oct 10, 2015)

sfprankster said:


> Only thing we found Ponderosa Pine(Pecker Poles :rolleyes:  ) was good for was corral rails and posts to contain the horses. Too sappy to be used for firewood.


How long do the Packer Poles last? They in contact with the earth? Neighbor built a gazebo out of Ponderosa, surprised they lasted 12 years or so. But they were all 10" or larger...


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## sfprankster (Oct 10, 2015)

After boring a hole with an auger, most of the posts(10-12") went straight into the ground. The corner posts, we added a bag of concrete for a little extra stability. All of them lasted roughly 10 years before needing to be replaced, rails included.

All of them were exposed to the elements year round, snow, rain, sun. We framed a couple of hay sheds and horse stalls out of them. They were abundant and a permit to cut the Pecker Poles was less than $5 back then. 

The rails(6-8") took most of the beating with the horses chewing and leaning over them. The grass always tasted better on the other side.


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## hoity toit (Oct 10, 2015)

Oh No, not pine...not a good idea at all. Time for you to buy a amazn smoker tray from Todd. Then you canuse pellets or the smoke...a lot cheaper and easier.


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## fpmich (Oct 12, 2015)

In my book pine is good for building houses and sheds, or starting fires, but NEVER for cooking.

Many years ago I was going with a gal who had a fireplace in the house.  Being the pyro that I am, I cooked us a few dinners in the fireplace, which she and her kids thought was pretty cool,

Than I bought two expensive thick Porterhouse steaks for us two.  I started the fire with just a few splinters of pine and some small cut hard wood to get it going.  Now I always went out to get the split wood.  But this time I was playing with my meat, (dirty minds need not reply LOL) and asked her to bring in some more wood to get a good bed of coals to cook on.

She did and I thought nothing of it as she placed it on the fire.  After fire died to hot coals, I cooked our steaks perfect!  Rare and charred outside.  Oh man,  I couldn't wait!

Took one bite and spit it out!  PINE!    She had put PINE logs on the fire! 

The dog ate very well for a couple of days.


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## inkjunkie (Oct 12, 2015)

sfprankster said:


> After boring a hole with an auger, most of the posts(10-12") went straight into the ground. The corner posts, we added a bag of concrete for a little extra stability. All of them lasted roughly 10 years before needing to be replaced, rails included.
> 
> All of them were exposed to the elements year round, snow, rain, sun. We framed a couple of hay sheds and horse stalls out of them. They were abundant and a permit to cut the Pecker Poles was less than $5 back then.
> 
> The rails(6-8") took most of the beating with the horses chewing and leaning over them. The grass always tasted better on the other side.


Our friend that used the pine poles for his horse fence put them in a year ago. He had quite a few left. They produce a fair amount of heat in his stove in the house. For the short time they are burning.  




Hoity Toit said:


> Oh No, not pine...not a good idea at all. Time for you to buy a amazn smoker tray from Todd. Then you canuse pellets or the smoke...a lot cheaper and easier.


Taking nothing away from Todd, I have an AMNPS  and one of the 18" tubes. Love them both. But like anything else they are,a tool that, while they work fantastic for some things they are limited in their uses. And buying pellets from Todd is a bit pricey. I just picked up a bag of "real" Maple pellets. I paid under $12, tax included, for 20 pounds...


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