Anyone Tried Birch Wood

JZ · January 27, 2012, 08:45:46 AM

I was doing some lathe work with Birch yesterday and noted all the nice peelings that were coming off the wood and I thought to myself that they would be perfect for smoking in a cold smoke adapter with a hot plate.

Has anyone used birch wood for smoking and if so how was it?

3rensho · January 27, 2012, 08:57:08 AM

That'd be a new one to me. In Germany and CH people who do traditional smoke house smoking use beech (Buche auf deutsch) exclusively.

pikeman_95 · January 27, 2012, 01:54:39 PM

JZ
I have been trying to get some for a long time. It gives the greatest smoke. I keep an eye around town for anyone cutting down a white birch tree. My dad used to hoard it for his wood fired smoker. It made the best smoked fish.
Kirby

JZ · January 27, 2012, 04:33:31 PM

Thanks Pikeman.

After posting the question I did a Google search and apparently it is a common wood for smoking and tastes similar to maple. Supposed to be good with pork and poultry.

Gonna have to make a cold smoke adapter and give it a try. I have a ton of birch around here --- probably got about 3 or 4 cords of Birch firewood under my deck right now.

With the money I save on pucks I could get more stuff to smoke or buy more stuff for the smoker LOL.

If you want some and are ever in my part of the world stop by and I will give you a bunch.

devo · January 27, 2012, 04:50:32 PM

Kirby
Just for your information all the sticks used for ice cream bars, popsicles, corn dogs, paint paddles and tongue depressors are made from birch so start collecting them. We have a plant right down the road called Global Sticks Inc. and thats all they make.

Quarlow · January 27, 2012, 07:19:12 PM

Quote from: JZ on January 27, 2012, 08:45:46 AM
I was doing some lathe work with Birch yesterday and noted all the nice peelings that were coming off the wood and I thought to myself that they would be perfect for smoking in a cold smoke adapter with a hot plate.

Has anyone used birch wood for smoking and if so how was it?

So JZ, what did you turn with the birch? When I was 18 I got a bunch of real good birch from my family's tree business. I got it milled into lumber cause I didn't have a good table saw then. I had some posts made (4) and I made a bed frame out of it. It was supposed to be for me but my neighbour saw it and he wanted it. He wouldn't take no for an answer. I ended up selling it to him for his son. It was just a single bed size which was all I had but he paid huge for it. I figured I could build another anyway but never got around to it. It was beautiful with 4 coats of clear. I love birch.

pikeman_95 · January 27, 2012, 07:35:40 PM

Quote from: devo on January 27, 2012, 04:50:32 PM
Kirby
Just for your information all the sticks used for ice cream bars, popsicles, corn dogs, paint paddles and tongue depressors are made from birch so start collecting them. We have a plant right down the road called Global Sticks Inc. and thats all they make.

Don
You need to get to know some one there and get some of their sawdust or trim shavings. You might have hit the motherload.

KC

JZ · January 27, 2012, 08:06:39 PM

Quarlow

I turned some things called " paper pot makers" for my neighbor. They make little paper pots out of newspaper and the paper pots are used for starting seed plants for the garden.

The wife and I moved to the country when I retired and we have a lot of Birch on our property. I also have a bandsawmill that I used to mill a bunch of lumber -- some Birch, Pine and Fir. I use the Birch for projects like end tables, cabinets and I just finished a personalized Birch toy box for my latest grandson. I really like the looks of the end product.

After a project I usually end up with a few garbage bags full of planer shavings that i take to my neighbor and she uses them for bedding for her chickens, but if I can use the shavings for smoking she will be getting a few less bags.

Quarlow · January 28, 2012, 02:07:27 AM

So what you turn is a mold for these paper pots?

JZ · January 28, 2012, 09:01:59 AM

Right you are.

I never heard of these things until my neighbor asked if I could make one. So I Googled it and found a site that had dimensions for one. Now she has 3.

Quarlow · January 28, 2012, 01:14:40 PM

You da man JZ.

JZ · February 08, 2012, 06:46:49 PM

HERE THEY ARE!!!!!!!! The newest flavor pucks ------- BIRCH. ;D ;D ;D

I made these while I was turning the pot makers for my neighbor and figured I would use them as my Bubba Pucks. Well tonight I started another batch of smoking stachios and couldn't find the 2 I used last time so I just put some new ones at the top of the puck stack. But the smoke started rolling before I advanced the pucks and when I checked the DBS I found the old birch pucks. One had been pushed into the water bowl during my SG preheat and the second one was on the puck burner happily smoking away. So I left it to see what would happen and I am happy to report that it smoked just fine and did not catch on fire. I watched the SG puck timer and as soon as it started to advance the next Hickory puck I opened the smoker to see what condition the birch puck was in. It was still smoking and probably could have gone another 20 minutes and the good news is that it was not even glowing red anywhere. So now I think maybe I can just make more of these things instead of making a cold smoke adapter to use birch chips.

I smelled the smoke while the birch puck was doing its thing and it was very mild and kinda sweet. I am going to try using some more of these - maybe on cheese or salmon, might even try with chicken.

rigstar · February 08, 2012, 07:12:13 PM

very cool!!
i have used birch kindling and logs burned down on my
charcoal bbq so the wood is just smoldering(smoking)
at the lake for quite a few years.
i have bbq'd everything with them, steaks,burgers, chicken
and have never had any complaints about the flavor.

nice to know i could make pucks out of the wood, and they
would work in the dbs without flaming up

JZ · February 08, 2012, 07:32:04 PM

I have only smoked one of these pucks so far - so I am thinking there will need to be more testing before they can be used with confidence. If you try it let us know how it worked for you.

After I try a few more of these I will report back with my results.

Thanks for the feedback about using birch on your BBQ. I haven't actually used birch for a whole smoke yet but based on your feedback and the earlier feedback from Kirby, this seems like a good idea.

rigstar · February 08, 2012, 07:58:57 PM

yup, i will let you know how things turn out, won't be able to
make any pucks for awhile though, won't be going out to the
lake for a few months yet unless spring comes early.

i just liked the flavour of adding wood to the charcoal, as i remember my dad cooking
over the open fire when were camping as kids and the excellent flavor.

i am hoping these new "pucks" will work out