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User Guidelines and Instructions => Guide to Smoking Times, Temps, Woods => Topic started by: stout on July 26, 2016, 05:29:45 PM

Title: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: stout on July 26, 2016, 05:29:45 PM
meats cheeses whatever

what wood or woods goes best with what for you?
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: NDKoze on July 26, 2016, 05:46:31 PM
Are you looking for additional feedback on top of what is documented in the following thread and included guide?

http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=2151.0

If so, a quick list from me is as follows:

Pork - Hickory, Cherry, or a Hickory/Cherry Combo
Beef - Hickory, Oak, or Mesquite. Hard to be Hickory for my favorite though.
Poultry - Cherry is pretty much the only wood I use for poultry.
Cheese - Apple, Cherry, or Hickory depending on the type of cheese.
Jerky/Snack Sticks - Hickory/Oak
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: Grampy on July 26, 2016, 06:31:52 PM
Pork - Hickory or Pecan
Beef - Mesquite, Oak, Hickory
Poultry - Pecan or Hickory
Jerky/Snack Sticks - Hickory, Oak, or Pecan

Probably the most versatile and popular wood is Hickory.
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: stout on July 26, 2016, 08:19:41 PM
Are you looking for additional feedback on top of what is documented in the following thread and included guide?

http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=2151.0

If so, a quick list from me is as follows:

Pork - Hickory, Cherry, or a Hickory/Cherry Combo
Beef - Hickory, Oak, or Mesquite. Hard to be Hickory for my favorite though.
Poultry - Cherry is pretty much the only wood I use for poultry.
Cheese - Apple, Cherry, or Hickory depending on the type of cheese.
Jerky/Snack Sticks - Hickory/Oak

thanks for the link

yeah just looking for input and inspiration
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: EFGM on July 26, 2016, 09:09:12 PM
Red Oak and Hickory on almost everything. Sometimes pecan.
I don't deviate much.
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: EFGM on July 26, 2016, 09:13:46 PM
Excellent PDF on the wood selection chart Gregg! I downloaded it.
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: DivotMaker on July 26, 2016, 09:30:00 PM
That question, to me, is like asking "What's your favorite movie?"  With the SI, we are actually able to taste the nuances of different smoke flavor in the meat, as it's not part of the heat source.  On traditional smokers, I have never really been able to tell the difference between some....but now I can!

So, my favorite woods may be significantly different from yours, or vice-versa!  I treat wood smoke flavor just like any other spice, for the flavor it imparts to the meat.  The only way to find what you like is to experiment!  For example, lots of folks say hickory and mesquite are "too strong," but I don't think they are!  In fact, if there was only wood I could ever smoke with again, I'd choose hickory, hands-down!  That's because I grew up in the south where hickory was the standard, so it "smells like BBQ," to me!  Others have different experiences with different woods.  Another example is apple; love the smell of it, when it's smoking, but really dislike the flavor profile it gives meat!  See what I mean?  You can't turn on the TV with seeing some commercial about "Apple-smoked (fill in the blank)."  Fact is, I don't like it, but many do.

Now that I've given my 2ยข on wood philosophy, I'll join in the fun! ;)

Beef:  Hickory, mesquite, red or white oak (depending on the recipe.  Red oak is a little stronger flavor than white oak).
Poultry:  Hickory, cherry, ash, maple
Pork:  Cherry and hickory, pretty much exclusively!  I've used white oak, and it's also good, but I stick to cherry and/or hickory.
Cheese:  Hickory or cherry.

 
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: stout on July 26, 2016, 10:00:04 PM
DivotMaker thanks for the work you have done on this

and your input

as an aside i wouldn't mind knowing what your favorite movie is  :D
mine is the great escape


thanks everyone for input on this already and any new posts yet to come
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: DivotMaker on July 26, 2016, 10:01:21 PM
as an aside i wouldn't mind knowing what your favorite movie is
mine is the great escape

What genre? ;)   
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: stout on July 27, 2016, 10:51:25 AM
as an aside i wouldn't mind knowing what your favorite movie is
mine is the great escape

What genre? ;)


 :D cooks choice


i have lots of wild black persimmon trees near me, thinking of trying some of that wood. they grow in the middle of the woods no chemicals or anything used on them

anyone ever tried this wood with any food? any special prep for fresh cut wood .. aging etc?
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: es1025 on July 27, 2016, 12:12:52 PM
I use the following:
Apple for poultry and pork
Cherry for poultry, pork, and beef
Hickory for pork and beef

I will mix apple and cherry for poultry and pork and mix hickory and cherry for beef.

I tend to go for the lighter smoke flavor.
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: drains on July 27, 2016, 01:16:20 PM
Definitely hickory for me. As Divot posted earlier, hickory is bbq to me too. I was raised that way, being from the south, although all the oak woods are big in other parts of Texas. Around here though hickory is king. I will admit to mixing hickory with cherry or maple on birds and the occasional pork butt. I really dont like pecan because it turns the meat very dark for some reason. Especially chicken.
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: DivotMaker on July 27, 2016, 08:53:45 PM
:D cooks choice

Since you went with war movies, I have to say Saving Private Ryan, in that genre.  Tons of great ones (The Great Escape is fantastic), but the human element, superb acting, cinematography and realism, catapults this one over the top, for me.  Dad was a WWII vet, and ate a lot of that same dirt, so this one touches home more than others.
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: stout on July 27, 2016, 09:03:35 PM
:D cooks choice

Since you went with war movies, I have to say Saving Private Ryan, in that genre.  Tons of great ones (The Great Escape is fantastic), but the human element, superb acting, cinematography and realism, catapults this one over the top, for me.  Dad was a WWII vet, and ate a lot of that same dirt, so this one touches home more than others.

can't knock that movie at all... great film
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: 40 caliber on November 05, 2016, 08:13:05 PM
I'll play
Pork - Hickory. is there anything else?
Poultry - Cherry, Maple - tried apple, it doesn't really work for me but i didn't throw it away!
Beef- Hickory, Mesquite
fish - Hickory, apple, but  looking for others to try!!
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: jpowell on July 04, 2017, 03:42:10 PM
I've got some sugar maple from smokinlicious that I've not used yet. Any suggestions for it?
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: stout on July 04, 2017, 03:49:11 PM
i've used it with chicken quarters quite often.. comes out great
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: DHorne on July 08, 2017, 06:04:13 AM
I see hickory to be the most popular!!! i use it for everything , nice to see the other woods in there
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: raymillsus on September 25, 2017, 04:04:22 PM
Older post but my favorite (I have not received my #3 yet) wood in my previous smoker was Bourbon Barrels. I found some Tequila/Bourbon barrels that I ordered and plan to try. I used these on almost everything except birds.
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: SconnieQ on September 25, 2017, 06:14:11 PM
Barrels would be oak, with some enhancements from the booze.
Title: Re: what is your favorite wood or combo of woods for smoking different foods
Post by: TX Gent on December 18, 2017, 09:32:52 PM
Prefer

Beef ... Oak and occasional Mesquite
Pork ... Hickory and minor fruit accents with Peach a fav
Poultry ... Pecan with Apple a close second

If I was limited to just one wood of any kind ... Oak