Japanese Maple

[Paul McBride]

Up here in Indiana, we had a massive ice storm last week. I have massive damage to the trees in my yard, and I lost my absolute favorite tree in the world: a seven foot tall Japanese Maple. It splt in four pieces, right down the middle.

All of this sucks, of course, but I figure why not make lemonade, right. So my question is: can i use Japanese Maple wood for smoking? Obvously, these are VERY expensive trees, so I can't imagine most people putting them to this use. Anyone have any ideas.

Thanks in advance,
Paul

P.S.: Got a lot of ash. Is that usable? I don't believe it is, though I'll have a lot of wood for the fireplace.

 

[Bill Small]

Hey Paul,
I couldn't find anything particular about Japanese Maple, but here is a quote I found about maple.

"Maple is generally located in the Northeast United States. It is mildly smoky and mates well with poultry, ham and vegetables. When used, it will produce a sweet and light taste."

Hope this helps.

 

[K Kruger]

I'm so sorry for your loss--they're one of my favorite trees. You can use it for smoking (it's not particularly sweet) but maybe you can turn it into something else. A local woodworker might have ideas. Maybe a handrail? Leave it natural and use it as a rail to mount your Q supplies? Slice it and make it into a landing at your deck? Seems a shame to burn it.

Ash isn't that great for smoking.