# What’s Your favorite wood or wood  combo for smoking?



## motolife313 (Feb 20, 2019)

I really like the plum or I like 50/50 oak-cherry. But honesty I can’t tell the difference in flavor, I like the oak and plum becuase they burn slow. I’ve got some stuff I use as my secret weapon for heat. It puts out a lot more heat then my other woods, and it’s got this very strong sweet sugary smell to it. I though it was oak but maybe maple.i don’t use it much.  Any ideas?and I got 7 different kinds.  apple, cherry, oak,plum, walnut, maple and alder. Here’s the pics of the hot burning unknown wood. I really though it was oak tho. It looked like a oak tree but never seen oak yet with this stringy of grain and that smells so sweet 
	

		
			
		

		
	











	

		
			
		

		
	
 I’ll get a better shot of the bark tomorrow. That’s it on the ground. Not sure about the 2 to the right tho. Looks little straight for this stuff lol, tough as nails to split btw even with 2 wedges and sledgehammer, it was only 20-22” diameter 
	

		
			
		

		
	






	

		
			
		

		
	
planing on pulling it out for couple ribeyes tomorrow and maybe some other stuff.


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## TomKnollRFV (Feb 21, 2019)

I like apple or cherry/apple blends. Light smoke, doesn't overwhelm, but I find the cherry blends add a nice..bite? Not sure on the correct word for it. It's always at the end of the flavour profile, it's not bad..just a nice contrast.


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## noboundaries (Feb 21, 2019)

I can tell the difference when I use the strong woods (hickory and mesquite). Fruit woods kind of taste the same to me, but I do notice a color change when I use cherry. Oak and pecan taste the same to me, but I do like oak and cherry on poultry. I limit myself to hickory, mesquite, oak, and cherry. The trick to mesquite is use half as much as any other wood.


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## indaswamp (Feb 21, 2019)

Totally depends on what I am smoking....


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## motolife313 (Feb 21, 2019)

I haven’t tried hickory or mesquite yet but hopefully I can get my hands on some one of these days.


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## SmokinAl (Feb 21, 2019)

Well hickory, oak, & pecan is in abundant supply around here.
So that is what I use.
Al


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## HalfSmoked (Feb 21, 2019)

Not sure but I'm thinking your mystery wood may be gum. I like maple and oak in the fire pit I have. I have some pear but have not tried it yet.

Warren


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## Brisket Nerd (Feb 21, 2019)

I use post oak logs and hickory chunks.


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## motolife313 (Feb 21, 2019)

Is sweet gum really hard to split? I used to get a lot of maple around here but stopped becuase there were so many different kinds I wasn’t totally sure which one to get and I’ve got so much wood I can be little picky lol


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## weedeater (Feb 21, 2019)

Oak is my go to just because it is so plentiful here in the south. Also use a bit of hickory mixed in depending on what I’m cooking in the reverse flow.  In the MES it is a total different story.  Options are wide open for all kinds of fruit woods and different smoke profiles. 

Weedeater


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## Hawging It (Feb 21, 2019)

I smoke with oak and pecan. Sometimes I mix them together.


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## zwiller (Feb 21, 2019)

For hot smoking I like oak and for cold cured stuff a mix of cob, PM blend, and oak.  Still haven't found "the one" for cheese but most work fine.  

My guess on the mystery wood is hornbeam.  There aren't many woods with higher BTU than the usual suspects.  BY FAR, my fave wood for the fireplace is osage orange.  Highest BTU of all and fragrant.  Doubt yours is that since it lacks the tell tale deep yellow color.  Bark does help a little, but a leaf would really help ID what it is.


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## gmc2003 (Feb 21, 2019)

Apple and/or hickory is my go to.

Chris


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## bbqbrett (Feb 21, 2019)

My favorite to use is hickory.  Lots of times when I do chicken or ribs though if I sauce then I will add a small chunk of cherry while the meat glazes.  Also for fruit I really have started to like peach wood.


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## dernektambura (Feb 21, 2019)

I don't associate different woods with taste so I never mix different types of wood but I do know from experience, since I do only cold smoke (no heat) that oak and maple give golden brownish color to sausages casings and meat (especially cheese)  and cherry wood give dark brown redish color, depending on how long I smoke it...


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## texomakid (Feb 22, 2019)

I like 'em all but Hickory, Oak, & Pecan got used a lot in my past stick burners. I love the dark brown/mahogany color Pecan give the meat.


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## dernektambura (Feb 22, 2019)

texomakid said:


> I like 'em all but Hickory, Oak, & Pecan got used a lot in my past stick burners. I love the dark brown/mahogany color Pecan give the meat.


now this os something new for me... I do a lot cold smoking and I do know about cherry smoke properties to darken meat, but I didn't know about pecan... thanks for that info. .


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## DustyJoe84 (Feb 23, 2019)

I'm pretty new and haven't experimented a lot yet but I've been very pleased with using oak. I really like hickory too.


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## jbellard (Feb 23, 2019)

I’ve actually used a mix of hickory, pecan and white oak.  Really nice flavor on some spare ribs I did on Wednesday.

Key is having a clean fire and TBS to clear smoke.

Thinking hard about getting 3/4 of a cord of red oak for $150 delivered and stacked. Sound like a good deal??  I have all my wood up til now for free by picking but this stuff is seasoned split and ready to go. I would have to wait awhile for new wood to get ready.  Have a comp coming up in April and want some good dry wood for it.


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## HalfSmoked (Feb 23, 2019)

can't buy it here for that.

Warren


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## motolife313 (Feb 23, 2019)

I just sold 1/4 cord yesterday. Mostly apple and little cherry and little oak for 155+25$ delivery. So id say U did good if it’s seasoned up.


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## SmokinLogs (Feb 24, 2019)

It depends on what I’m cooking. I like to blend a mid/heavy smoking wood like hickory or pecan with cherry. I love the flavor and aroma of them all, but cherry has a smell and flavor all it’s own. And I think it’s true, cherry does give the meat a beautiful red color. When I first got into smoking I had cut down a dogwood tree. It is HARD, burns hot, and has a heavy, earthy kind of taste, similar to oak but still has its own characteristics. I still use some when I can get my hands on it.


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## lrssuccess (Feb 28, 2019)

I use a lot of apple for ribs and sausage, maple on boston butts for a bit more smoke penetration


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## motolife313 (Mar 3, 2019)

I need to try my maple more. I’ve only been using it for outdoor cooking lately and it smells great. What kind of maple are you using on the Boston butts?


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## Dantij (Mar 3, 2019)

Hickory and oak, with a bit of cherry.  Wishing I could get a hold of apple.


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## lrssuccess (Mar 3, 2019)

motolife313 said:


> I need to try my maple more. I’ve only been using it for outdoor cooking lately and it smells great. What kind of maple are you using on the Boston butts?


Sugar maple, readily available in the Northeast


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## motolife313 (Mar 3, 2019)

I think I may have sugar maple. It smells like sugar. I thought it was oak. It’s the toughest would I’ve ever split. I’d your sugar maple hard to split and stringy?
	

		
			
		

		
	










	

		
			
		

		
	
  Here’s the stuff I got


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## motolife313 (Mar 3, 2019)

Dantij said:


> Hickory and oak, with a bit of cherry.  Wishing I could get a hold of apple.


If u were closer I’d sell u some for 25$ a wheel barrow


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## Boocephus (Mar 3, 2019)

Ok, I'll admit it, I'm addicted to cherry wood. I use it on most everything. Love the smell of it, the flavor it gives out and the color it leaves. Also I have an abundant supply of it.


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## Sal Barsanti (Aug 3, 2019)

Maple from a neighbor's yard that fell a week ago. I think it is silver maple, but not sure. 
	

		
			
		

		
	






5 wheelbarrow loads of maple. I'll take it. I'll chunk some for my WSM and split the rest for the fireplace


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## HalfSmoked (Aug 3, 2019)

Nice I like maple.

Warren


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## motolife313 (Aug 3, 2019)

Maple has a great smell


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## Sal Barsanti (Aug 3, 2019)

Looking forward to trying the maple. Thanks!



HalfSmoked said:


> Nice I like maple.
> 
> Warren





motolife313 said:


> Maple has a great smell


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## HalfSmoked (Aug 4, 2019)

Sal Barsaniti Thanks for the like it is appreciated.

Warren


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## PorkBones (Aug 7, 2019)

I almost always mix hickory and apple. I'll increase the amount of hickory for beef, and use a little more apple for pork.


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## smokebuzz (Aug 7, 2019)

Muhlberry... oak and cherry.


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## jcam222 (Aug 12, 2019)

I use a lot of apple for pork and chicken. Recently starting mixing cherry and apple and love that. For beef sometimes I still use apple but usually will do a mix of oak and hickory.


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## smokinbill1638 (Aug 12, 2019)

Apple and pecan chunks.


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## Fueling Around (Aug 12, 2019)

Sal Barsanti said:


> Maple from a neighbor's yard that fell a week ago. I think it is silver maple, but not sure.
> 5 wheelbarrow loads of maple. I'll take it. I'll chunk some for my WSM and split the rest for the fireplace


Killer!
Maple is a great wood.


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## tallbm (Aug 12, 2019)

70% Apple and 30% Hickory on sausage and bacon
100% Mesquite for beef
100% Maple on sandwich slicing items like my ground venison pastrami and  sandwich cuts

Equal amounts of Maple/Cherry/Hickory on pork and chicken or anything I'm not sure about


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## Big Glenn (Aug 13, 2019)

Fairly sure that mystery wood is not gum. Gum is not hard to split, it is impossible to split. You might eventually chop it in half lengthwise.


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