Thoughts on smoking woods

Drh7003 · 11-25-2012, 06:04 AM

Hey everybody...
I have a few different hardwoods I use when I smoke. We are fortunate that there is an orchard nearby that sells wood in the off season at a reasonable price.
Hickory I use for many meats and fish
Apple is my go to for Pork
Cherry and poultry always works for me

I would like to get some peach and pecan yet, to give them a try. I never seem to get to peach before it is all gone.

What are your thoughts on wood vs meat combinations?

Diesel-Dan · 11-25-2012, 07:17 AM

Being down here in the south we have an abundance of mesquite and pecan. I love pecan for the melow smoke flavor you get. Mesquite is a bit stong. So i cut with oak to mellow it out. With that being said I use post oak a lot as well. Good all around flavor and heat.

My fav is hickory. Just love the smell and taste!

I wish we had a better supplier of bulk wood here where i could get fruit woods. I want to try apple and cherry. But cant seem to find anything larger than just chips or chunks.

Harbormaster · 11-25-2012, 07:25 AM

I like a hickory/apple blend on pork, but sometimes I'll go straight hickory especially on ribs.

Oak and cherry for beef.

And I love birch on my chicken.

Rich Parker · 11-25-2012, 07:43 AM

I use peach or pecan for everything.

HeSmellsLikeSmoke · 11-25-2012, 08:26 AM

My favorites are:

Post oak or, if you can't get it, white oak for beef.
Cherry or hickory for Pork.
Sugar maple and/or corn cobs for chicken.

Desert Hawg · 11-25-2012, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeSmellsLikeSmoke

My favorites are:

Post oak or, if you can't get it, white oak for beef.
Cherry or hickory for Pork.
Sugar maple and/or corn cobs for chicken.

Have heard of, but never tried the corn cobs. May have to try it. My go to woods are, cherry, pecan, sugar maple, peach and apple. Have used almond once or twice.

HeSmellsLikeSmoke · 11-25-2012, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Desert Hawg

Have heard of, but never tried the corn cobs. May have to try it. My go to woods are, cherry, pecan, sugar maple, peach and apple. Have used almond once or twice.

Very nice mild smoke for chicken or turkey which can easily be over smoked.

jrn · 11-25-2012, 09:22 AM

I'd heard of corn cobs before. Think I'll try it! Looks like you're using about 3 cobs per cook?

HeSmellsLikeSmoke · 11-25-2012, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrn

I'd heard of corn cobs before. Think I'll try it! Looks like you're using about 3 cobs per cook?

They are distributed throughout the lump. I would guess there were six or seven in there.

Westexbbq · 11-25-2012, 10:16 AM

I just cooked a pork butt and 3 racks of backs using cherry and apple. Love pecan when I can get it along with peach. As stated above, mesquite can be over-strong so I do cut it with hickory or oak.

qnbiker · 11-25-2012, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drh7003

Hey everybody...
I have a few different hardwoods I use when I smoke. We are fortunate that there is an orchard nearby that sells wood in the off season at a reasonable price.
Hickory I use for many meats and fish
Apple is my go to for Pork
Cherry and poultry always works for me

I would like to get some peach and pecan yet, to give them a try. I never seem to get to peach before it is all gone.

What are your thoughts on wood vs meat combinations?

Interesting. Generally, I use hickory for pork, beef, and anything else that can stand strong smoke. I use cherry and/or apple for poultry and things that can be over-smoked. Sometimes I combine them. Once in a while, I use oak; it's good for anything. To each his own as long as you are pleased with your results. I remember my first turkey breast smoked with several chunks of hickory.

11-25-2012, 06:04 AM	#1
Drh7003 Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 11-24-11 Location: Middletown, PA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Thoughts on smoking woods Hey everybody... I have a few different hardwoods I use when I smoke. We are fortunate that there is an orchard nearby that sells wood in the off season at a reasonable price. Hickory I use for many meats and fish Apple is my go to for Pork Cherry and poultry always works for me I would like to get some peach and pecan yet, to give them a try. I never seem to get to peach before it is all gone. What are your thoughts on wood vs meat combinations? __________________ KCBS CBJ # 66647 Blue Weber OTG, Masterbuilt 7 in 1 smoker, Weber smokey Joe, UDS

11-25-2012, 07:17 AM	#2
Diesel-Dan Is lookin for wood to cook with. Join Date: 11-23-12 Location: Plano, TX Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Being down here in the south we have an abundance of mesquite and pecan. I love pecan for the melow smoke flavor you get. Mesquite is a bit stong. So i cut with oak to mellow it out. With that being said I use post oak a lot as well. Good all around flavor and heat. My fav is hickory. Just love the smell and taste! I wish we had a better supplier of bulk wood here where i could get fruit woods. I want to try apple and cherry. But cant seem to find anything larger than just chips or chunks. __________________ Ole Smokey - Old homebuilt stick burner

11-25-2012, 07:25 AM	#3
Harbormaster Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 07-14-06 Location: Wyocena, WI Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I like a hickory/apple blend on pork, but sometimes I'll go straight hickory especially on ribs. Oak and cherry for beef. And I love birch on my chicken. __________________ Clark My Boys: Joseph (EI); Andrew (EE); Daniel (EE) My Toys: 10 WSMs (B, C, DH, DA, EZ, DZ, EO, DU, DR, EE/DU mutt); Brinkman Cimmaron; Chuckwagon Cooker; 22.5" OTG (DT); Two 22.5" Bar-B-Kettles; One 18.5" Bar-B-Kettle; Smokey Joes (A, K); Genesis Silver C (DU); 3 WGAs (EZ, DE, N); 3 SJPs (DT, DU, DR). "For when democracy becomes tyranny, those of us with rifles still get to vote"

11-25-2012, 07:43 AM	#4
Rich Parker Babbling Farker Join Date: 06-20-09 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I use peach or pecan for everything. __________________ WSM and UDS - iBQ'n BBQ Team owner TheBBQSuperstore.com

11-25-2012, 08:26 AM	#5
HeSmellsLikeSmoke somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 04-02-07 Location: Warren, Vermont Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	My favorites are: Post oak or, if you can't get it, white oak for beef. Cherry or hickory for Pork. Sugar maple and/or corn cobs for chicken. __________________ Jim - Another transplanted Texan Former KCBS CBJ Large and Medium Big Green Eggs , Black 18.5" WSM, Blue Weber Performer - Stainless, Green Weber OTG Kettle , Brinkmann SnP Pro, and a Stainless UDS. One retired Portable Kitchen grill. Red Thermapen, Maverick ET-73, EdgePro Apex Sharpener. Avatar is the original 1951 Weber Kettle

11-25-2012, 09:22 AM	#8
jrn Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 07-30-12 Location: Quitman, Ms Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I'd heard of corn cobs before. Think I'll try it! Looks like you're using about 3 cobs per cook? __________________ UDS, mini wsm

11-25-2012, 10:16 AM	#10
Westexbbq Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 09-02-05 Location: Rockin' Lake Ronfarkoma, Hinterlands of BBQ . Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I just cooked a pork butt and 3 racks of backs using cherry and apple. Love pecan when I can get it along with peach. As stated above, mesquite can be over-strong so I do cut it with hickory or oak. __________________ Illuminated, circa 1967. KCBS CBJ-Texas Transplant. Texas Smokemaster offset, Well-cured NB Silver Smoker, Santa Fe grill (retired). glory bee gasser. Texas International Pop Festival, Labor Day 1969. IMBAS Certified. Just roll me up and smoke me when I die. Always remember, no matter where ya go, there you are. I wanna tell you 'bout Texas radio and the big beat. Someday, I hope to visit Penelope. Hondo Crouch, Famous Late Mayor of Lunkenbach, Texas who advocated a 'dillo diet: "You can eat nothing but armadillos for a month, but you will have to run down and catch all the armadillos you eat and it can really take the weight off!"