What colors do different WOOD SMOKE impart to meat? - Advice + Comments Please

Hi all,

Since I been grilling and smoking using my kettle grill this past year, I have mostly been using PECAN wood. As I have a tree in my yard that occasionally drops branches, and other neighbors cut off offending branches and leave on the curbs. Which makes the pecan fairly easy to obtain in these parts. I have some oak seasoning which needs a few more months before I can use it

To me, the pecan imparts a soft woodsy flavor to my meat. I especially notice it on my chicken cooks. The color it imbues is a wonderful golden color, that I just love. My brother in Florida uses hickory that he gets in Alabama when he goes hunting. The hickory imparts a red hue to what he grills. I know others on the forum use peach, apple, cherry, walnut, mesquite, oak and other woods. I thought I would ask this question for myself and for others here on the forum who would like some insightful information as well.

My question is thus:
What colors do different woods impart to meats?
Pic examples would be very helpful.

I will start with a couple of grilled chicken photos that I used pecan wood to smoke as well.
The pecan adds that awesome golden coloring.

Hi Bob,(or anyone who knows)

Can you use ornamental plum trees as well?
Or just the fruiting ones?

The only wood I've heard of that supposedly left a remarkable color to the meat is cherry, but if there's a difference there, I'm sure there's differences in other woods as well. I've just never noticed.

Regarding the pecan, always make sure that it's well seasoned. I've never smoked with it green, but it can be especially sooty from what I've read.

peppasawce said:

Smiter all I use are the Fruitbearing and Nutbearing Trees no Ornamentals here...I don't eat Ornamental Cabbages so therefore I would not smoke with Ornamental Wood either... It's a virtue per say...Peppa#####

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Wise advice. I was thinking what you shared, just was not sure. Thank You.

BrewerDJ said:

I have a book, "Meat Smoking & Smokehouse Design", which lists wood with flavors and some have colors. Acacia is yellowish. Hickory develops reddish color. Oak produces light brown to brown, depending on time. Pear has a dark red color. It list flavors of other types of woods but these are the only ones that have specific colors attached to them

I'm looking for pear right now to see how dark red it really is.

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Maybe differences are more noticeable at lower smokehouse temps?