Another thought provoking question via email:
In general, what kinds of wood do you you like to use for which kinds of meat?
CS Nation, what do you think?
Smokin'
Original Post
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I like apple (sometimes apple & hickory) for pork and oak (sometimes apple & oak) for beef. 
Hickory is King.
Oak is Queen.
The rest are peasants, I guess, except mesquite and alder......which are from another planet; i.e., utterly unique.
Right?
Oak is Queen.
The rest are peasants, I guess, except mesquite and alder......which are from another planet; i.e., utterly unique.
Right?
Mesquite for everything.
I'm kinda of baised, a 1000 pounds (half cord) of well aged mesquite came with the bbq trailer biz I bought 6 Sep. That's like 3 life times for a CS usage. Anybody want a mesquite log, 2-3 inches x 16-18 inches, from prime NW Texas Mesquite stock?
Q,
Lamar
I'm kinda of baised, a 1000 pounds (half cord) of well aged mesquite came with the bbq trailer biz I bought 6 Sep. That's like 3 life times for a CS usage. Anybody want a mesquite log, 2-3 inches x 16-18 inches, from prime NW Texas Mesquite stock?
Q,
Lamar
Well, I guess I've got to go out West. Easterners say mesquite is good for grilling; not good for smoking. Only one way to get to the bottom of this and that is to eat more bbq....
1000 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1000 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With other cookers that use more wood,I like at least 1/2 oak blended with what ever flavor I'm working with.
I don't get as much flavor as I like with oak in my CS,probably because of the minimal amount of wood used?
I like a little mesquite with seafood and some blended in with beef.
I use some hickory with almost all else.
I like to blend some fruitwoods with the hickory,especially apple,with pork.
I use pecan in place of hickory at times for variety.
If I had more alder and I smoked more fish,I would use alder more.
When someone donates allspice bush pieces,I really like it for jerk pork or chicken--otherwise hickory.
I don't get as much flavor as I like with oak in my CS,probably because of the minimal amount of wood used?
I like a little mesquite with seafood and some blended in with beef.
I use some hickory with almost all else.
I like to blend some fruitwoods with the hickory,especially apple,with pork.
I use pecan in place of hickory at times for variety.
If I had more alder and I smoked more fish,I would use alder more.
When someone donates allspice bush pieces,I really like it for jerk pork or chicken--otherwise hickory.
Nobody's mentioned maple or cherry - both give a fairly light flavor and color. Maple is especially good with chicken, plus it's easy to find anywhere in the midwest.
Does the wood species affect the color? Seems like maple, cherry, or apple gives lighter color than hickory, but maybe it's just the amount or time used.
Does the wood species affect the color? Seems like maple, cherry, or apple gives lighter color than hickory, but maybe it's just the amount or time used.
apple or cherry either mixed with each other or mixed with hickory have worked well for me regardless of the meat being smoked.
Beef: Hickory
Ribs/Butt: Pecan &/or Hickory
Poultry: Cherry &/or Apple
Seafood: Alder, Apple, very small amount of Pecan
Generally, I've got a big supply of Cherry, Apple and Pecan and love them all. Since every Q restaurant I eat at has Hickory stuff, I tend to not do it at home.
Smokin'
Ribs/Butt: Pecan &/or Hickory
Poultry: Cherry &/or Apple
Seafood: Alder, Apple, very small amount of Pecan
Generally, I've got a big supply of Cherry, Apple and Pecan and love them all. Since every Q restaurant I eat at has Hickory stuff, I tend to not do it at home.
Smokin'
Hickory and pecan are just not available out here on the west coast, so you use a lot of fruitwoods, alder, maple and some oak.
Beef- oak
pork- fruitwoods hickory in small amounts if we can get it.
poultry- apple or cherry
fish- alder or fruit woods
Jim
Beef- oak
pork- fruitwoods hickory in small amounts if we can get it.
poultry- apple or cherry
fish- alder or fruit woods
Jim
FYI, Cookshack has all the hickory you want.Shipping is a little steep but its worth it, IMHO. I know that SmokinTex sells pecan also so if you start surfin' you can get all the wood you want.Good Luck.