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cireksu
03-12-2010, 03:51 PM
What is everyone's favorite?

Going to try my first one this weekend.

K-Barbecue
03-12-2010, 03:53 PM
My favorite would be hickory with a little mesquite

thomasjurisd
03-12-2010, 03:55 PM
I've used all mesquite, all hickory...never mixed the two but both have turned out great!

Smokin' Gnome BBQ
03-12-2010, 03:56 PM
I like hickory and some pecan. oak works as well because its "light" in flavor...

Sal

Smokey Al Gold
03-12-2010, 03:56 PM
Mine is mesquite. Next brisket will be pecan

Big_T_BBQ
03-12-2010, 04:00 PM
Hickory - but I like it on everything

Smitty250
03-12-2010, 04:03 PM
I recently purchased a cord of Pecan and have been using it on everything.

K-Barbecue
03-12-2010, 04:05 PM
Everyone has their own tastes but I've found brisket can take a lot of smoke unlike something like chicken or ribs.

Dave Russell
03-12-2010, 04:09 PM
I prefer hickory mixed with something milder like apple or cherry, but I've never tried any oak. Regarding pecan, one time I used only pecan chunks in the uds and really missed the hickory. Bare in mind that I'm not big on a lot of smoke, but there's just something about hickory that I gotta have with beef, or pork shoulder, for that matter.

Arlin_MacRae
03-12-2010, 04:11 PM
Hickory, mesquite, or a mix of the two!

cireksu
03-12-2010, 04:16 PM
has anyone ever over-smoked a brisket? I'm worried about the smokiness, not being over or undersmoked.

jeffjenkins1
03-12-2010, 04:18 PM
I use oak and apple mix. I used mesquite, hickory and apple, all by themselves in the past. The oak stepped it up a notch.

When I use hickory alone, I felt it was too much smoke and the brisket would come out bitter.

Jeff

1_T_Scot
03-12-2010, 04:20 PM
Hickory by itself or Hickory and Mesquite mixed.

HeSmellsLikeSmoke
03-12-2010, 04:20 PM
Post Oak is my number one choice. It is the wood used in most of the Texas brisket meccas. White oak is a close relative. Mesquite, burned down to coals before putting it in the pit, is used at Cooper's in Llano.

K-Barbecue
03-12-2010, 04:21 PM
As far as under or over smoking I think the type of smoker you have will dictate whether or not that could happen. I've found that an offset smoker burning pure wood can be too much whereas my Traeger could never over smoke a brisket.

JD McGee
03-12-2010, 04:23 PM
Oak baby...:cool:

cireksu
03-12-2010, 04:24 PM
Thanks for the input guys. Probably going to go with Hickory because that is my favorite anyway.

AlabamaGrillBillies
03-12-2010, 04:51 PM
mesquite is the classic brisket wood, but I've had good results with a 70/30 hickory/cherry mix.

BobBrisket
03-12-2010, 04:56 PM
Oak, with peeecan a VERY close second.

Capn Kev
03-12-2010, 05:01 PM
Cherry (pellets) that is...which is a mix of oak with 25% flavor wood.

jestridge
03-12-2010, 05:26 PM
When in doubt use hickory.

JDV
03-12-2010, 05:34 PM
Oak, Oak, Oak

Alan in Ga
03-12-2010, 05:41 PM
I use almost exclusive pecan love the flavor

smalls65
03-12-2010, 06:56 PM
I love pecan on everything!!!!!!!! :-)

eugenius67
03-12-2010, 07:06 PM
Ever try grape vine prunings? There like Swisher sweets, its different but its good.:wink:

Dave Russell
03-12-2010, 08:11 PM
Thanks for the input guys. Probably going to go with Hickory because that is my favorite anyway.

Good choice, but a good idea is to mix it with something a little milder like apple, cherry, pecan, or a white oak of some sort if you can. Also, avoid bark where convenient. I leave it on fruitwood since it's so thin, but try to get rid of most of it on my nut woods. Good luck with it!

Dave
uds, wsm, wots, wsj, char-griller

Saiko
03-12-2010, 08:50 PM
Brother Funk can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the "traditional" wood for brisket in areas like Lockhart, Texas (Kreuz, Smitty's, etc.) is Post Oak, not mesquite.
I also believe that Post Oak IS in the white oak family, not a relative of white oak. So if you were going for the traditional Texas brisket it would be white oak.
Personally I use about 50% hickory and 50% apple or wild cherry for both brisket and butts.

jkd9977
03-12-2010, 10:00 PM
I like hickory/cherry.

Go State!

Dave Russell
03-12-2010, 10:24 PM
Brother Funk can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the "traditional" wood for brisket in areas like Lockhart, Texas (Kreuz, Smitty's, etc.) is Post Oak, not mesquite.
I also believe that Post Oak IS in the white oak family, not a relative of white oak. So if you were going for the traditional Texas brisket it would be white oak.
Personally I use about 50% hickory and 50% apple or wild cherry for both brisket and butts.

True dat.

Post oak is a member of the white oak family, and according to my "Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook", the Texas House of Representatives approved a resolution naming Lockhart the "Barbecue Capital of Texas" back in 1999. Lockhart, along with Taylor and Elgin are in the central Texas "barbecue belt", and post oak seems to be the wood of choice there.

They like the mesquite in the south/western parts of Texas because that's what grows everywhere. However, Rudy's in San Antonio doesn't use mesquite, or at least wasn't using it when I had it, and that's definately mesquite country. Rudy's had some FINE brisket and sausage, believe me.

Meat Burner
03-12-2010, 10:37 PM
Pecan fan here. It's all great!

Puppyboy
03-13-2010, 04:00 AM
The best brisket I ever made was done with ash.

wickedbbq'r
03-13-2010, 08:50 AM
What, no damn green peach wood? :doh:

gordo
03-13-2010, 08:57 AM
Oak...for basic...
and if have any nut or fruit wood, mix it in...
But Oak by itself, will work fine..