Sweet Gum trees

[DennisArrow]

Surely not to argue with "experts", know it alls, or folks who believe everything they read on the internet. What I do KNOW is that for me, I say what it is and how it is........

So, you are saying that I am just running my mouth and not basing what I say from experience............??????????

Only been smoking meat with gum since 1985 when I got my first smoker. Only smoke several turkeys for my housekeeper and SIL for the last 4 years cause they love it. Only have shown perhaps 20 neighbors and friends how it's done and turned propane grill folks onto smokers.........

As you can see by my thread count and time on here, I dont just come on here to run my thread count and and get my credibility for what is said by such...........YES, I am totally offended by someone coming on here and calling me out as such..........GOOD LUCK...........and do God bless......Dennis

Really? Everything I read states NOT to use sweet gum for smoking meet. Here's a sample, last page.

http://www.deejayssmokepit.net/BasicSmoke_files/SmokingFlavorChart.pdf

 

[kenmac]

I don't smoke meat so, I'm no expert on the subject. That said. I only hear of people using hickory to smoke meat:licking:. I didn't know people used anything other than hickory to smoke meat. I would have never dreamed you could use sweet gum. I condiser it as jumk wood. You know,, good for nothing)

 

[TonyF]

Surely not to argue with "experts", know it alls, or folks who believe everything they read on the internet. What I do KNOW is that for me, I say what it is and how it is........

So, you are saying that I am just running my mouth and not basing what I say from experience............??????????

Only been smoking meat with gum since 1985 when I got my first smoker. Only smoke several turkeys for my housekeeper and SIL for the last 4 years cause they love it. Only have shown perhaps 20 neighbors and friends how it's done and turned propane grill folks onto smokers.........

As you can see by my thread count and time on here, I dont just come on here to run my thread count and and get my credibility for what is said by such...........YES, I am totally offended by someone coming on here and calling me out as such..........GOOD LUCK...........and do God bless......Dennis

Wow! No one "called you out" or challenged you. It was not intended that way, all I did was state that it was not advised to be used for smoking. Is this 5th grade or something?

 

[fastpat]

Wow! No one "called you out" or challenged you. It was not intended that way, all I did was state that it was not advised to be used for smoking. Is this 5th grade or something?

I found this thread by my search for Sweet Gum as a wood for smoking, ran into the chart you posted so now will research to see what it is that may, repeat MAY, be toxic from sweet gum smoke. Could be it hasn't been tested and is just a rumor about being toxic.

Then, again, maybe not.

 

[fastpat]

Upon further research, it appears that most warnings against using Sweet Gum as a smoking wood are all repeating that list of "do nots" and can't supply any basis for their warnings. Any time you see the same sequence of phrases in such a warning, they should be suspect.

Here's one that lists Sweet Gum as a good wood for smoking fish.
http://www.rbjb.com/archives/fish.htm

The money quote. "In any case, white oak, citrus, sweet gum, sweet bay, bay (laurus nobilis) sassafras, mulberry, cherry, apple, pear are all good for impartng flavor. Also fresh herbs such as dill, fennel, basil lemon verbena, lemon mint, apple mint, etc. may be used. "

There is also this .pdf file that has quite a lot of info on it and lists "Gum", but doesn't say what kind of gum, as a good wood for smoking. http://tinyurl.com/3fywqw9

So, where does that get us? We have essentially one source that says Sweet Gum isnt' good and multiple sources that say it's good. I'll continue to research this and post here, but I'll also check with my logger neighbor to see what he thinks.

 

[clemsonfor]

Upon further research, it appears that most warnings against using Sweet Gum as a smoking wood are all repeating that list of "do nots" and can't supply any basis for their warnings. Any time you see the same sequence of phrases in such a warning, they should be suspect.

Here's one that lists Sweet Gum as a good wood for smoking fish.
http://www.rbjb.com/archives/fish.htm

The money quote. "In any case, white oak, citrus, sweet gum, sweet bay, bay (laurus nobilis) sassafras, mulberry, cherry, apple, pear are all good for impartng flavor. Also fresh herbs such as dill, fennel, basil lemon verbena, lemon mint, apple mint, etc. may be used. "

There is also this .pdf file that has quite a lot of info on it and lists "Gum", but doesn't say what kind of gum, as a good wood for smoking. http://tinyurl.com/3fywqw9

So, where does that get us? We have essentially one source that says Sweet Gum isnt' good and multiple sources that say it's good. I'll continue to research this and post here, but I'll also check with my logger neighbor to see what he thinks.

As a forester i have never heard of any toxicities associated with Sweet gum. There is acres and acres of the stuff burned each year in controlled burns as well as many brush piles that contain it and folks like me that will cut a small one if its beside their oak just to cut it down and get rid of it plus just more volume of wood while your by it. Anyway back to toxicities, i have never heard of it and as far as i know there is no chemical in the tree itself that is toxic that is released when burned.

I would not be scared to use it, but i think there is far better choices anyway, but im not a smoker guy.

 

[fastpat]

Thanks, Nate. Good information. I've not heard anything negative about the wood and there are so many of them on my property that I'd like to use them if I could. I agree that there may be better woods to use, I have a few hickory trees and pecans and other woods are abundant around here (north of Travelers Rest), so I'm sure I'll be served one way or another by the trees in my area.

 

[Marty38]

Sweet gum makes fantastic sound board wood for Dulcimers

 

[DennisArrow]

Pat....Thanks so much for bringing this back up and your research. I thought of the TonyF comments and thoughts, above, yesterday as I was smoking a 12 lb prime rib for a dinner party of folks celebrating a local civil war reenactment. Yes, I went down to the tree line by the railroad track and cut down a 4" sapling to use. I cut it in 1" or so slices and fed it to the coals to keep the smoke going...........

Nobody collapsed, broke out in sores, clutched their chests, and on and on.......What I am trying to say is that some folks, that dont have the common sense as to what to do about trees in their yard, read something on here, take it for gospel, and dont have the sense to check it out personally before running their mouths.......Am so glad to see some common sense thinking by you guys.......

THANKS......God bless........Dennis