Food & Spirits
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Alder Wood

2,420 Views | 31 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by BrownDeerAggie
OregonAggie
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Anyone know where I can get some for smoking? My wife had an allergy test today and the worst possible news came back: she's allergic to Pecan and Oak! WTF.


That's all I smoke with so now I want to try alder.

Thanks for the help
DadAG10
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Don't know, but have you thought about getting a new wife?



jk
Ornlu
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Wouldn't mesquite be a more plentiful source? Alder doesn't grow anywhere in TX so it's going to be very tough to find.
OregonAggie
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Ornlu said:

Wouldn't mesquite be a more plentiful source? Alder doesn't grow anywhere in TX so it's going to be very tough to find.


It's not purely because I don't like it for smoking. At all. It's great for grilling though.

I'm hoping some wood supplier carries alder although I knew it isn't a local thing. Probably going to be a fruitless search.
Belton Ag
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Alder is a wood that's primarily sourced for millwork. You might check with any local cabinet shops and see if they have any scrap they might want to get rid of.

I've used 4/4 and 5/4 S4S red oak I got from a buddy's door shop before and it actually worked pretty well.
momlaw
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HEB has an assortment of smoking chips that are not oak or pecan.
including Alder
momlaw
NASAg03
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smoked a turkey today using apple wood. turned out great. very light smoke flavor. didn't want to use mesquite because it's a bit overpowering.

HEB has pecan, oak, apple, cherry, hickory, and mesquite.

i'd also recommend hickory as an alt
Tx-Ag2010
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momlaw said:

HEB has an assortment of smoking chips that are not oak or pecan.
including Alder
This!!! Although I wouldn't recommend alder for anything other than fish.
OregonAggie
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NASAg03 said:

smoked a turkey today using apple wood. turned out great. very light smoke flavor. didn't want to use mesquite because it's a bit overpowering.

HEB has pecan, oak, apple, cherry, hickory, and mesquite.

i'd also recommend hickory as an alt


Unfortunately she's allergic to hickory too...
Tx-Ag2010
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OregonAggie said:

NASAg03 said:

smoked a turkey today using apple wood. turned out great. very light smoke flavor. didn't want to use mesquite because it's a bit overpowering.

HEB has pecan, oak, apple, cherry, hickory, and mesquite.

i'd also recommend hickory as an alt


Unfortunately she's allergic to hickory too...
You might want to get a second opinion... just to make sure some vegan doctor isn't trying to influence your dietary selection.
Bruce Almighty
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Tx-Ag2010 said:

OregonAggie said:

NASAg03 said:

smoked a turkey today using apple wood. turned out great. very light smoke flavor. didn't want to use mesquite because it's a bit overpowering.

HEB has pecan, oak, apple, cherry, hickory, and mesquite.

i'd also recommend hickory as an alt


Unfortunately she's allergic to hickory too...
You might want to get a second opinion... just to make sure some vegan doctor isn't trying to influence your dietary selection.


Why the hell would a doctor lie to their patient about being allergic to something. That's a really weird thought to have.
Tx-Ag2010
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Bruce Almighty said:

Tx-Ag2010 said:

OregonAggie said:

NASAg03 said:

smoked a turkey today using apple wood. turned out great. very light smoke flavor. didn't want to use mesquite because it's a bit overpowering.

HEB has pecan, oak, apple, cherry, hickory, and mesquite.

i'd also recommend hickory as an alt


Unfortunately she's allergic to hickory too...
You might want to get a second opinion... just to make sure some vegan doctor isn't trying to influence your dietary selection.


Why the hell would a doctor lie to their patient about being allergic to something. That's a really weird thought to have.


Not sure if serious... I was mostly joking about the vegan doctor part but can't stress getting a second opinion enough.

I never trust the word of a single doctor unless it's something simple like a cold or the flu. As good as doctor's try to be they are only human and make mistakes more often than most people would prefer.
JRizzle
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It is also possible that her allergy is contact only. It would be strange to be allergic to the smoke from a wood.
AggieChemist
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Sportsman's Warehouse carries alder. It's traditionally used for smoking salmon. That's what I use it for.
AggieChemist
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JRizzle said:

It is also possible that her allergy is contact only. It would be strange to be allergic to the smoke from a wood.
The allergens in wood can be carried by BBQ smoke.

This is relatively common.

<-- PhD in biochem that studies human allergy.
OregonAggie
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In your scientific opinion....do I just need to get a new wife?
Txmoe
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NASAg03 said:

smoked a turkey today using apple wood. turned out great. very light smoke flavor. didn't want to use mesquite because it's a bit overpowering.

HEB has pecan, oak, apple, cherry, hickory, and mesquite.

i'd also recommend hickory as an alt
This x 100. I think alder is a little bitter and can add a weird flavor to meats. I like smoking with fruit woods because the smoke flavor is subtle but pleasant. Apple can be used for anything, cherry and peach are great for pork.
JRizzle
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AggieChemist said:

JRizzle said:

It is also possible that her allergy is contact only. It would be strange to be allergic to the smoke from a wood.
The allergens in wood can be carried by BBQ smoke.

This is relatively common.

<-- PhD in biochem that studies human allergy.


Interesting. Had no idea.
Keeper of The Spirits
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What are the symptoms of the allergic reaction?
OregonAggie
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Keeper of The Spirits said:

What are the symptoms of the allergic reaction?


Eczema/rash and an itchy throat mainly. She's been having some worse issues over that last year and finally got allergy tested.
Belton Ag
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OregonAggie said:

Keeper of The Spirits said:

What are the symptoms of the allergic reaction?


Eczema/rash and an itchy throat mainly. She's been having some worse issues over that last year and finally got allergy tested.
Your handle says Oregon, but do you live in Texas?

If so, I was at Academy today and noticed that they are carrying bagged BBQ logs from B&B in a variety of species. They had Apple, Maple and Cherry along with some others.
OregonAggie
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Yeah I lived in Oregon when I got on Texags years ago. We're in Dripping now.


I've noticed those bags there and I'm planning on trying some out. My main concern is brisket and I'm not really sure how great they'll turn out with a bunch of fruit woods.

Worth a try though
STX Ag
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I don't ever hear of anyone else using it much, but I use the B&B maple from academy and it's great. Burns easier than other types of wood, but not too hot, and has a great flavor. I've pretty much done every cut with it.
OregonAggie
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So just to make sure, the B&B bags are logs and not just chunks? I've purchased plenty of bags of post oak and pecan logs there just not cherry. I got some bags of chunks from Home Depot for tomorrow's smoke but it's also only going to be a 4-5 hour smoke so I'm not too worried about baby sitting the pit.

Ag_07
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She allergic to hickory?

Brisket smoked with hickory will be just fine. I've actually started to use hickory more often than oak for my briskets.
88Warrior
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OregonAggie said:

Yeah I lived in Oregon when I got on Texags years ago. We're in Dripping now.


I've noticed those bags there and I'm planning on trying some out. My main concern is brisket and I'm not really sure how great they'll turn out with a bunch of fruit woods.

Worth a try though


Just experimenting, I smoked a brisket using cherry wood and it turned out great! Great smoke ring and just the right amount of smoke flavor...
STX Ag
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Wouldnt call them "logs" but they def arent just chunks. The oak and cherry are a little larger cuts, but I'd say the maple I use averages 10-12" length and 4-5" diameter.

Definitely large enough for the smoker unless you are running a huge one. I cut some of it down with a chop saw so the fire doesnt get too hot.
OregonAggie
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Ag_07 said:

She allergic to hickory?

Brisket smoked with hickory will be just fine. I've actually started to use hickory more often than oak for my briskets.


She is allergic to hickory so unfortunately that's not an option either. Sounds like I'll have access to cherry wood though and I'm looking forward to smoking my turkey today, in preparation for tomorrow. I'm doing cherry with small chunks of mesquite every once in awhile.

Can't wait to try a brisket on it.
OregonAggie
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STX Ag said:

Wouldnt call them "logs" but they def arent just chunks. The oak and cherry are a little larger cuts, but I'd say the maple I use averages 10-12" length and 4-5" diameter.

Definitely large enough for the smoker unless you are running a huge one. I cut some of it down with a chop saw so the fire doesnt get too hot.


That's perfect. I have a normal sized backyard smoker so it sounds like the size will be what I need.

Thanks for the feedback
CrawfordAg
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Fruit woods work great with poultry as they are pretty mild. Might want to check out your lump charcoal as well as most are mesquite, oak or oak hardwood mix.
OregonAggie
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I didn't even think about that. Thanks!


Good news is that after a year of allergy shots, she'll probably be fine. Hopefully!
Garrelli 5000
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Tx-Ag2010 said:

momlaw said:

HEB has an assortment of smoking chips that are not oak or pecan.
including Alder
This!!! Although I wouldn't recommend alder for anything other than fish.


And electric guitars!
Take the trash out staff.
BrownDeerAggie
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I moved to Wisconsin for work 10 years ago. Since pecan trees don't like the cold winters, I use maple wood to smoke briskets and it works very well.
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