Butt smoke...wood preference

[jdunlap65]

Anyone wanna share their preference of wood when smoking butts to be pulled?

Thanks
John

 

[3montes]

Why not.. I primarily use red oak splits for nearly everything including pork butts. Lots of it available around here for free and it has a awesome subtle smoke flavor and allows you to use flavor woods as well..

 

[forluvofsmoke]

I like to experiment quite a bit, so I don't really have general preference...it just depends what I'm in the mood for at the time, I guess.

I will say that with the base rub ingredients of cbp, garlic, chili powder, brown sugar and kosher salt, I find a blend of approx. 40% hickory, 30% mesquite and 30% cherry seems to have a nice balance for butts. A bit sharp from the hickory, some melding of the stronger flavors of certain parts of the shoulder with the mesquite, and a touch of sweetness from the cherry.

I don't have a wide variety of smoke woods available to me here...the above mentioned and apple is about it.


Eric

Hmm, saw 3montes post, then wondered: do you mean smoke wood or fuel wood?

 

[3montes]

Hey Eric,
I use red oak splits for fuel/smoke wood. I genearally start a chimney full of Kingsford. On top of that goes 4 to 5 splits of red oak and then let them start to burn real well. To the point where I can break them in half by poking them with another stick. Then I add another 3 to 4 splits of red oak and get a nice bed of coals. Let the temp level off then add the meat of choice.

As the smoke goes on and I need more heat I may add another piece of oak or some RO lump. Beyond that I try to add store bought chunks of hickory or mesquite but I have not been satisfied with the flavor I get from the bag stuff. I think it has alot to do with my location. The retail outlets just don't move alot of bags of hickory chunks to maintain a fresh inventory level so what I buy is quite old and stale.

 

[jdunlap65]

Smoke flavor wood would have been a better choice of words.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Yeah, there does seem to be a difference where you buy smoke woods. I wish I had the availability of hardwoods here..cottonwood is all you can find, which I've read is OK for fuel only burning, but, you either need a permit to harvest it (on public land), or need to make good friends with a private land owner for access to harvest on private land. Even just having the cottonwood for fuel would be nice.

Maybe I'll look into one of these options sometime and get a trailer load for my SNP...that would be cool!

Eric

 

[desertlites]

I like apple or hickory or both with pork but with the selection I have on hand as a woodworker I love to play with all kinds.I don't use wood as fuel in my smokers just in the making of my charcoal and thats oak most of the time or squite.

 

[bamasmoker]

I have used just Hickory but my favorite is Hickory and Apple mixed. I have also used Hickory and pecan.

 

[jjwdiver]

I do a mix of 2-to-1 Apple & Hickory

 

[eaglewing]

I AGREE with the Apple/Hickory mix

 

[fourthwind]

I tend to choose the wood based on what my final product is going to be. If it's going to be sauced for sandwiches then I use hickory. If I am not saucing and using for taco's or enchilada's then I use apple or maple.

 

[denver dave]

Today's butt is cooking on 60% Peach and 40%Mesquite. It is easy to experiment when your a pellet smoker.