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  • CanuckJim
    replied
    Re: Choosing and finding wood

    RT,

    Nope, haven't heard about treating pallets in my neck of the woods. Generally, they get beat up pretty badly and don't last all that long. I get two types here: sofwood for light loads and hardwood (usually oak) for heavy loads like brick or block. The really, really good ones are painted, so you know they have a $15 deposit on them. Natch, I don't burn the painted ones, but the other sort are usually donated in my direction when they aren't much good for anything else. I've never noticed any sort of chemical smell from them, and it seems that going to the expense of treating something that doesn't last all that long would be a waste of money. Don't know about other areas of the continent.

    Jim

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  • RTflorida
    replied
    Re: Choosing and finding wood

    I have a question/concern in regards to burning pallets.
    Several (actually many - 10/12) years ago a friend who ran a rather large shipping and receiving dept (1000+ pallets on hand) warned me against using pallet lumber for anything other than its intended use.
    According to him, the majority of the pallets his company bought and used were treated with insecticides, fungicides, and water repellants to allow for prolonged outdoor storage and increase life expectancy. He warned that cutting, sanding, and burning were not recommended - the dust or smoke could be toxic. Naturally, he was speaking directly about the pallets his company used, but, he made a good point - Unless you know the actual source of any pallet, you have know way of knowing if it has been treated.
    Since that warning, I have stayed away from using pallets for any building or burning .I have enough problems with seasonal allergies and certainly don't want to add toxic dust or smoke to the equation .

    Maybe this guy was mearly "blowing smoke" and didn't want me asking for any of his pallets...I don't know. Has anyone else heard about treating pallets with the above mentioned???

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  • christo
    replied
    Re: Choosing and finding wood

    Agree with Jim - Used to burn birch scraps in my shop when I was a cabinetmaker years ago. More heat than dried popalar and less ash.

    Which brings up another source of aromatic woods - Cabinet and furniture shops - I always had a pile of cherry, oak, and other hardwood cutoffs/ edge trimmings in the back of my shop - I would have been happy to have someone come and haul them away.

    Another source - There is a pallet building plant a few miles from my house - I have already talked to the owner and he said I was welcome to all the scraps I need to keep my oven burning. nice 10 or 12 inch pieces all in a huge pile. I have seen these kinds of places near most relatively large cities and they usually have a pile of scrap sitting nearby.

    Truck/Trailer body repair shops usually have truck flooring scraps as well - these will require a little more cutting before use.

    Christo

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  • CanuckJim
    replied
    Re: Choosing and finding wood

    James,

    The only thing about white birch is that the bark has a lot of resin in it. Cured, with the bark on, it will go off like a bomb. I usually strip off as much of the resinous bark as I can. Otherwise, it's a straight grained, medium hard wood that burns well and hot.

    Jim

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  • james
    replied
    Re: Choosing and finding wood

    We also lost 5-7 European birch in the past few years. I remember reading something about a birch beetle. Ours had clear bore holes. I think the nurseries have started carrying an Asian birch which is resistant.

    Either way, I burned our birch wood, and it did fine. It's seemed to be very dense and it burned well.

    Does anyone else have experience with this?
    James

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  • Richard
    replied
    Re: Choosing and finding wood

    would not recommend Eucalyptus as it is very oily and unless you plan on having a chimney sweep come by, would not use.

    have four white birch trees that need to be removed. Has anyone use this? What are the characteristics of the wood, i.e BTU's (a lot or a little), ash (lot or little) etc

    thanks

    ps agree with Xambia on use of rosemary, in fire, on food it all works

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  • Bacterium
    replied
    Re: Choosing and finding wood

    I've read some post mentioning that Eucalyptus is not good to use when cooking (to add flavour) in the WF ovens
    But would it be ok to heat the oven initially (and then switch to a more favourable timber)?

    Any other Aussies out there tried Redgum or smilar in their ovens?

    Its easy enough to get if you know a local farmer
    OR in my case it is closer than that - I have to replace some more timber retaining wall (sleepers) on my property so I might hold onto a few.

    Another thing thats a great tip I picked up - Rosemary.
    I'm always trimming this bush in my back garden.....now the off cuts can be used in the oven instead of filling up the "green waste" bin
    Last edited by Bacterium; 05-01-2007, 11:22 PM. Reason: spelling

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  • Xabia Jim
    replied
    Rosemary

    Earl, do both. Toss some rosemary branches across the coals so some burns and some smolders. When I open the door to check the food, I usually toss in a new branch, 'bout a foot long or more. It's as much for the air/ambience as it is for the food. Makes the neighborhood comment!

    Also, strip off the leaves and add to food or marinades. It's a great accompanyment to garlic.... Roast Meats like lamb, stuff inside chickens before roasting, with roast potatoes.....

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  • noosab
    replied
    Re: Choosing and finding wood

    Richard, We've never tried adding rosemary. Do you toss some directly on the coals, near the coals, or ad it to the food? We have considerable rosemary in our yard. Deer and other critters don't seem to like it and we can't eat it at anywhere near the rate it grows.
    Thanks,
    Earl

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  • Richard
    replied
    Re: Choosing and finding wood

    Agree, have never noticed a 'smoke flavor' when using the WFO. have not noticed any difference when using oak or apple wood.
    Use of aromatics, fresh rosemary, can impart flavor to the food.
    Use my Weber Bullet for getting that ring of smoke and flavor.

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  • noosab
    replied
    Re: Choosing and finding wood

    We paid $150 delivered for a cord of fresh cut olive and $180 per cord delivered for fairly well seasoned oak and madrone. The oak leaves considerable ash, the madrone produces lots of total heat with less ash, and the olive will have to dry some before I can use it to heat the oven.
    Most of the pieces of wood are larger than what I hear folks talk about using in this forum.
    We try to start our fire with pieces about 3 to 4 inches across (diameter?) using a propane torch as a starter. Once a small self sustaining flame exists the torch is extinguished and normal oven draw fans the flame enough to get the oven up to pizza temperature in about an hour or so. Actually, the infra red thermometer will indicate a floor temperature of 750 deg. F. in the coolest spot after about 45 to 50 minutes but there won't yet be enough stored heat in the bricks to maintain that temperature long enough to yield a really good pizza. About half of the olive wood we just bought is unsplit pieces ranging from about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter. When it dries enough to use, we should be able to join the more conventional oven operators in the forum.
    One last thing, We are unable to detect even the slightest odor or taste of smoke in any foods we have cooked in our oven except when we have wanted smoke (BBQ ribs, roasts, etc.) and have produced it by tossing some wood on the coals and immediately almost totally closing off the oven entryway. I think you could burn old tires in there without affecting the flavor of the food, though it would sure stink up the neighborhood and maybe alienate everyone down wind.
    Earl

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  • aeneas1
    replied
    Re: Choosing and finding wood

    if you are looking for a firewood source try your local craigslist - but instead of searching for firewood suppliers in the "for sale" or "services" sections of craigslist, post your own ad in the "for sale" section and name it something like: wanted - seasoned firewood or wanted - fruit wood. you will be amazed at the responses, at least i was! and it's free!

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  • noosab
    replied
    Re: Choosing and finding wood

    Hi,
    I burn whatever is at hand for the stove that heats the house. This year it's madrone and oak. We are unable to detect any smoke flavor in anything we cook in our oven (33" ID and 15" high inside) as long as it is pre-heated before the food is put in and the door in not in place. That seems to be regardless of how big the fire is while things are cooking. The only way we get things smoked, is to close the door almost completely with a fire burning inside. If only glowing coals are left when the door is put in place, no smoke taste seems to transfer to the food even though the coals will continue to burn for up to a day or so.
    I can't offer praise enough to FB for all their information on oven design and construction. We followed their directions and now, for the first time in 30 some years, have non-doughy pizza, delicious breads, melanzoni (probably spelled that wrong) etc., and all that without over-heating our house when it is warm outside.
    Earl

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  • CanuckJim
    replied
    Re: Choosing and finding wood

    XJ,

    Agreed. I'll burn just about anything, including pallets, to get the heat up for bread baking where the fire is pulled. For other things, I have a special stash of fruit wood (apple, pear and cherry) that I use for aromatics when needed.

    Jim

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  • Xabia Jim
    replied
    Re: Choosing and finding wood

    All....

    I think you have two basic types of wood for WF ovens......

    ....that used for cooking where you want to add flame or flavor....whatever you can find locally is quite different around the globe. (We have dense southern pine, olive and orange here.)

    ....and that used to heat it up an oven which is anything you can get your hands on....particularly if you are pulling the fire in a bake oven. I've noticed a lot of ovens here using pallets. They are firing their ovens with them...getting BTU's....may or may not be using for the cook fire.

    I heat up using junk wood and finish with aromatics of choice.

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