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Well, I finally did it. I ordered my new 55 at Cabelas and am waiting for it to come in to the local store. I have been reading this forum for a year or so, so all of you are at least partly to blame. Smiler Between the forum and some recent trips to Houston from my home in Utah (you mean BBQ isn't the McRib sandwitch), it was pretty much inevitable that I end up with a smoker. No regrets whatsoever.

I've got a pretty good idea of how to get started, but I do have one question that I can't find a good answer to in the archives. I am a hobbiest woodworker, and have lots of scraps of hickory, cherry, maple, oak, and alder in my shop. Can I use these kiln-dried hardwoods in my smoker?

I'm already planning my first smoke this weekend, going to try a couple racks of spareribs after I season the smoker.

Thanks!
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If they haven't been treated in any way...yes.

They will work VERY well. I like kiln dried wood better than anything as I think it gives a lighter but more consistant smoke. It makes it easier(for me) to adjust how much smoke I want to add from cook to cook without being surprised by a chunck that had a little more bite than the last.
I would just make sure no glue was used when they made the boards. I would buy a 10lb bag of wood chucks (not chips) from cabalas or your local grocery store for about $5 to be on the sake side. Nothing is worse than saving a couple of $ and end up wasting a $20 piece of meat.
Remember 3-6oz of wood is all you use on a 20hr cook. So if you bought a 5lb bag of chunks for $5, used 6oz on each cook, you could make @ 13 cooks with that bag of wood.
Good luck and keep a smokin! Wink
quote:
Originally posted by BigDonald:
Well, I finally did it. I ordered my new 55 at Cabelas and am waiting for it to come in to the local store. I have been reading this forum for a year or so, so all of you are at least partly to blame. Smiler Between the forum and some recent trips to Houston from my home in Utah (you mean BBQ isn't the McRib sandwitch), it was pretty much inevitable that I end up with a smoker. No regrets whatsoever.

I've got a pretty good idea of how to get started, but I do have one question that I can't find a good answer to in the archives. I am a hobbiest woodworker, and have lots of scraps of hickory, cherry, maple, oak, and alder in my shop. Can I use these kiln-dried hardwoods in my smoker?

I'm already planning my first smoke this weekend, going to try a couple racks of spareribs after I season the smoker.

Thanks!


hEY BIG,I ordered a model 55 also from cabelas,supposed to get here oct.31st,if you got any comments on using it,don't hold back,just tell me like it is,always appreciated any help i can get.
Last edited by Former Member
Hey. I've had a 55 for couple years.Awesome for butts,ribs,bacon,hams.Any moist meats come out beautiful.My wood kept igniting,when I went over 150F.Still don't know what was causing it,so I soak my chips and chunks for 1/2 hr,and no problems.I would never part with my 55.My wife? well,I can get another one of those,but my cookshack 55 is true best friend(LOL).
Big Jim.

Pushin'the drive for the 55.

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