Apple wood, cherry, oak mix for smoking

[Paulie Walnuts 440]

Hey wanted to get some input on mixing cherry, Apple, and oak for a cook doing pork shoulder, whole chickens. I never did a combination of all three but wanted to see your thoughts on it? I'm smoking meats for work for the 4th

 

[BenCarlson]

I wish I had a palate that sensitive! Burn it clean and Im sure it'll turn out delicious!

 

[smokerjim]

Sounds good although personally I've never could taste the difference with mixing woods , when I used my offset I just burned what I found around the yard, maple, ash, apple, oak.

 

[Paulie Walnuts 440]

Sounds good i figured I'd ask..i have a mix of ready to burn of all three so I wasn't sure if it would impart any odd flavoring but I will burn clean and see how it goes.

 

[SmokinGame]

Like Ben, I wish my palate was sensitive enough to detect the differences. I can tell the difference between mesquite and the fruit woods, but that seems t be my limit. I do tend to keep to the fruit woods for chicken, but never mixed them.

Having said that, saw that some people were using 50/50 cherry/oak for a brisket. May have to try that tonight when the brisket gets loaded on the smoker.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I have never cooked with apple or mesquite, but have used cherry, red and white oak, hickory, pecan, and maple. If cooking with only one type of wood, I can tell the difference between hickory and pecan when compared to the rest, but I think it's more of a smell thing rather than a taste thing. But the sense of smell is extremely important in how food tastes or is perceived to taste. About 80% of what we taste comes from smell.

For your mix, I really doubt anyone could smell or taste anything in particular and it will taste great. Cook on.....

 

[Paulie Walnuts 440]

Thanks all! If I smoke with just 1 specific kind of wood i do notice a difference with poultry. I've dabbled with maple, red oak and white oak, Apple, cherry, and hickory and could tell the difference between the hickory of course and the cherry was mild and sweet and of course gives a fantastic color on the meats. Apple seemed to be subtle in the smoke, maple was great with Turkey it is my favorite to use for Turkey. Oak to me was very subtle. I have paired oak with cherry and also oak with Apple and it was a nice steady burn with subtle Smokey flavor. I just never did two fruit woods together but looks like this 4th of July is a first time for everything hahaha

 

[smokin peachey]

Can’t wait to see the pics of your cook.

 

[Paulie Walnuts 440]

I'll take pictures!

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

I love the idea of those three woods. I apparently have a sensitive palate. I can't taste each of those woods distinctly. Apple has a very definite apple flavor in the results. When it burns and in the food that you eat from it. Cherry is more subtle but for most people they use it because it creates a reddish tint to the meat that is being smoked. So good for color. I like the kind of earthy fruit taste. Kind of like biting the cherry stem. Oak is a nice kind of middle ground wood. It has a hint of campfire without being too much like mesquite can be sometimes. I would try to burn them in equal parts for your smoke. No matter what, you have an awesome meal coming up this weekend. Good luck and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

G

 

[Paulie Walnuts 440]

Thank you! And my dad used to always use this saying pertaining to drag racing "run what u brung" hahahaha so I'm gonna burn what i got and like you mentioned in equal parts