Brian....
I have made a thousand or so pounds over the years and i normally use a mix of apple and oak. The hickory or pecan should do equally as good, I just dont have access to pecan. If I do a 12 pound batch, I will start at 150 and work up to 185 over a 10 hour period. I also lay it out flat on 1/4 inch mesh stainless racks. Good luck and let us know....