Favorite Wood

[Desjeany]

I really like the flavor fruit wood gives meat.  I smoked a Turkey and used apple and cherry wood, and the flavor was amazing.  Alder also gives a good light smokey flavor.  Mesquite is just to strong for me most of the time, so hickory and pecan are my choices most other times.  Anyway, just my picks. 

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[psoltesz]

I've always wanted to smoke a ham using sugar maple chunks.  Haven't tried it yet, as sugar maple only seems to be available online.

I'm pretty partial to hickory for most beef, and I usually use apple for poultry and pork.

I've been experimenting with alder wood recently, and it seems to be pretty nice. Pretty mellow flavor, and good smoke.

  - Phil

[schway]

Just a place to check and maybe help you with choice of woods. http://www.deejayssmokepit.net/Downloads_files/SmokingFlavorChart.pdf

[psoltesz]

Hey, has anyone else noticed how great the hickory chunks Steve sells on smokin-it.com are?  I used up the ones he included with my Model #1, and they were great.  I remember thinking how unusual they looked when I first got them (kind of like big pieces of doweling), and wondering if they would work as well as the more "natural" looking chunks.  But after using both, I really think the cylindrical ones Steve sells are actually better than the others.

What does everyone else think?

  - Phil

[old sarge]

Some of the natural wood I have used has been sort of barky and it takes some time to remove.  Also, I have heart wood as well as the clearer outer wood which I prefer. The dense stuff works great in my stick burner (and the fireplace) but the closed environment of the electric smoker begs for clean wood. So, I am in agreement with you.

[Desjeany]

I noticed right from the start that the tubes smoke better.  I guess I'll find out when I finally get some meat in my smoker   Hopefully tomorrow

[Rob Babcock]

Hey, has anyone else noticed how great the hickory chunks Steve sells on smokin-it.com are?  I used up the ones he included with my Model #1, and they were great.  I remember thinking how unusual they looked when I first got them (kind of like big pieces of doweling), and wondering if they would work as well as the more "natural" looking chunks.  But after using both, I really think the cylindrical ones Steve sells are actually better than the others.

What does everyone else think?

  - Phil

I agree!  I also initially was a little skeptical as they looked like carpentry dowels!  But they turned out to be really superb.  When I bought my #3 I purchased 3 bags of hickory to go with it, and now I'm just about thru the first bag (I've also been using other woods).  The stuff from Smokin-It really is about as good as anything I can find.

I will say though that I just ordered some of the Pucks that someone mentioned on another thread.  Hopefully they'll be good, too.

[Desjeany]

I also ordered some of the Peterson pucks as well.  I've read around the various forums that they work quite well.  I also thought they were pretty reasonably priced for the amount you get.

[es1025]

I am looking at ordering some wood probably cherry or apple from the fruitawood company.  20 lbs in chunk sizes for $32 with free shipping.  I'll have a lot of smoking to do with that much wood.

The pucks seem interesting as well, are they worth the cost?

[afratki]

My order from Mike's Tree Farm (http://www.bestbarbecuewood.com/BBQ_Smoking_Wood_Chunks_s/44.htm) just came in. I ordered the 25lb variety pack of hickory, apple and cherry. I'm just about out of the sample pack that came with my #1 and really liked the hickory but can't wait to experiment with cherry and apple. Unfortunately it will have to wait until next weekend 

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[UWFSAE]

Let us know their quality once you've had a chance to test them.  Also, how much was their shipping and the turnaround time on your order?

[afratki]

Shipping was $20 for me and the variety pack was advertised as 25 - 30 lbs, I received almost 28lbs. I ordered them Saturday night and they arrived Thursday (there was an order email confirmation, there was no email when they shipped).

The chunks were a little bigger than I hoped, with a random sample of 8 or so their weight out of the box was 4 - 10 oz so I have some splitting up to do. Also the chunks are 100% bark free but some have quite a few knots, does anyone know how this will affect the burn? I'll let you know how they smoke after I have a chance to use them.

[afratki]

Let us know their quality once you've had a chance to test them.

I smoked a 5 lb bird last night with a 2.5 oz chunk of apple wood from Mike's. At 225, I had about 2 1/2 hours of nice thin white smoke pumping from the top of my #1. This morning I looked and the wood was mostly grey ash with a small black piece. Pretty happy with quality of wood and the wife and I really like the taste the apple added to the chicken.