When making a BBQ, can one use “sawdust” from wine casks for the fire?

The sawdust is there to add a smoky taste

Answer:

No.

Wine soaked wood chips or charcoal briquettes that contain wine flavors or other kosher sensitive ingredients may not be used without proper certification.

Generally, even flavored wood chips or briquettes, such as hickory or smoke, are pure wood and the flavor is from the specific type of wood that was used. Briquettes are mixed with other ingredients, however these ingredients usually are not kosher sensitive and therefore does not need a specific certification. Even if they might contain Kosher sensitive ingredients, we can assume they are kosher, and in any event the food will not become non-kosher after the fact (Shulchan Aruch YD 108:1).

However if the wood is actually labeled as soaked, pre-treated, or coated in wine or any other kosher sensitive ingredient it requires a Hechsher. Even though the briquettes don’t touch the food directly and is consumed in the fire, the aroma which is released from them impacts the food. Non-kosher wines are forbidden not only to drink from but also to derive benefit from them.

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