Can I use pine lumber for my charcoal barbecue?

Question

Hi... I have a charcoal barbecue in which use the standard Kingsford or Matchlight barbecue charcoal.

My son is getting ready for his Karate Black Belt and is breaking wooden boards. These are cut from a 12" wide and 10 foot long piece of No.2 Pine unfinished wood from Home Depot.

Can I use the broken pieces in my barbecue if I chop it down to smaller pieces. Do they put any chemicals in the wood I should be worried about. This IS NOT Green Lumber.

Answer 1

The sap alone will ruin the taste. Pine is not the way to go. Wait till he's strong enough to break oak boards and use that wood.

Answer 2

It's loaded with pine resin.  Will make food taste icky, it burns smokey, fast and leaves a gunky residue.

Answer 3

You should never use pine in a fireplace cause the resin will build up and cause a fire in the chimney.  So I suppose I wouldn't want to eat anything that was cooked with it either.  I also take karate and use the broken pieces for small scrolled wooden projects.  Ever thought about woodworking?  You can sell what you make or have lots of gifts for people.  Also, if you're looking for free wood to save money, go to cabinet shops.  You'd be amazed at what they throw out that you can use.