A forgiving wood.

[ckkphoto]

I am directing this post to newcomers or those that haven't smoked using apple wood...TALK ABOUT FORGIVING! Just like a butt is a hard piece of meat to mess up, apple wood is a REALLY forgiving smoking wood. Other woods smell really nasty when the burn isn't clean (black, dark grey or green smoke as opposed to thin sweet smelling). Not apple, incomplete combustion still smells like...you guessed it...Apple. Not as good as a properly burning fire, but definately beginner friendly.
Mesquite, on the other hand, takes quite a bit of MOJO to get a good smoke from, although if you are partial to the flavor (as I am) its worth it.
Oak is a matter of personal taste. Most people love it. I tolerate it. It burns steadily and is easy to get the hang of, but I just think the taste is average, and I don't care for the way it smells when it burns.

 

[egkor]

I like to use Mesquite as my "cooking" wood.

I don't let the "dirty" smoke reach the meat (this is the billowing white type smoke). I open the firebox lid and let the wood burn until the dirty smoke mostly goes away. Then I close the FB lid and continue the cook. I look for faint blue wispy smoke.

I always pre-heat the next split log on top of the firebox. This seems to reduce the dirty smoke and gets the log burning quickly when next up.

I don't use Mesquite for the whole cook. I use it only for the first couple hours or so. Then for heat I switch to either charcoal only, or use a LP gas burner.

-egkor (Gary K)

 

[Mike(Mi)]

My Apple from the neighbor that cleared his land is about gone. Guess I'll have to start cutting up the Cherry. 8)

I think you may be right, Oak is alot about personal preference. I LOVE the smell of burning Oak, but I'm not that crazy about mesquite.

Good advice though, its hard to screw up with apple.

 

[Solidkick]

I've never tried Oak, and don't like the way Mesquite smells. I do love cooking with Apple and Hickory. I agree with John, my turkey with apple was the best ever.

 

[rusold]

Before finding you guys I use to look for the white smoke from the wet Mesquite chucks I threw on the charcoal cause that meant I had really good smoke. I have had tons of bisket(commercial, cookoff...) that tasted like what I produced. I think it may be that it doesn't flavor much different white or blue because it is so acrid. Since trying to use only wood (lump as a starter) I have been using primarily oak with some hickory and some pecan. I think pecan is my "forgiving" wood - it seems to burn clean right away- is cool so you can tinker with the temp - and give a nice flavor.

R

 

[ckkphoto]

I have cooked extensively with pecan. It tastes okay, and is easy to cook with, but if it is green at all good luck getting up to temp. Mesquite is the opposite. Too little mesquite and you get a foul choking smoke that smells nasty and meat that tastes nasyt--too much mesquite and the temps go through the ceiling. I know I've posted it before, but when I use "all mesquite" I burn it in a nother container and just transfer glowing coals to the dera. Then the temps are stable, the smoke is clean, and the flavor is awesome. But obviously thats a labor of love compared to other woods.

 

[BBQchef33]

Im almost exclusivly white oak, the queen of smoking woods(mesquite and hickory are the kings). I use oak mostly for the heat and mix in the fruits for flavor, mulberry, cherry, pear and apple. anyone who is hesiatant on oak, which i really like, should try Red Oak. I think thats the best there is.. smells super sweet, burns hot.

 

[parrothead]

Hickory rules!!!!

 

[Mark]

I use everything mentioned so far. I rarely use 1 type of wood at a time, especially Mesquite. I think Mesquite should allways be mixed preferrably with some fruit tree wood; unless you're grilling a steak. Then, Mesquite all the way.

 

[midnight]

They say use whats around you, and thats what I do. I use mostly split Ash as a heat source then throw on a few chunks of hickory, mesq., apple or cherry as a flavoring wood. Seems to work great for me.

 

[rusold]

My wife (who buys the stuff) says it was called red oak - but the only oaks I know in this part of Texas are live oaks which in size and shape would seem to be a very different species than the oak trees I grew up with in Virginia. Any ideas on what kind of oak I cooking with?

R

 

[brdbbq]

Probably white.

 

[Mark]

As I recall, if it keeps its leaves all year its live oak. Thats what I used when I lived in Austin.

 

[rusold]

Mark,

I know Live Oak is evergreen (pretty much in all off Texas as far as I know) but what I have is logs and splits They really don't have any leaves of any color .

R

 

[Mark]

I's probably live oak since it grows locally and red oak doesn't. As long as its oak of any kind you can use it. If you don't know if its oak at all, you can tell the best from the grain. Look at the surface of a piece of oak furniture then look at the grain of a split piece of your firewood.