Birch in my offset

[Chefmikey]

Hi All,
Just wanted to post the results of my latest smoke from the weekend - I did about 3lbs of Jerky and a whole atlantic salmon over Birch.
I was lamenting to my wife about the cost of charcoal in our area (Southern Alberta - we ain't got no hardwood growing here!). She asked what kind of wood I needed to which I replied "any hardwood will work as long as it's dry" - so she said why not birch. It grows reasonably close to us and is fairly cheap. I went and checked out a local landscape supply place and they sell seasoned birch firewood for $0.25/lb - SCORE! (FYI - briquettes here go for - at best - 7 bucks for a 16 lb bag or 42 cents a pound)
I dropped $15 and came away with a nice bunch of wood. Cut into firebox lengths and split to appropriate size, I used them to do the salmon and jerky. Started with about 18 briquettes to provide a hot base and started topping with birch chunks - nice and hot with thin blue smoke. The jerky took about 2.5 hours (my wife likes it moist - not too dried out) and the salmon simmered away at 150-160 deg. for about 4 hours.
Well, the jerky came out at noon and didn't last till dinnertime! The salmon was half gone inthe same time - I had to hide some in the back of the fridge to save a bit for me! So, for any of my Canadian smokers (or anyone else looking for good wood) try birch - works great for me!
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So long as you have food in your mouth, you have solved all questions for the time being.
Franz Kafka
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Grill-Pro offset
Master Forge ECB/WSM clone
Weber 18" kettle - silver

[jim]

I havent heard of folks using birch before. How was the flavor, could you compare it to other woods?

[Frosty]

We have black,white, & yellow birch here. It make GREAT firewood, but, I don't like it for cooking. Jerky might be ok.

I can smell a birch fire for a country mile.
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This stuff ain't rocket science,,,Great Gramma cooked on a horizontal-partitioned wood smoker every day!

[Inner10]

Glad to hear but I got sugar maple commin out of my arse sideways!