# smoke strength of woods?



## susieqz (Jan 12, 2015)

i could use some help , guys.  there's a ton of threads about people's fav woods. fun to read but too subjective to be of much help.

i mean, there's a bunch that actually like mesquite.

i really want a strong smoke taste, without bitterness. speaking just for myself, mesquite is too assertive, but fruit woods are too mild. my best results have com from mixed hardwoods.

i just ordered hickory pellets as i read they are strong n good for bacons.

so, if you have some time, what i'd really like is a list of woods from strongest to mildest, please. right now i'm working with a pellet smoker, so mild woods that work for you may not work for me.

all i know so far is that cherry makes the most beautiful bark but tastes like cured meat instead of smoke, mesquite is icky n i get the best results from  some brands of  mixed hardwoods.

i'll use your suggestions to buy pellets.

i see i wrote ''if woods'' in the heading but i can't seem to edit  it. sorry.


----------



## timberjet (Jan 12, 2015)

Suzie have you communicated with todd from amazen products? I believe he is the pellet guru of all guru's. Pm him and see what he has to say.


----------



## susieqz (Jan 12, 2015)

good idea, timber. i'll ask him.

i looked at his wood list. there's lots of info there, but not really this.


----------



## ssorllih (Jan 12, 2015)

You may want to consider some black walnut, also corn cobs are good, Oak is a stronger smoke than hickory. Beech is a very pleasing wood smoke for my taste for cured and smoked pork but I don't know how it would be for smoke cooked meat. I had some succss with rosemary wood from a winter killed old rosemary plant in my yard. I have some holly wood that I am waiting to try. I read about someone smoking with sugar cane so I wonder how corn stalks or sunflower stems would work. Many years ago sunflowers were grown in Kansas for fuel .


----------



## timberjet (Jan 12, 2015)

If you don't like mesquite you won't like walnut. Tastes like turpentine smells.


----------



## susieqz (Jan 12, 2015)

thanks ssor. i didn't know oak was stronger than hickory. i must have misunderstood the old threads i read.

thanks for the warning timber. i want nothing to do with anything remotely like mesquite.

i hate that i can't abide mesquite. i've had to cut lots of it, just because it was in my way. it just sits there.

todd just sent me some oak n apple so i have something to play with.  he's awful nice.


----------



## ssorllih (Jan 12, 2015)

Deleted
.


----------



## ssorllih (Jan 12, 2015)

This site does some strange things when I try to post. I only use chunks of cut wood or smoking cured meat. I have used mulberry, apple, pear, maple, hickory, beech, and oak. Exposure time is a very real factor.


----------



## fghmx (Jan 13, 2015)

O.K., here is my opinion. ONLY beech makes the perfect taste in meat or sausage.

Why? Most other woods have ingredients you don´t want in a smoke. i.e. oak has a lot of acid in the outskirts of the trees. Inside is less. (and an old whiskey barrel has none any more)

Meat smoked from other woods - and that is already posted - are tasting like turpentine.

If you want, read the thread "Beech Sawdust" I started. Read the last two post and you will know a lill more. In the US all kinds of woods are used as a result of a lack of beech wood.

And it should be no difference between dust and pellets --- as long as it is 100% beech w/o no other stuff in it. Look at the link KC5... gave me--- interesting


----------



## susieqz (Jan 13, 2015)

fgh, did you order that beech sawdust from todd?

he's great to do business with.


----------



## fghmx (Jan 13, 2015)

If ´Todd ´is the guy from the link (I don´t know that) then I have to say: " No" I do not order anything. Reason for that: 1Lb. bag for $6.99 (7 bucks) is by far too much for 1lb of sawdust. I need quantities, means I need more or less 50 to 70 lbs. a month. And $350 or more a month only for sawdust is not feasible. Well shipping is for free for a purchase of more than $35, but only inside the US. For me - living in MX - there is shipping on top of the purchase price. Not an option. Shipping will always be on top if I want a product shipped into MX - no question. But anyway.... $ 7 for a 1 lb. bag is outrages. So far I am producing the sawdust we need by myself. I do have a Mexican working on a saw, converting beech wood - big chunks like entire trees cut to 3 feet in lengths  - into sawdust. But for the quantities we need I was thinking to buy those from a supplier. The problem is: Finding beech in the US. As far as I know there is not much beech (trees) in he US. So that´s a problem b/c only beech is good for smoking. Everything else is only a substitute as pointed out in this forum so many times by other users.. But again: It´s all a question of taste. The one wants heavy smoke taste on his product --- the next one slightly smoke taste. with beech it never happens that you fail the taste. Let the product smoke a little longer for more smoke taste.

Do it shorter for slightly taste. No hassle no tussle. And for some sweetness to your product - which is wanted by some users - add some fruit tree sawdust like cherry to it.

good luck to all.


----------



## susieqz (Jan 13, 2015)

talk to todd directly. get a quote for what you need. the price/lb will certainly drop for those quantities.

he is tjohnson on this site. send a pm. take you 2 minutes.


----------



## tjohnson (Jan 13, 2015)

Beech is a wood typically used in Europe for smoking.  In the U.S., we tend to lean towards woods like hickory, apple, mesquite, alder and many others.  It's basically what woods are available.

About 2 years ago, a group of guys approached me for 100% Beech sawdust and pellets.  Beech wood is called for in their recipes.

I stock 100% Beech sawdust and pellets

No fillers in the sawdust or pellets

No binders used in our pellets

You're welcome to PM me and I can work out a bulk price for 100% Beech sawdust

Todd


----------



## welshrarebit (Jan 13, 2015)

TJohnson said:


> Beech is a wood typically used in Europe for smoking.  In the U.S., we tend to lean towards woods like hickory, apple, mesquite, alder and many others.  It's basically what woods are available.
> About 2 years ago, a group of guys approached me for 100% Beech sawdust and pellets.  Beech wood is called for in their recipes.
> 
> I stock 100% Beech sawdust and pellets
> ...



Any chance of kiawe pellets!?!?! ;)


----------



## tjohnson (Jan 13, 2015)

Welshrarebit said:


> Any chance of kiawe pellets!?!?! ;)


Hmmm...?????

Slim to None, but thanks for asking!


----------



## gary s (Jan 13, 2015)

Hello I am in East Texas, In Texas it depends on what part of the state your in as to the preferred wood. Around here mostly Hickory, Pecan and Oak, you start going West it's Mesquite, Down in the Hill Country, Austin and that Area mainly Oak.  Hickory will give you a strong smoke flavor, which I use and like, My favorite is Pecan, it is a milder smokey flavor.

gary


----------



## Bearcarver (Jan 13, 2015)

Welshrarebit said:


> Any chance of kiawe pellets!?!?! ;)


How about some "Monkey Pod" wood??

Bear


----------



## welshrarebit (Jan 13, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> How about some "Monkey Pod" wood??
> 
> 
> Bear



I've never heard of anyone using monkey pod wood for smoking... I do have a couple of them on my property (it's a great shade tree for my cows).


----------



## Bearcarver (Jan 13, 2015)

Welshrarebit said:


> I've never heard of anyone using monkey pod wood for smoking... I do have a couple of them on my property (it's a great shade tree for my cows).


Not very stable!

We had a 4 tier carved Lazy Susan made of Monkey Pod wood, we got at a Drive-inn Swap Meet near Waipahu in 1970.

The whole thing warped so badly in a few years, we ended up tossing it.

Bear


----------



## ssorllih (Jan 13, 2015)

We have to be discussing two separate species of tree/wood. Monkey pod is purely tropical but there is a native American tree called the coffee tree that grows large fat pods and has compound leaves.


----------



## fghmx (Jan 13, 2015)

@ Gary S

Yes, you are right. I used to live in the Hill Country - West of Greene - and there I used a Pecan / fruit tree mix. Pecan is very similar to beech.

Good flavor good taste of the meat.

@ T Johnson

Let me ask: How r u binding the pellets? No binders no glue no nothing? I´m guessing: impossible. as sawdust is not binding together from alone w/o some help like glue or such.

even if it is pressed  w/ high pressure it will fall apart after the pressure is off. I would be very interested in knowing how u do that. Just out of curiosity. For me there is ONLY sawdust the first choice.

On your offer talking about bulk prices: Today I talked to a friend of mine who tried to cross the border into MX with some lumber for his house down here.

The Mexicans took the boards at the border: "No importacion de madeira" !

So I have to check on that. Sawdust is wood (madeira) but u might think about the price. Take your time. I need about 50 to 70 Lbs a month.

Smoking for Europeans is different as I pointed out already > and you just confirmed that. In Europe we smoke slow and low. For 10 h - no problem. Then we´r giving the smoke flavor time to penetrate the meat or sausage. We are hanging it back into the fridge for at least 3 days before starting the next smoke session.  

This way the flavor can get towards the middle of the meat. You don´t want it just only at the outside.

Think about "Kassler" which is pork chops with bone. Cured for about 5 to 7 days. Stored to dry it for 2 days. Than smoking for at least 20 hours > but not in one session.

I know that Americans want everything "fast and now" The meat must be ready for lunch if they start smoking at 10 a.m. Some are using liquid smoke!!! What a sacrilege!

O.K., a little bit off topic. Hope that is not a sin!


----------



## fghmx (Jan 14, 2015)

@ gary s

that is absolutely correct what u r saying. I used to live in the Hill Country for more than a decade outside Kerrville and there I used Pecan and some mix. 80% Pecan and 20% fruit tree, mostly pear. Pecan is very similar to beech. At least it does not ruin the flavor but makes it <VERY similar to beech.  

@ T Johnson

THX for the info, Todd. Well, not b/c I am a German, but b/c the Germans are the best sausage maker in the world (said that already and will not repeat it again) I mean best sausage maker next to beer!!! LOL

O.K., on the pellets: How did you "glue" the sawdust together to get pellets. Asking just out of curiosity - not that I want to use them. Pellets are n substitute for sawdust as - that´s what I think - one cannot regulate as good as with sawdust.

The German way of smoking is different from the American way. We smoke slowly - Americans want everything fast and now.

We smoke i.e. a piece of meat like "Kassler" (that s one chunk of chops about 5 lbs. on the bone -- cured for at least 10 days , then dried for two days)for about 10 h. SLOW! Then let it penetrate the flavor into the meat by placing it into the fridge for 3 days. Then smoking again until the color is yellow to brown. BUT: slowly is the secret.

on the sawdust I need: I just talked to a friend of mine coming crosthe border w/ lumber. The lumber was taken away @ the border NO IMORTACION DE MADEIRE.

You got to have a special permit (Mexicans are asking for $$$$ for ay permit) before importing any wood product. So I have to talk to the "Departemento de Agricultura" first about getting the permit. It is not customs!

I´ll keep you posted


----------



## fghmx (Jan 14, 2015)

this is strange: yesterday I wrote the first post. It vanished into the nirvana. I tried everything to get it back, but NO!

Today I wrote the second post and - what a surprise - the first post was posted today.

Can somebody explain to me this miracle???


----------



## tjohnson (Jan 14, 2015)

fghmx said:


> @ T Johnson
> 
> THX for the info, Todd. Well, not b/c I am a German, but b/c the Germans are the best sausage maker in the world (said that already and will not repeat it again) I mean best sausage maker next to beer!!! LOL
> 
> ...


There is a protocol for importing sawdust into most countries

Sawdust must be heated to a specific temperature for a specific time

Each country seems to have a different specification

Pellets are heated during the manufacturing process, and therefore already qualify for these regulations.  I have never had an issue shipping pellets into any country.

Wood contains "Lignin", a naturally occurring glue that holds wood together.  As pellets are processed under extreme heat and pressure, the lignin is released and a pellet is formed.  Hardwoods contain more lignin and is often used as a base wood for making pellets.

Todd


----------



## timberjet (Jan 14, 2015)

You should just send Todd a PM. He may not want to discuss business with everyone in the world but only just you. My humble opinion.


----------



## fghmx (Jan 14, 2015)

Todd,

great news I really appreciate and certainly can use talking to the Department of Agriculture.

Let me see if they know that and if they accept that about the process of making pallets.

I clearly see that sawdust might be difficult to import. But I will figure out.

Am I right when saying: This is not business talk between you and me but generally talk about smoking and its products.

When time is right I will use PM, no problem.

Thanks a lot - the info is extraordinary good.


----------



## susieqz (Jan 14, 2015)

i'm finding this thread informative n fun.


----------



## tjohnson (Jan 14, 2015)

Some countries require that sawdust be "Fumigated" with chemicals to kill off any potential bugs

I wouldn't want to use sawdust after it was subjected to chemicals


----------



## ssorllih (Jan 14, 2015)

TJohnson said:


> Some countries require that sawdust be "Fumigated" with chemicals to kill off any potential bugs
> 
> I wouldn't want to use sawdust after it was subjected to chemicals


I think that would depend on the chemicals used. Carbon dioxide will kill all active insects.


----------



## tzem143 (Jan 14, 2015)

I love mesquite wood. from AZ so all around me. Hickory is a great wood and gives u a lot of smoke flavor. The more I smoke the more I like the heavier woods.


----------



## fghmx (Jan 15, 2015)

tzem143 said:


> I love mesquite wood. from AZ so all around me. Hickory is a great wood and gives u a lot of smoke flavor. The more I smoke the more I like the heavier woods.


b/c the lack of beech in Mx, I am using mesquite and mix it w/ other [email protected] tzem143,, would you agree that using mesquite when hot smoking is required, that the meat or sausage is getting somehow a "bitter" flavor? I can´t do hot smoking w/ mesquite at all. Slow or cold smoking works well w/ mesquite, no problem. But not hot smoking! Hickory is only a substitute for me. That sawdust smells awful ! And I think there is a lot of oil (what kind - I don´t know) in it. Rubbing the sawdust between the fingers, you can feel that. IMHO a ´fumigated´ sawdust is just a No-No for me. No further comment.


----------



## tjohnson (Jan 15, 2015)

ssorllih said:


> I think that would depend on the chemicals used. Carbon dioxide will kill all active insects.


This is correct, but may not meet the requirements for import into a foreign country

You would hate to have the shipment seized and be out the $$$!!!


----------



## j the jaybird (Jan 21, 2015)

Back to the origional topic, I did a little digging on the net while bored at work and came across a great PDF that gives quite a bit of contrast between woods and their matching meats. Hope this helps! Here's the link, it's a PDF. http://www.deejayssmokepit.net/Downloads_files/SmokingFlavorChart.pdf


----------

