Peach wood; is it just me?

sdbbq1234 · Apr 3, 2013

I got a bag of peach woods chunks. They are pretty good size chunks.

Anyway, I threw some on my UDS a few weeks ago when smoking some ribs.

Well, the smell of the smoke was really pungent! Nothing like any other wood I have used.

Is it just me, or does peach wood put off a really strong smell?

Thanks.

wallace

BBQ Bandit · Apr 3, 2013

Peach is a sweet smelling wood - when burning clean.
Smoldering wood will be bitter and pungent.

DirtyChurro · Apr 3, 2013

Not to sound snarky, because it isn't meant that way, but isn't smoldering wood what you want?

BBQ Bandit · Apr 3, 2013

DirtyChurro said:
Not to sound snarky, because it isn't meant that way, but isn't smoldering wood what you want?

Fair question. The key aspect of smoking meat is a desired TYPE and COLOR of smoke. Thick, white billowing smoke (common with smoldering, partially burnt wood) is not what we are shooting for... but is full of bitter particles (not fully burned elements)... many refer to as an undesired aftertaste.

Using fruitwood is not as BTU rich or as hard as oak, maple, or hickory wood which are the true hardwoods - requires hot burning fires which results to a thin blue smoke in appearance. The cleaner the smoke - better the results.

Using chunks mixed with charcoal - will vary in proportions for different smokers and designs.

The smoker on the left - is running too cool and not ready for meat. The smoker on the right is ready to cook.

Meat & Heat · Apr 3, 2013

Kinda smells like piss to me:laugh:. I have used a lot of peach and agree it has a differen't smell, nothing like apple, cherry, or even oak, which I think smells good while smoking.
It does through give a good flavor

DirtyChurro · Apr 3, 2013

I have not used peach wood. I generally use cherry and apple and they smell great when they smolder on the tray above my propane flame in my Smoke Vault. It puts off that blue smoke for me. For a while I thought the smoker was performing poorly because it wasn't chuffing the white smoke I used to get from my old smoker back in the day. :doh: I haven't had anything on live coals for a long time. My UDS will be done someday...

caseydog · Apr 3, 2013

My FIL cut down a dying peach tree, and the wood was very mild on the smoker. If it was really smokey, and as someone mentioned, "smelled like piss," I would have to think that the wood rotted.

Seriously, the peach wood I smoked with was some of the mildest wood I have smoked with. That was just my own personal experience.

CD

Fishawn · Apr 3, 2013

Got any pics? Maybe it was not Peach?.... Peach I've used has always been nice, sweet & mild.

sdbbq1234 · Apr 4, 2013

Fishawn said:
Got any pics? Maybe it was not Peach?.... Peach I've used has always been nice, sweet & mild.

No problem. I'll get some pics tomorrow and pits them back.

wallace

MattG · Apr 4, 2013

I've cooked with a good bit of peach wood, never noticed a piss smell. But it does have a strong smell when cooking but it only adds a mild sweet smoke flavor to the meat. And it helps add some extra color the the meat as well.

Gnaws on Pigs · Apr 4, 2013

Probably wasn't seasoned completely-both peach and cherry have that bitter, "piss" smell when still somewhat green, it comes from the hydrocyanic acid in the bark. Freshly-cut cherry wood has a very bitter, unpleasant smell which goes away as it dries. Same with peach.

Kloogee · Apr 4, 2013

BBQ Bandit said:
<clip>

Using fruitwood is not as BTU rich or as hard as oak, maple, or hickory wood which are the true hardwoods - requires hot burning fires which results to a thin blue smoke in appearance. The cleaner the smoke - better the results.

<clip>

The smoker on the left - is running too cool and not ready for meat. The smoker on the right is ready to cook.

Bandit,
That picture is a fantastic illustration of good and bad smoke!

For your statement about fruit vs. hard woods, I'm not clear on what you are saying. Are you saying fruits or hard woods have to burn hotter to get the thin blue? For me, I have a UDS which of course is a smoldering fire where the temp is restricted by lowering the air flow. Would it be easier for me to use oak and get thin blue compared to the normal apple or cherry I use (or peach in the OP's case)?

nthole · Apr 4, 2013

That picture should be in the faq for beginners. That is a perfect example of smoke.

That said, I tried peach once and hated it. So it might not be just you. Sometimes there are things you just don't like!

Gnaws on Pigs · Apr 4, 2013

Another factor with peach and cherry is the size of the wood pieces-larger pieces with less or no bark are much better than small limb chunks with a lot of bark. The bark is where the bitter smell comes from.

NickTheGreat · Apr 4, 2013

How did it taste?

SA_Scorpio · Apr 4, 2013

Bandit, thanks for posting that picture because it cleared up a begging question I have had for awhile.

TBASS · Apr 4, 2013

Peach is my go to wood for just about everything except brisket. I have never thought of peach as very strong flavored wood. Could it be that the wood was rotten. From my experiences, peach is a very mild wood. JM2CW.

sdbbq1234 · Apr 4, 2013

Smells like piss. LOL I swear, I want to build a fire in the back yard and try that. I bet it the smell is pretty dog-gone close!

Anyway, here are some pics of the wood. It does look like the chunks are from limbs; and bark is still on.

The bark will come off, but not very easy.

And I am wondering as others have mentioned, smoldering in a UDS might not be the best way to use this wood.

I am going to be doing a cook and will try on the UDS, but AFTER the charcoal and temps are leveled out.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks for the replies and advice.

wallace

kw · Apr 5, 2013

Looks like peach to me. Last time I bbq'd I used some peach from a local orchard. It did have a bit of a strong aroma to it, different than other fruit woods or hickory. The bbq came out pretty good though.

Nice pics Bandit. Really shows the difference.

Haveuseen1? · Apr 5, 2013

I pretty much use peach wood for everything, unless I am cooking brisket, where I use pecan. I have never noticed any odd smells or odd tastes. I do occasionally mix it with apple, or cherry, and even a small piece of pecan. Still no odd taste or smells.

I have always felt that peach adds the hint of smoke I am looking for and lets the meat shine as well.

I get my peach wood from two places. First is the peach farm down the road, when they prune. The second is Fruitopia.

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