What wood to use to smoke food

madeira para defumação

Firstly, the wood must be dry, rigid/dense, without bark and not contain resin or other chemicals such as varnish. Burning the resin and chemicals used to treat wood can generate components that are dangerous to health.

madeira para defumação
wood chips for smoking

The type of wood will affect the mixture of gases generated by smoke as the composition of wood varies in amounts of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin, which are the sources of many of the gases produced. The varied composition is what contributes to the differences in flavor and color achieved by walnut, eucalyptus, apple, peach, orange and several other wood sources. Thus, the type of wood used and the temperature at which the smoke is generated affect the composition of the smoke and the product properties achieved by the smoking process. Because different types of gases are generated at varying design temperatures, the generating temperature can affect the mixture that is produced, and it has been suggested that a smoke generating temperature in the range of 315.55°C to 343.33° C will provide the most pleasurable mixture.

In general, fruit trees are good for smoking, such as cherry, jabuticaba, apple, peach, orange and guava, but any hard wood free from resin and chemicals can be used to smoke food. Eucalyptus is a wood widely used due to its abundance and low cost, as it grows quickly and is therefore widely used in reforestation. Other good woods that we can mention are that from ipê, cedar, rosewood, oak and walnut. From a toxicological point of view, there is a preference for the use of hard woods, such as oak, birch, mahogany and types of walnut, as soft woods are richer in lignin and more resinous. As a result, the tendency is to form more benzopyrenes, polyaromatic hydrocarbons.

The combustion temperature and oxygen supply directly affect the emission of harmful pollutants: high combustion temperatures always result in high production of PAHs (polyaromatic hydrocarbons), while controlled methods tend to produce smoke practically free of carcinogenic compounds.

The burning of wood used to smoke food generates chemical compounds that affect the color and flavor characteristic of this process (read more at Is barbecue bad for your health?). In addition to the characteristic flavor, it also prevents rancidity and inhibits the development of bacteria, helping to preserve the products.

Each type of wood will generate a specific flavor, from the most sweet to the most complex, pungent and striking. The exposure time and heat used will also be fundamental factors for the final quality of the product. In general, it should be exposed for a short time, as the more smoke is absorbed, the less flavor will remain in the product itself, leaving only the strong tones coming from the smoke.

The wood can be in large pieces, chips or saw dust, it all depends on the type of smoker and smoker you have.

pó de serra para defumacao
sawdust for smoking

Can I moisten the wood for smoking?

It depends on the type of smoker and the fineness of the wood, if the wood is thin, you can moisten it, otherwise the burning will be very fast, generating a lot of heat and smoke for a very short time. But it also depends on your smoker, as many do not have a constant heat generator and use the burning of the wood itself to keep it lit, in this case the water will make the process unfeasible.

Interested in building a smoker?

There is an EMBRAPA book with models and instructions for building and using smokers. To download for free go to Embrapa Cold Meats, Sausages and Smoked Meats Manual

Where to buy wood chips for smoking?

Buy wood chips for smoking

Do you want to smoke on the barbecue?

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I live in the north of Minas Gerais, and I have an abundance of pequi wood, a native and fruitful tree.
Can I use it for smoking? I await your response and I am immensely grateful for the response.
thanks

Is white acacia good for smoking?
It's freshly cut. Can I use it or do I wait a few weeks for it to dry?

Check if it releases resin, if it does, don't use it. Always wait for the wood to dry well before using it for smoking.

Hello goodnight. Can coffee wood be used for smoking? If so, could it be with the shell? For what type of meat or vegetables?

I would like to know if avocado wood is suitable for smoking?

Ramon, good morning. From what I've read, avocado firewood produces a bitter taste and is not recommended. Which region are you from?

Is guarantee wood suitable for smoking sausages?

Hello . I would like to offer anyone interested, mastic in the form of billets for barbecue and chips for smoking. Material comes from the dismantling of old corrals and fences.
Tel.18 996279666

I cut several poncan orange trees. I cut several pieces of wood from them and want to store them for some time. How can I do this so that they are not attacked by termites, for example. I thought about putting them in a water bath with quicklime. After they were dry I thought about storing them. Tell me if I'm right or if there's another alternative.
Thank you very much, I appreciate the feedback.

Is pink pepper wood suitable for smoking?

Yes, it works, it is known as aroeira

Can I use cambará wood to smoke my sausages?

Ingá and yellow plum or loquat are good for smoking?

Last edited 3 years ago by Braz Pataro Neto

I'm going to prune a cajo tree, can I smoke food?

I'm going to prune a Cachoeiro, can I smoke food?

Can I smoke with just charcoal?

Coal has already been burned and does not emit much smoke, almost only heat, but it can be considered smoke, but a very subtle one. Ideally, use a smokebox or add a little wood next to the charcoal.

Hello everything is fine? Are fruit woods such as plum and pitanga good for smoking? Thanks a lot for the help…

Yes, they do, you can use them. Always very dry.

Tangerine wood works well for smoking

Is the wood from the mango tree good for barbecue use as embers?

Hi Arthur, fruit trees in general can be used. The mango tree in some parts releases sap, doesn't it? Avoid these areas with sap, dry the wood well in a covered area, then test on a small portion of meat. I believe it will have a good result. Just avoid parts that contain sap.

Jackfruit and cashew sawdust
Can it be used to smoke?

Last edited 3 years ago by Edvan

Congratulations on the website. How to know if the smoked piece is ready for consumption.

Another thing, there is a WhatsApp group for discussions and questions/

Based on the comments I read here, I believe I won't have any problems using Ingá's wood. I planted one here at home and it has a lot of firewood. Could you tell me how to identify that the wood is resinous and unsuitable for smoking?

Can casuarina wood be used for smoking?

Good morning. I have an orchard and I would like to know how to prepare the wood from pruning to use in smoking or if you could tell me where I can find the information. I've already looked on Google but it always refers to the smoking itself, never to the preparation of the wood. Thanks!

Hi Lucas, remove the leaves and bark, let the wood dry well in an airy place away from rain. Just that!

Is smoking with pitanga twigs and leaves good?

Great!
Place cherry leaves in the brazier and your barbecue will be delicious!!!

Can MDF be used to smoke food? My smoker does not contain an incineration device, I use a can in which I put saw dust and set it on fire until I get smoke. In this process I have managed to generate up to 52 degrees Celsius, so can I leave the food for up to 12 hours or more in the smoke process?

I can't say, plywood has a lot of resin, but I can't say at what temperature it can release some type of residue.

MDF is not suitable for smoking, there are many chemical compounds in its formulation, such as urea and formaldehyde, which are harmful to health.

I'm just finding pine sawdust, can I use it? I'm not sure which Madeira to use, it's very difficult to find it here in Salvador-Ba

Good morning my friend. I sell firewood in Salvador-Ba. Orange firewood. If interested, contact this number. (71)991461816. It's also whatsapp

Good evening, can I smoke with any fruit wood?

I live in the central west region, we have cerrado trees: Cajueiro; pequi; tamarind.
Are there any contraindications with tamarind and cashew firewood?

I don't know specifically about these woods, but in principle you can use most fruit trees. Let it dry well and pay attention to the presence of sap that can generate toxins during burning.

Hello, I would like to know if I can smoke fruit wood with the bark on, just by brushing it? It is very difficult to remove the shell completely.
Thank you very much in advance
Abs

Yes, you can keep the shell

Sawdust from teak wood can be used in smoking

Good morning, woodlands like AROEIRA, ANGIOS, CAPITÃO, do you have any restrictions in terms of HEALTH???
Ps.: remembering that they are hardwoods, and their exploitation must be requested from the competent environmental agency!!!
Thanks in advance.

One question, does toxic resin necessarily leave a bad taste? I ask this because I usually barbecue using pine (araucaria) branches. If I let it dry well, it creates a smoke that doesn't bother me at all and leaves a very good flavor in the meat.
However, as it is not hard wood, I have this doubt.

Hi José, I'm not sure about araucaria, but from what little I know it's good for smoking. Pine, the most common pine, is problematic.

Can hose firewood be used for smoking?