Black walnut

[Steve R.]

I had one of the biggest black walnut trees I have ever seen in the wooded part of my backyard until it was uprooted by a windstorm last Friday. It fell into my neighbor's yard, so I helped him saw it up this past weekend.

Anybody have firsthand experience using chunks of this particular wood for smoking? I already felt guilty as I sawed that thing into firewood length rounds, so I don't want to completely waste it. It grew up in fairly thick woods, so the trunk went straight up about 20 ft. before branching out at all and was 18" in diameter.

[DavidNorcross]

That was worth some money if you knew of a saw mill near your location. Black walnut is expensive. Sorry this happened…

[CaptainMike]

There is/was a company out here that made gunstocks and they were always on the lookout trees like these.

[CaptainMike]

Hey Dick Anderson the company is CALI'CO Hardwoods in Santa Rosa, ever heard of them?

[Dick Anderson]

(Captain) Mike, yeah, out by the airport. I use to walk by it once a week (back when I worked). Guy from Cloverdale owned it.

[tbob4]

I have smoked with walnut. It is mild but the bark can produce a lot of thick smoke. Walnuts and Almonds are a plentiful crop here. A full Black Walnut tree is rare here, though. The farmers graft trees, using Black for the base and English walnut for the top. Full Black Walnut trees are preserved for furniture and art (sculptures) here.

[MBMorgan]

Black walnut is pretty strong stuff ... stronger than hickory or pecan and it can be bitter if you overuse it.

[wu7y]

I'm not much of an arborist here. I have worked a little with black walnut in craft/furniture projects and after getting a nose/sinus full of that sawdust I learned that use of a respirator is recommended in the shop. Don't know that the smoke would be an issue but personally I would check it out before I used it in a smoker.

[Steve R.]

I was coughing like a heavy cigarette smoker after a weekend of sawing that stuff and I have never used tobacco at all. Lesson learned, and the Navage is my friend. 😉

[Alan Brice]

Steve R. Black Walnut dust is very toxic. Wouldn't use for a cook either. Cutting boards n furniture are the best use.

[Jfrosty27]

I use a lot of walnut in my wood shop for furniture. A shame to cut it up for firewood of any kind. In fact I priced some today for a project I am planning. 4/4 (1”) rough sawn boards are just under $12 per board foot. That’s expensive firewood.

[Steve R.]

Yep, but it's in the backyard with no good access for anything big enough to move it. At least it's only opportunity cost and not actual money out of my pocket. Regardless, I've already cried about that; now, what to do with it. 😉

[texastweeter]

Try on Craigslist or search the internet. Someone will want it. Pretty sure the dust is toxic as is the smoke to some degree, I'd avoid it. Its deadly to horses, even insects like termites avoid it.

[smokin fool]

Damn, hate to hear a black walnut cut up for firewood but you gotta do what you gotta do.
....thought, call up Gibson Guitars in Nashville, if the lengths you cut are long enough to make the blanks needed that tree might make some great looking solid body guitars.
You may get a line of guitars named after you, problem is will they come and get it....

[Dan Deter]

My old house had 2 giant black walnuts in the back yard, well over 2' diameter trunks. They fruited every year and I hated them. My big regret is I didn't ever have them cut down and turned into boards...

[TheCountofQ]

I despised the black walnut tree in our yard when I was a youngster!! One of my chores was picking them up. My hands were then covered in that black, tar like goo from under the broken green husks. Nasty stuff. No, we didn't save or pick nuts from the shells.

[Dan Deter]

That plus they're one of the trees that kills the grass around them. The combination made it impossible to get decent grass growing in half the yard.

[bbqLuv]

Like good BBQ, Black Walnut needs to be well seasoned.
Google search reveals it is toxic. I would avoid that as BBQ wood.
Black Walnut Toxicity – Wisconsin Horticulture

[bordercollie]

We lost a lot of trees due to tornadoes and strong winds the past few years. As long as it isn't hollow, your trees are very desirable as a woodworkers wood. A fellow here has a very small saw mill and came to get everything but the top and roots with a grapple fitted skid steer . If I remember right, he cut a bodac tree and an oak out of the area by the house into 8 ft lengths or there abouts. The only thing he didn't want were hackberry trees. Black walnut leaves are also toxic to a garden by the way.

[RustyHaines]

I would be shocked if there was not a sawyer/saw mill, forester etc. interested in that extremely valuable wood.for woodworking purposes. Especially since it is so large based on your description. Be cautious of tree removers low balling you. My advise is do not be in a hurry and do some research. Good luck and I hope for the best outcome for you and that beautiful tree.

[RonB]

Here's the info from the Wood Database. The WD is aimed at woodworkers, so does not directly mention using it for smoking. I would not cook with it.

https://www.wood-database.com/black-walnut/

[bbqLuv]

There may be a reason Traeger does not use Black Walnut for flavor in their pellets.
I guess Black Walnut is OK for BBQ. It comes in pellet form. BBQ'rs Delight Black Walnut Wood Pellets 1lb Bag


https://www.amazon.com/BBQrs-Delight-Black-Walnut...

• $13.95 · Price stable
• Brand: BBQ'rs Delight

• 4.4/5
  (343)
• Flavor: Natural Wood

BBQ'rs Delight Black Walnut Wood Pellets 1lb Bag Brand: BBQ'rs Delight 343 ratings $1395 Material Type: Black Walnut About this item 10 Uses Per bag, only 1/3 cup per use Stand-Up Resealable Bag Black Walnut Wood Pellet 100% All Natural Roughly 10 Uses Per 1 Pound Bag Perfect for Beef and Pork Additional Details Small Business




I Guess

[CandySueQ]

It's still one of my favorites for steak, but go light with it. That little bag above (1.6 oz) will do two cooks for me. We mix some black walnut in our Master Your Beef flavor mix now (sugar maple, pecan and walnut, mixed with oak). Black walnut, like pecan, doesn't give me indigestion.

[Spinaker]

This breaks my heart. So much good wood there to working!

Now that it it in firewood lengths, you can absolutely use it for smoking. Not sure what the flavor profile is, but I am sure it is just fine.