hickory, Apple, or cherry

drgula5 · Jun 17, 2015

Hey everyone! This will be the first time for me smoking a pork shoulder...in your opinion, which is the best wood to smoke it in (hickory, Apple, or cherry)? Thanks!!!

drewed · Jun 17, 2015

Pork can take a good amount of smoke, I'd go hickory and cherries

pc farmer · Jun 17, 2015

What smoker are you using?

drgula5 · Jun 18, 2015

I'm using an electric poster smoker. I think I'll try a mix of hickory and cherry!

ak1 · Jun 18, 2015

I prefer maple or apple.

drgula5 · Jun 18, 2015

Maple, I bet that is good!!

ak1 · Jun 18, 2015

It is, it's my go to wood. Even the charcoal I use is maple.

cal1956 · Jun 18, 2015

when most people think of something smoked they think hickory ..enough said

ak1 · Jun 18, 2015

So what are you hinting at? We should use nothing but Hickory?

mike5051 · Jun 18, 2015

I vote hickory.

sfprankster · Jun 18, 2015

I would experiment with several types of wood. Combinations of different woods contribute unique flavors to anything you smoke. Personally, I use mesquite, hickory, cherry, apple, peach, alder, maple, grape, pluot, mandarin, oak and maple. All have very distinct flavors and I find there is no single best one or combination. For some foods that are more delicate in flavor I prefer the lighter flavors of the fruit woods over the more traditional hardwoods.While my gf prefers the bolder tastes attributed to the more traditional hardwoods(mesquite, hickory, oak).

As to what you may consider the best, that will be unique to you and your palate.

Mostly, have fun and keep on smokin'.

ajsmokes · Jun 18, 2015

Pecan and apple for the first few hours then hickory till the finish.

There's nothing like hickory with a little under tone of nut and fruit together

cal1956 · Jun 20, 2015

no I didn't say only use hickory , I simply said most people think and expect hickory when you say the word smoked , the flavor of any wood is sutle ( I can't spell that word ) and about the only one that I personally

don't like is mesquite

tank · Jun 20, 2015

Cherry is my favorite for everything. For pork shoulder I like 1:1 hickory and cherry or 1:2 hickory and cherry.

smokingrookie · Jun 20, 2015

I usually do hickory and a fruit wood combination when I do butts. Flavor seems to go over well at our house.

ak1 · Jun 21, 2015

cal1956 said:
no I didn't say only use hickory , I simply said most people think and expect hickory when you say the word smoked , the flavor of any wood is sutle ( I can't spell that word ) and about the only one that I personally

don't like is mesquite

I see where you are coming from. But, I would think that something like oak would be better used as it's available throughout the continent.

BTW.. it's "subtle"... you just missed the "b"

cal1956 · Jun 21, 2015

thanks I even tried spell check and it still didn't look right ...haha

you hear a lot about this wood or that wood and the truth is just use what you like , there won't be a hell of a lot of difference ( notice I did not say there would be no difference ) just very little

ak1 · Jun 21, 2015

As far as the expectation of hickory, I think that is more to do with the typical BBQ sauce that is available. All tend to have that hickory flavour profile.

cal1956 · Jun 21, 2015

yea I wouldn't argue that point , I will say that after doing a lot of blind taste testing on my own that most people will pick a Memphis sauce MUCH more often than any other such as a Carolina , texas (western style) or even the Kanas city style sauces , my wife like's a Carolina sauce best ( as does one other friend of mine ) so I have to make them a batch once in a while just to keep them happy, while I like the Memphis better . so it all comes down to what you like

slipaway · Jun 24, 2015

Whichever wood you use be careful not to overdo it. Some (maple, oak, mesquite) can be overbearing if overused...............

Now that I have exhausted the use of "over...." I tend to use hickory and apple for my pork and hickory and cherry/maple for my beef.

Try whatever you have and then keep notes. Our memories (esp. after some que and beers) just aren't reliable.............

Keep smokin'

hickory, Apple, or cherry

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