If there can be wine snobs, why not wood snobs?

[bluewhisper]

People here use a wide assortment of woods and make many comments about their flavors. Wine snobs speak of notes of oakiness. Yeah. We discuss the flavor of the oak itself. So are we wood snobs? We can distinguish the flavors of many woods and describe them with some of the same terms as used to describe wines and sometimes hot peppers - some are light and bright, some are dark and deep, some flavors are slow to develop. They say a large part of your sense of taste is in your nose. Smoke is aromatic so when you taste something smoked you're smelling/tasting the smoke as much as the food.

So let me don my smoking jacket, relax in my chair, and opine ...

My favorite all-around wood is apple, I've never gone wrong with it. Light and mellow, suitable for fish and chicken but also great for pork because it makes a sweeter result than other woods. I think alder is similar but I never see it around here (central Ohio). These woods are good for smoking when the eaters are new to smoked foods, and a stronger flavor might turn them off. Crab apple is essentially the same.

Maple, ah maple, my first love. How can I thank you? You took my smoking virginity in the pine woods campsite, with the chicken and the legless Weber. This is another excellent all-around wood, with a sweet flavor a bit more complex than apple. Last year I reaped an actual windfall (storm damage) and I still have some of it. Hatchet, please.

Now things start getting more tangy. Hickory brings a, well, nutty flavor. It's the flavor I'm accustomed to from mainstream "smoked"  products in groceries when I was growing up. This would be the Southern Gentleman of woods, softly spoken and of moderate temperament. It can be a bit strong for chicken but it's great for pork.

We move on to mesquite and oak. Both are strong and opinions vary. I prefer mesquite but I think I'm in the minority here. I've used oak only a few times and it was too strong for my taste. But, (running an offset) it's possible to fuel with charcoal  and add just a bit of it. As for mesquite, stand on the horse crippler cactus and hug the ocotillo. People here complain about the strength of the flavor but I like the tanginess in moderate amounts. It's the flavor of the grilled meats in the better Mexican restaurants around here.

Edited to add: my mistake, not ocotillo but cholla. Speaking as a tree hugger, don't go near one of those things.

You lose me at walnut. It's excellent as fireplace wood, the flame is much more blue than other woods.

So, what are your opinions?

 

[eat more beef]

I love a long smoke in walnut for my beef ribs!!! An interesting taste not used by many around here

 

[bbqbrett]

I favor hickory a lot, even for chicken. At times when I look for a bit lighter I mix in some cherry or apple with the hickory, especially for baby backs. Pecan is also quite nice. Overall I like a bit of variety and trying new woods or combos.

 

[tjones96761]

Hickory has a bolder taste than mesquite to my palate. Almost a bite to it, like sharp cheddar compared to plain. I'm told I'm in the minority with this opinion. Down here mesquite is THE way, even though it's 150+ miles south to find any growing. I didn't have hickory smoked anything until I was much older, and it grows all over this area.

 

[cats49er]

Oak is my every day wood.If I want to bump it up a little I'll use pecan or hickory.But not to much,only as much as it takes to give good flavor but not cover taste of the meat. Mesquite works well on things like steaks,pork chops.I must tell you some of the best southern pork I've ever had was cooked with oak and dry corn cobs. I sure wish I could find a pick-up truck load of good clean cobs.

 

[dwhite1031]

Here in West Texas we have an abundance of mesquite, so many of us have literally grown up smelling the aroma of a mesquite wood fire. But we can also get our hands on some pecan, different types of oak, and occassionaly some peach. And there's always the bags of "mini logs" one can purchase at the local Academy, which I have used, but I prefer picking my own wood out the stack instead of what is in brand X's plastic bag. With that said I like mesquite and/or oak for beef and pecan for pork, chicken, & sausages. And lump charcoal to get my coal bed started before I add my splits.

 

[four20]

American chestnut

 

[GaryHibbert]

Hickory is my go-to wood, hands down.  I like it on everything.  Miss Linda prefers pecan, a much milder smoke.  When I still had my stick burner, I quite often used willow (real common in my area).  The flavor and taste of willow is very similar to alder.  Apple is great on pork, and I often mix it in with other woods, just to add a touch of sweetness.

Gary

 

[bluewhisper]

I never heard of using willow. I used ash once, it was nice.

On one of the bbq boards in the 1990s, someone posted a long and excellent description of woods, their flavors and handling. I regret not saving that text.

Side note - I run a watershed group and we organize events to plant willows as erosion control around local reservoirs. The trees come as "stakes" which are cut branches approximately the diameter of your thumb, and three feet long. The planting method is to make a hole in the ground and drive the stake 2/3 down. So far our success rate is 25% - 50% or so, but for a minimal investment of $1 per stake and maybe 45 seconds to plant it, we can afford some failures while still making a difference. Google "stream restoration" for some examples of this kind of work.

 

[smokein man]

Ash is my go to for white meat if out i would use oak

 

[smokesontuesday]

Wouldn't say I'm a snob as I like just about all wood varieties but pecan is my go to for everything. It has great flavor, is mild enough for everything, and thanks to my uncle's pecan groves I always have a steady supply.

For fruit woods to use with poultry I love cherry and apple.

I know it's the go to Texas wood for briskets but I'm not a huge fan of oak. It's fine when mixed with something else but on its own I'm not a fan. I much prefer mesquite or hickory.

 

[bluewhisper]

Oh, you're not a snob then? Hmph well you're no fun. JUST KIDDING my whole point in starting this thread was to tease out board members on wood flavors, and so far so good. Thank you for participating.

 

[b-one]

My fave for everything is 50/50 pecan/cherry. Maple is pretty tasty,I got some post oak and it was a little to strong even the smell is suprisingly strong.

 

[four20]

Hey willow is good as well as locust. I believe we need to re-think this thread as wood age and species. We also need to account for variables concerning limb to trunk cuts.You know...... SNOBS

 

[lovelife]

I use red oak (quercus rubra) in my reverse flow smoker. I don't have a whole lot of experience with different types of woods but I thought oak gives off a pretty mild smoke flavor. In this thead I read that oak is pretty strong...?

 

[bluewhisper]

Oak is strong to my taste but I can simply use it moderately with lump. I just don't happen to have any now.

Does anybody make their own lump by building a fire in a Weber, and snuffing it?

 

[b-one]

I use red oak (quercus rubra) in my reverse flow smoker. I don't have a whole lot of experience with different types of woods but I thought oak gives off a pretty mild smoke flavor. In this thead I read that oak is pretty strong...?

Different types can be stronger then others I assume the post oak I had was very pungent.

 

[cliffcarter]

 
American chestnut

Where are you finding American chestnut?

 

[eat more beef]

Different types can be stronger then others I assume the post oak I had was very pungent.

How different is the red oak? Never have tried that.

 

[four20]

We have 2 American chestnut trees on our place. This property has been in my family for more than a century. As you know most of them were wiped out in a blight, My family was big on their nut and fruit trees as all farmers were then. We have 1/2 dozen century old pecan trees, 4 walnut trees, the two chestnut. Our pear tree died about a decade ago along with our old crabapple.