Any problem using this as mash stirrer?

[Pervy Sage]

1/2" x 3" x 4' poplar board from Lowes



anyone know if it's treated with any chemicals that are gonna kill me? I already started using it - really smooth and stiff and relatively cheap (washed it first). May make it skinnier toward the handle later on, but wow, so much more effective than the long plastic spoon from the homebrew shop.

[junkyard dawg]

I don't know how anyone could know if something was spilled or sprayed or dripped on some wood from a megastore like that. Personally, I'd make a proper paddle out of it, cut out the outer portion if you are concerned. I'd also have gone with the oak. Oak is much better suited to the job. I made my own giant stainless steel stirrer.

[big worm]

i would use it personaly. i have one made of something and i think its poplar. i have used it for years.

[Barney Fife]

It'll be fine. Poplar's never treated with anything, as it's a low end wood, usually used in non-showing parts of furniture, or parts that will be painted over. It's also not rot resistant at all, so you'll never see any that's been pressure treated. Being closed-pored, it's a better choice than oak.

DO look for teltale signs for anything that's been in contact with it, but here again, it's your friend, because it will stain readily, so if anything been spilled on it, it will show.

[punkin]

I wouldn't worry about it, it's just for cooking and you've probably put more thought into it's safety than all the other untensils in your kitchen put together.

At least you know what it's made out of, not like the spoon you use to cook your curry

I made one from a garden fork with the fork removed, six bucks from the hardware shop, then a couplea pieces of oak for wings and some stainless screws to hold it together...works a damn treat and pretty easy to clean too. dunno how sterile it gets, but i do give it a bleach rinse before use to sanitize it.



Edit, i know i said oak, but i can see from the pics that i've used a bit of rainforest destroying meranti....








BrewSpoonsAreNoGoodPunkin

[junkyard dawg]

It's also not rot resistant at all,

thats why oak is better. It is very resistant and a top quality wood. not the less desirable grade like poplar.

it's a low end wood,

it's a better choice than oak.

I don't think I understand your perspective barney. You seem conflicted. or confused...

Like I said the first time... I'd use it, carve a decent paddle out of it and don't worry. but, just from a style perspective, don't stir your mash with dimensional lumber. thats embarrassing.

[goose eye]

can tell yall aint in the timber busines sayin poplar is less disirable than oak.
next time you at lowes go a couple more isle down an get a morter mixer.
tater got a picture somewhere on here. get a ss rod an add on to length if you messin with barels.
if you aint got curent use a lard stand paddle or just go by boat padle

so im tole

[Dutchmancreek]

I whittled one down into a paddle and have been using it for a long time.

[junkyard dawg]

goose, all I'm saying is oak is a better wood for contact with foods. maple might be better still, but ya just don't see many kitchen utensils made of poplar. In no way was I trying to drag the reputation of poplar through the mud.

[brewmaker1]

Can't say much about the wood, but I've been using one similar to this one for years. It's made of maple and pretty easy to construct.

[Barney Fife]

I don't think I understand your perspective barney. You seem conflicted. or confused...

Because you didn't read my entire post...

Poplar's not rot resistant, that means it's not used where the wood would be in long term contact with a moist medium, therefor, it's never used as a pressure treated timer. IE: we don't have to worry wether or not it was treated with chemicals. But or this use, it'll never rot, because it will be allowed to dry between uses.

As for being more desirable than oak for this use, I stated because it's a closed-pore wood, where the oak is an open pore wood. The large pores of the oak lends it more easily to infection between uses, where the closed pores of the poplar won't harbor as many nasties, and they're easier for the bleach to get at when disinfecting. It's also much lighter in weight than oak, which is a plus here.

Save the oak for aging.

[Woody_Woodchuck]

I use a piece of ¾” x 3 ½” white oak about 3’ long. Whittled a round end for a handle and it’s worked for many years with no issues at all. Before that I used a ¾” x 1” piece of oak, worked just fine also.

I think poplar would work fine also. It’ll age just fine, give it a few years and some batches on it. Heck, pine, walnut, cherry… would work also. Remember you’re just stirring not letting it soak in the mash. As long as it is not treated or have some kind of finish on it, that would cause problems with taste contamination. Rinse when done and make sure it’s hung up to dry.

[junkyard dawg]

Because you didn't read my entire post...

I read your entire post several times. I even went back and cut and pasted things from it... maybe its a little out of context, but its all in fun... don't get worked up. You did say poplar is not resistant, its low end, but, its better than some other alternative. Pressure treatment doesn't have anything to do with it.

Birch and beech are the two woods most often used in commercial wooden spoons. Olivewood is also popular. So is cherry, walnut, maple and others. I've seen oak paddles. I've seen oak butcher blocks and cutting boards. Oak is tough, durable, holds up to water, and I have heard at least rumors of its natural antibiotic properties.

just my humble opinion... I doubt we really need to argue over whats better. They both will work... its just a spoon

[rad14701]

An old guy I knew when I was younger used a whittled up old barrel stave for stirring... He passed away over 30 years ago and took most of his secrets with him...

[punkin]

To quote that skinny bitch Eliza from the last season of Survivor...

"That's not the idol, it's just a fukin stick"








Best line ever, i was glad when she copped it too....









RatFacedLittleStrumpetPunkin

[junkyard dawg]

I had to google that one... I've never seen that show...

Shes cute...

but, I recommend reading the wikipedia entries for oak and poplar.

and I stand by my oak endorsement.