My $.02 on wood. Never use soft woods. The reason is that soft woods generally have some type of sap. While most of these are not harmful if used to cook with, they will give the food a very bitter or nasty flavor. Stick with hard woods. The type of wood depends on the meat you are cooking and your personal taste. It is agreed among many that apple and pecan are among the best for pork. Mesquite goes really well with beef. Oak is a very well rounded wood that gives good smoke and is okay with almost anything. Also, the amount of smoke is important. Some meats are very sensitive to smoke and can be ruined by either too much smoke or the wrong flavor. Turkey is a great example of this. Turkey hates a lot of smoke, as does fish. Beef on the other hand, loves it and can't seem to get enough. After the first hour or two, smoke no longer penetrates the meat, so the wood is only providing heat at that point. This is why more and more people are using charcoal with wood chips or chunks, while the purists use only wood. It is a matter of preference. My personal preference is charcoal, using the minion method, with a blend of apple, pecan, and oak. It is a blend that took a lot of cooks to find, but it was well worth it. My advise wood be to experiment with different nut and fruit trees to decide what you like best with different meats. The new smoker looks great and I hope you and your daughter have many years of quality time around it!!
