Best smelling AND tasting woods to use??

[brandonh1987]

So I am new to stick burning. Yesterday was my first cook actually and I noticed a huge difference in the smell coming from my cooker when I would change between oak and apple.

I am curious what everyones opinion is on the best smelling wood to use.

The BBQ restaurants around here use mostly hickory and man they smell GREAT.

Using oak yesterday didn't produce any sort of nice smells to my liking, however I did enjoy the apple.

 

[Ron_L]

As our long lost Brother KCQuer always said...

"Any wood is good for BBQ as long as it is cherry" :-D

 

[Shagdog]

I love cherry. Not fruit cherry. The wild black cherry that is used for hardwood furniture. They also call it choke cherry.

And hickory.

 

[teacherman]

I've always raved about apple, but hearing about cherry, well, I plan to research that further. I remember how elated I was once when a lady asked me to remove a dying apple tree for her. I did it for free. 25 years ago, wood is long gone......

 

[pjtexas1]

I think it depends on what you are used to. You said oak didn't smell good. Oak smells good to me but I'm in central Texas, pretty much all we know. But pecan smells a little better to me.

 

[campdude]

I usually use a 60/40 to 75/25 combo of hickory and cherry. Add the fragrance of cooking pork and I personally don't think you can beat the smell. I use other woods and like them, but I always go back to hickory/cherry.

 

[mahenryak]

Oak for brisket, pecan and peach for pork, apple and cherry also for pork and poultry. Alder for fish.

 

[saseekutz]

I use mostly pecan for everything but mix in apple or cherry for port or chicken cooks.

 

[frankH]

I went and chewed on all 6 woods I have in the garage. I don't like the taste of any of them.

 

[gun smoke]

in my stick burner oak really dry oak.

 

[frognot]

Mostly use pecan because that's what we have a lot of but nothing beats the smell of cherry wood smoke, IMO.

 

[cheez59]

I like all of the most common smoking woods because I like variety. That said though there is no wood that even comes close to the sweet aroma of hickory when it is burning.

 

[Texan79423]

Hickory for darn near everything. Mesquite for hot fast steaks, only

 

[Decoy205]

I love the smell of hickory and pork!!!

 

[LongIslandEd]

Cherry and Sassafras. Someone gave me some BBQ Delight sassafras because they heard they were no good to use (hurrah for me). I love using it - chicken or pork in a smoke tube with hickory or cherry.

 

[SGH]

As for as burning it to produce a pleasant smell in a outdoor heater or fire pit, Sassafras, all Pines or evergreens, Cedar and Bannana trees all give off a wonderful smell. However most of the above are not good for cooking.
As far as cooking wood, I prefer to use oak and pecan for taste, but Apple smells the best in my opinion.

 

[cats49er]

It all depends on what mood I'm in and what I'm cooking.Pork butts it"s oak and hickory.Pork ribs it"s pecan. Poultry it"s pecan.But if I had only one wood ,I;d have to go with oak. The best pork BBQ I ever ate was cooked with oak and corn cobs.Wish I could get some good clean and dry cobs.Yet again it could just be an old guy remembering his child hood.lol

 

[jham0077]

Apple and hickory, light on the hickory though, for cooking. I like oak on a camp fire. I need to try the cherry.

 

[Foxdog01]

No one mentions mesquite. I haven't smoked with it yet, but I am eager to try it. I know I like mesquite when out to eat...

 

[OS]

Oak. It is like Hickory's younger gentle cousin.
Followed closely by Cherry. The Cherry gives a nice deep mahogany color that is pleasing to the eye. It tastes good to.