Oak vs Hickory?

[big woot]

Question, I have been smoking meats now for a few years. I am currently using a Smoke Hollow Pro 44 propane smoker. I have always used hickory chips and chunks or apple wood. I have a pin oak in my back yard that drops a lot of branches and every once in a while I have to cut branches off. Would it be smart for me to cut up some of the branches and use them in my chip boxes or should i keep buying the hickory or apple chips and chunks? Just curious if anyone had a thought about this. I do cok a lot of briskets and I hear oak is the best wood for that.

 

[pc farmer]

I love using oak. It's almost all I use.

 

[SmokinAl]

I use both hickory & oak, because it's easy to get down here & I also have oak trees in my yard.

I like the flavor hickory gives the meat, it's a little stronger than oak.

But most of the time I mix them together.

Al

 

[DanMcG]

I love oak with beef, but prefer hickory or pecan with pork

 

[dward51]

I've used oak, and mixed it with hickory on many occasions.  Oak is a staple in a lot of pits.  Around here, I have access to a lot of pecan (it's Georgia, so duh), and I have friends and co-workers who give me limb sections all the time.  I only work with stuff at least as thick as my arm and cut it into de-barked fist sized chunks for mixing with charcoal in my WSM.

 

[montanabbq]

I mostly Hickory.

Hickory gives a really nice flavor that people love.  I've been using it for 20+ years with great results.

Chris

 

[myownidaho]

It's all personal preference. I don't use a lot of oak and when I do, it's typically mixed with a fruit wood or hickory.

 

[pumpkinseed]

I use oak mostly, mainly because I have a big pile of it leftover from installing red oak solid wood (unfinished) flooring.  All those short off cuts and ugly pieces have gone to good use.  I like it, but it is also what I am used to.  

I got some cherry chunks from SIL when they had to take down a tree.  Haven't used yet as it was just last spring and I wanted to let it dry a bit.