# Eucalyptus for coals



## rocamet (Nov 27, 2020)

Hi everyone, new to the forum and hoping someone can help answer.

I have done a lot of reading and know that Eucalyptus should not really be used for smoking as it produces some toxic fumes.

But my question is, I am building an underground oven  that will be lined with bricks or similar and was wondering if I could burn down the Eucalyptus wood to use for the coals. Once I have nice coal bed, the meat would be wrapped in foil or butcher's paper and left in the ground and covered with a metal lid or something. 

I live in Southern CA and have over 250 Eucalyptus trees on my property and would love to be able to use what I have as opposed to paying for a wheelbarrow full of some other hard wood every time.

Thank you in advance for the help my friends.


----------



## SmokinAl (Nov 27, 2020)

First of all welcome to SMF!
I really can’t help you, cause where I live oak & hickory are cheap & plentiful. So that is what I use primarily. However from time to time I do pay a little more to get mesquite. I’m pretty sure that you probably wouldn’t want to use eucalyptus because of the oils in the wood, but as I said I’m no expert. I’m sure someone will be on shortly to give you a definitive answer.
Al


----------



## rocamet (Nov 27, 2020)

Thank you.

I'm only wanting to use the Eucalyptus for the coals and the ultimate heat source. I'm assuming that most (95% or so) of the smoke would be gone by the time I reach the coal stage.


----------



## indaswamp (Nov 27, 2020)

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/smoking-with-eucalyptus.94257/


----------



## rocamet (Nov 27, 2020)

Thank you but I have read that thread and along with its mixed opinions, it only talks about smoking. I don't want to smoke with it, I just want to burn the wood down and use the coals in the underground oven.


----------



## indaswamp (Nov 27, 2020)

should be fine if you make charcoal out of the wood and use that.


----------



## rocamet (Nov 27, 2020)

Great! Thanks everyone for your help, just wanted to be safe.

I'll update after the weekend and let you know if I taste anything "Eucalyptusey"


----------



## rocamet (Nov 30, 2020)

It worked out well and we didn't taste anything funny. I used way too much wood and my underground oven got to about 570 degrees but the coals were great.

I realize this is a meat smoking forum, not an underground oven forum so I appreciate the advice.


----------



## daspyknows (Nov 30, 2020)

Its a meat cooking forum.    570 degrees is some serious heat.


----------



## chef jimmyj (Nov 30, 2020)

Welcome...If there is Wood or other heat source and Meat, we love to talk and learn about it. Underground Barbacoa is always a fun subject here...JJ


----------

