Burlap

[antaro]

I hear good things about smoking with burlap and today I acquired a pile of coffee bags from a local roaster.
Is there a concern about possible chemicals in these bags? Do people use coffee burlap often? Any issues?

[annette]

Yes, you have to be very careful that the burlap is not treated. I have no idea about burlap you get from coffee beans so I hope someone replies that knows.

[T Beek]

Burlap and bailing twine used to be most preferred for smoking fuel but as annette said, both are suspect these days due to 'unknown' chemicals now used as preservatives, fungicides and pesticides.  Washing well and hanging in direct sunlight may or may NOT remove these chemicals but I know some who do.  The use of chemicals long banned in the US still finds a home here due to lax import regs.

Clean, dry hay works very well and if in a pinch always works if smoker is running low on fuel, but I usually just roll up plain brown corrugated cardboard (no printing or tape) sized to fit my smoker snug but loose, lit with a couple pieces of paper on bottom, at least as a starter.  Lights easily, stays lit, lasts a very long time and always blows clean white smoke until the end.

I've also been experimenting successfully with dried Sumac flowers which are abundant around my area in Fall.

thomas

[Grieth]

Last bit of burlap I tried (someone gave me) was new.  When lit it gave a very acrid smoke.  An old beek said I should leave it in the weather till it starts to breakdown.  I am thinking it is chemically impregnated and didn't use it.  back to pine needles and egg cartons if desperate.

[Tommyt]

I have found paper towel cardboard centers along with toilet paper centers are very good
for the smoker and some dry wood chips on top
I tear up this stuff and keep a bag of it around my little way to recycle

Tommyt

[njoylife10]

When I process beeswax, I use paper towels or cut up old t-shirts to clean up then I save them to use in my smoker.  It is the easiest stuff to burn that I have found yet and stays going until it burns up. 

[Kathyp]

the burlap from the coffee beans should be fine.  that's what i use also.  sometimes i pick it up at the military surplus store and it's kind of dirty.  i run it through the washer.  if it's pretty hairy, you can put it inside a pillow case or something so that it doesn't shed all over your washer.

[AllenF]

Leaves out of the woods and old cardboard and packing paper are much cheaper to burn.

[Katharina]

The burlap bags used in the US for food items are not treated, so they are fine.  I get mine for free from the potato growers.  They always end up with bags that have holes from usage or mice.  5 bags are more then enough for the season.  They are usually loaded with sand, so I rinse them several times.  I cut a strip, put a little bit of raw cotton (size of a cotton ball) and a few cedar wood pieces (usually two 1" pieces left over from wood crafting) inside.  Then one wrap of paper to get it started.  Burns for very long.  I put a cork into the smoker to stop the process when done.  This give me my next startup base.  Burlap found in fabric/craft stores is treated and needs to be washed first.

[caticind]

Meh.  I have pine trees that dump loads of free smoker fuel on my lot.  All I have to do is go to my driveway and scoop up a handful.

As for burlap, if you can find out where the bags came from.  Those used in the US should be untreated, but coffee, being an import crop, may be shipped in bags that are made overseas, where there are fewer restrictions.

[T Beek]

Last time I looked into this, burlap had no 'country of origin' listed regardless of where it was purchased or what it once contained.

thomas