What type of wood for smoking?

[3putt]

I am a novice who smokes brisket/pork/chicken about once or twice a month.  I love reading your stories and learning more about smoking. I use mesquite wood for smoking but would love to know what you suggest. I started learning with hickory but it always seemed to overpower the food so for the last few years I have stuck with mesquite.

[cosmodrum]

IMO, mesquite overpowers more than hickory. Use a fruit wood - I typically use apple.

[cosmodrum]

Agree with cos...any kind of fruit wood.  My favorite is cherry.

I like cherry a lot myself...especially on pork tenderloin.

[DeltaBoy]

Dad uses OAK with some small pecan limbs in the Brinkman.

[DeWayne R]

I use a mix of hickory and pecan.

[edmo]

Hickory mostly, but will mix in some apple every now and then!

[Slacker]

Hickory and apple.

[jacobp]

Pecan is good enough for Whole Hog, its good enough for me when I can get my hands on it.

[3putt]

+1 to all.  Thanks for the input.  Another question...if using charcoal base plus wood chunks (for smoke) how much wood do you add?  The more I read the more I think I use too much wood during smoking.  I know it depends on the type of meat and length of smoke time but I have read articles that say only to use two or three chunks of wood for the entire smoke (for ribs or brisket).  I usually load up the wood and keep it coming for the first 4-5 hours...maybe overkill on my part.

[cosmodrum]

+1 to all.  Thanks for the input.  Another question...if using charcoal base plus wood chunks (for smoke) how much wood do you add?  The more I read the more I think I use too much wood during smoking.  I know it depends on the type of meat and length of smoke time but I have read articles that say only to use two or three chunks of wood for the entire smoke (for ribs or brisket).  I usually load up the wood and keep it coming for the first 4-5 hours...maybe overkill on my part.

Soak your chips for about an hour in cold water. Just about a handful per application is what I do. Deciding when to quit applying smoke is debatable. I'd like Boar or Old Tusk to chime in on that.

[jacobp]

There's one camp that believes that the meat absorbs all the smoke flavor it needs within the first couple hours of cooking. 

In my experience at the bbq restaurant, quite a bit of wood was added at the start of the cook and then sparingly throughout the rest of the cooking process.

[cosmodrum]

There's one camp that believes that the meat absorbs all the smoke flavor it needs within the first couple hours of cooking. 

In my experience at the bbq restaurant, quite a bit of wood was added at the start of the cook and then sparingly throughout the rest of the cooking process.

I usually stop smoking after the bark is formed.

[baitshop]

I use mesquite and some apple (when I'm cooking ribs)....and I keep wet wood chips in for the first 4 hours when smoking butts and only 2 hours for ribs and brisket....

My experience with hickory is like cosmo's....of course, that may be because I keep chips in it for 4 hours.....although, I don't struggle with same issue when I use the other mentioned meats...

JOMHO

[Slacker]

+1 to all.  Thanks for the input.  Another question...if using charcoal base plus wood chunks (for smoke) how much wood do you add?  The more I read the more I think I use too much wood during smoking.  I know it depends on the type of meat and length of smoke time but I have read articles that say only to use two or three chunks of wood for the entire smoke (for ribs or brisket).  I usually load up the wood and keep it coming for the first 4-5 hours...maybe overkill on my part.

I use 3-4 chunks for the first part of the smoke. Then maintain heat with charcoal, occasionally adding a small chunk or so. On big cuts of meat, I remove the wood chunks all together for the last half of cooking. Also, I don't soak the chunks.

[iluvmyslute89]

You can't go wrong with kush.... Wait a minute..

[Tim Harris]

Pecan and peach wood for me.

[cosmodrum]

You can't go wrong with kush.... Wait a minute..

No man...you were right.

[Old Tusk]

Pecan or a cherry / pecan blend.

[pigture perfect]

I agree with all these guys. It's just kinda like what ever you're in the mood for. It's all good. I do not recommend Sweet Gum or Pine.

[Slacker]

For butts and ribs, I start with three chunks of cherry...soaked maybe five minutes.  That smoke will bring the heat down and make it more controllable...it'll last about 45 minutes then watch the temp 'cause it will rise when the smoke is gone.  I'll add one more chunk for ribs at the 1:45 mark then foil them for an hour from hour 2-3.  Butts...3 more chunks about an hour before I take them off.

At Myron's cooking school, he started the fire with charcoal and lighter fluid then finished the cook with nothing but peach logs.  But there again...his Q looked good and his tips sounded great...but the taste wasn't so great.  His goal for the school was to teach how to cook and present the product to the judges.  I learned a lot but had to do some major tweaking just to make the stuff edible...I feel certain he wasn't giving winning recipes.  That's a whole other story, but I highly recommend his cooking school that he does in jan an feb.

You see what I see Shag?

[BR]

Most all the time Fruit woods

[PharmacistHog]

I mix oak and cherry. 

[rcopela]

Apple for me, but I have an unlimited supply available, my brother bought a farm and it had an old apple orchard on it...

[Slacker]

Can you hear what I hear?

Depends. What did you hear?

[Slacker]

Apple for me, but I have an unlimited supply available, my brother bought a farm and it had an old apple orchard on it...

Does your brother live in lincoln arkansas? If so, you could hook a brother up!

[1873Hawg]

Beef - Hickory & Pecan
Pork Ribs - Hickory
Pork Loin/Butt - Apple and/or Cherry

[SteveInArk]

Does your brother live in lincoln arkansas? If so, you could hook a brother up!

They sure got lots of dead/broken trees out in Lincoln.  The ice storms a few years ago devastated many orchards that I saw.  You'd think some would be harvesting the wood and selling it to deserving grillers.

[Slacker]

They sure got lots of dead/broken trees out in Lincoln.  The ice storms a few years ago devastated many orchards that I saw.  You'd think some would be harvesting the wood and selling it to deserving grillers.

There is a rumor going around that somebody from Texas bought it. Was in the process of clearing out the trees for this purpose. In the process of clearing, they found an gigantic illegal chemical dump in the orchard. Basically a whole bunch of 55 gallon drums of pesticide buried in the ground. The cost of clean up stopped the project. And I've heard a local now owns it.

[pigture perfect]

I loved getting real Cider from lincoln every year. I hate it too, it that's true about the chemicals.

[colbs]

I usually use a mix of hickory and apple.  Sometimes I will use one or the other as well.  Depends what kind of mood I'm in.

[Old Tusk]

Scored a cberry tree last weemend along with a white oak. The Ole Hickory will be verging. Those two for awhile

[DeltaBoy]

Pecan is my favorite !

[bolo]

damn...  didn't know about the pesticides..

Why would they do that?  all the people that ate fruit off that farm for years and they bury crap like that there?  Idiots...

brian reed has the lease

[rcopela]

Does your brother live in lincoln arkansas? If so, you could hook a brother up!

Sorry for replying so late, just now read this, he lives in Colcord Ok

[Murr]

Pecan all the way.  Love it on ribs.

Trying to get the wife to use Hickory or Oak, but she hates them.

I haven't had much luck with apple.

Not sure what to cook with cherry; it darkens every thing and leaves too much of a bitter sweet taste on things.

[bolo]

pecan or cherry are the best, hell ive used elm, any hard wood will work

[DeltaBoy]

For butts and ribs, I start with three chunks of cherry...soaked maybe five minutes.  That smoke will bring the heat down and make it more controllable...it'll last about 45 minutes then watch the temp 'cause it will rise when the smoke is gone.  I'll add one more chunk for ribs at the 1:45 mark then foil them for an hour from hour 2-3.  Butts...3 more chunks about an hour before I take them off.

At Myron's cooking school, he started the fire with charcoal and lighter fluid then finished the cook with nothing but peach logs.  But there again...his Q looked good and his tips sounded great...but the taste wasn't so great.  His goal for the school was to teach how to cook and present the product to the judges.  I learned a lot but had to do some major tweaking just to make the stuff edible...I feel certain he wasn't giving winning recipes.  That's a whole other story, but I highly recommend his cooking school that he does in jan an feb.

Yep in a interview on the Food Network he said he only taught you how to make it look good not EAT GOOD.
I have not been to his resturant but I hear it as good as Craigs, Shaddens or Armstrongs.

[VBRazorback]

what is the best woods to use for ham? ive got plenty of hickory but would you guys add a fruit wood? if so which one? never thought about peach wood.

[Slacker]

Almond.

[VBRazorback]

Almond.

now where the f&#k am i supposed to get almond wood? never heard of anyone using almond wood.

[cosmodrum]

now where the f&#k am i supposed to get almond wood? never heard of anyone using almond wood.

A f^&*ing almond tree?

[PharmacistHog]

I saw somebody on TV throwing hickory nuts on the coals for smoke.  Anybody ever done that?  (and just FYI VBRazorback, you'll find those under a f^&*ing hickory tree)

[Old Tusk]

I have used pecan shells an pecans. Not sure it made a big difference. Tbe people I know  who tried hicory nuts found tbem to be somewhat fire proof.

[Slacker]

Lol!!!

[ImHogginIt]

If you f#c&er$ don't stop with the profanity the admins are gonna merge this forum into general sports too 

[VBRazorback]

I saw somebody on TV throwing hickory nuts on the coals for smoke.  Anybody ever done that?  (and just FYI VBRazorback, you'll find those under a f^&*ing hickory tree)

I needed a good laugh this morning. Got plenty of hickory nuts in the yard. Hate those things. 

[VBRazorback]

Got some almond wood coming and also got some orange wood on the way. Worth a try on the orange.

[roy quapaw]

I use these....www.mojobricks.com

[Murr]

I saw somebody on TV throwing hickory nuts on the coals for smoke.  Anybody ever done that?  (and just FYI VBRazorback, you'll find those under a f^&*ing hickory tree)

Where do I find f^&*ing beer nuts?

[PharmacistHog]

Where do I find f^&*ing beer nuts?

In the Tavern.  Duh.