Locally Sourced Wood: Lake Tahoe Area?

[Kai Yaker]

I live in Minden, Nevada, (near Lake Tahoe), and trying to find locally sourced smoking wood. The Marketplace and Craigslist show mostly pines. There are a few guys within 100 miles or so selling some oak, walnut and one guy with almond. I think these are actually seasonal and trucked in. I believe I am going to have to start off with 1/2 cord and don't want to F'this up. I have always used fruit wood so I am lost in regards to flavors. Out of the three, are there any recommendations for smoking? I generally stick to smoking the trifecta: brisket, butt, ribs, but also do a few other things. Thanks fellas for any help.


Yaker

 

[SmoothBoarBBQ]

White oak is a fantastic wood for smoking / cooking just about every single protein or vegetable. Most people like red oak as well, but I personally hate it. Mind you, as I've been told, the species of red oak I'm familiar with in North Carolina is going to be different from the species of red oak you'll get out west.

I've never used walnut or almond...as I understand almond is close to pecan and should be just fine for smoking. I'd avoid walnut as I've heard it's a very heavy smoke which can leave an unpleasant taste on your food if your fire is burning a bit dirty.

Looks like the prices are pretty high out there, but that's kind of to be expected in that general area. Good luck!

 

[bschoen]

I second SmoothBoar, oak and almond. I too have read that walnut can be strong and bitter.

 

[Waterboy]

There are a lot of Almond orchards coming out of production in the California Central Valley. Check Craigslist, there are a lot of almond wood listings.

 

[Chula Vista Q]

I use almond wood for the most part. Like Waterboy says, it’s abundant in CA and easy to get. It smells fantastic too. Not sure about others, but sometimes I get a load of it and there are a lot of sticks with insect damage under the bark including the leftover “sawdust”. It helps with bark formation.