Unusual Smoke Choices

[Tatoosh]

I am in the Philippines and many of the standard woods for smoking are not available here. There are other woods to use, such as guava that work well.

But I have heard of smoking materials possibly available in the USA but rarely seen in smoking discussions.

The most likely found in the USA is corn cobs. I've never heard of them being used for smoking, but it was suggested as having a good flavor but rather mild.

A second one was sugar cane. Not prevalent in the USA proper, but Hawaii should have it and maybe some southern States?

Lastly would be the exotic coconut shell. Exotic in the continental USA but again available in Hawaii. And I have seen coconuts in the mainland. But no discussion of using them for smoking.

Has anyone used any of these and have recommendations for them? I will try them as I find them, but any advice is welcome.
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Ancient Amerikano Adventuring Abroad:
Weber OTG - Smokenator 1000 - Pizza Kettle
White Mountain 6 QT Elec

[SoEzzy]

There are a couple of places that make coconut charcoal which is a good hot burning charcoal, but it is expensive!

You might investigate either making it yourself, or finding a local supply.

Fruit woods are always good, as are some nut woods.

http://www.philippinecompanies.com/search.php?what=orchards here are some orchards that you might contact for trimmings and for when they grub out the trees and normally just burn them.

Perhaps you could be the entrepreneur wood man for the future... if you do think about orchard woods, be aware that some orchards are organic, and some spray all sorts of chemicals that you don't want to be burning!
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Here's a change Robert.

I still work here!

[Tatoosh]

Thanks for the reply. I did try to contact a couple of orchards and arbors but none replied.

This is a list of trees I think might be good. I have found a few others since then.

Nut Tree

Saba Nut (Money Tree)
Pilinut

Fruit Tree

Guava
Lanzone
Longan (Dragon Eye)
Jackfruit
Lychee
Orange (Segada)

No Thank You - (changing my mind and might use the wood but not eat the fruit)

Durian

Plus ACACIA is apparently close mesquite and grows here, so that is a very possible choice. A guy smoking in Thailand uses Longan and Lychee a lot and really likes the Longan for its sweet smoke.

The problem with wood here is there is almost no way to know how it has been "treated" so there is, without growing it yourself , no way to preclude the use of pesticides on it. Mango is one example. Along with reportedly not being good due to the sap, it is highly treated with pesticides to help protect production.

I will use guava if I find it, but I will peel the bark and hope that suffices. Sugar cane sounds interesting and I found a thread on a Texas BBQ forum where a couple of guys were using it and enjoyed the flavor quite a bit. Again, I have no idea of how they treat their sugar cane here when growing, but it is around in the lowlands. (I live up in the mountains, an hour from the ocean and many hours from the sugar plantations - most which are on other islands).

I found one site with a good description of woods after I posted here: Grillin' Woods

Coconut charcoal is likely available in Manila if I can find a source, but shipping it will be costly. The same is true for charcoal briquettes. I have found them advertised in Manila some 7 hours away, but getting them to me up the mountain will be expensive.

Lump charcoal of unspecified origin is available here in the market and down in the flatlands, where I think it is being made, along with a lot of what we would call kindling I see being dried in the sun along side the road. I need to find what sort of wood that is.

My Weber-Smokenator 1000 will be charcoal only, but I am having a cabinet style smoker built that will be propane/charcoal or electric as needed. I can pull the heat source out and replace with another. But I plan to use primarily a propane fire very low heating a mix of lump charcoal and wood. Or lump and sugar cane - corn cob - coconut shell depending on flavors those provide.

The Weber-Smokenator 10000 set up will arrive in mid to late January 2012 and I have local lump charcoal already. Now I am hunting smoking wood or material and trying to get an idea of what works, what flavors to expect, and so forth.
_________________
Ancient Amerikano Adventuring Abroad:
Weber OTG - Smokenator 1000 - Pizza Kettle
White Mountain 6 QT Elec