by db1979 » Thu Jan 04, 2018 11:35 pm
Think about how these timbers came to be known as toxic. It was because people died or became ill.
We know that oak is safe because there has been countless instances where it hasn't caused harm. There are many other timbers that COULD be used but have either never been tested or the information is not readily available. The old way of finding out was to see if someone kicked the bucket after using it. That might have been acceptable to society a century or two ago but not today.
For me, I'm curious about what other timbers can be used too but I'm willing to control my curiosity and allow my better judgement to keep me away from either being a Guinea pig myself or allow my friends and family to be one.
Like warra said, there is a difference between burning and soaking in ethanol. Burning causes chemical changes, so the actual chemicals entering the food are different than what is in the timber. Soaking in ethanol does not cause changes, rather the chemicals become dissolved.
Further, ethanol is a far better solvent than water for many organic molecules. A toxic chemical that is insoluble in water could be unchanged in the burning process and find its way onto the smoked food item and may remain insoluble in the body, passing through undissolved and not entering the blood. The same chemical dissolved in ethanol is more likely to stay dissolved and enter the blood.
I'm with bluc, this hobby doesn't need more deaths (I refer to south qld, 2013). We need responsible practices and hopefully there may come a time where our hobby is legalised.