Different Smoke Wood-Can a you Really Tell a Difference?


 
D

Dan Crafton

TVWBB Member
Got a newbie question. I've been using mostly apple with a few hickory chunks for smoke because that's what Chris A. recommends on the main page. I recently ordered some cherry and red oak chunks to experiment with.

Can you really tell a difference when using different kinds of smoke wood?


Thanks much
Dan
 
Absolutely. It really is a personal preference kind of thing but my favorite is Cherry, especially with pork. I also like pecan and oak and end up using hickory a lot because it is easier to find when I'm in a hurry. Try different chunks and see what you like.
 
I can, Apple is to mild for me. Alder is my favorite for poultry, Red oak for beef and Cherry and or Hickory for Ribs and Butts.
Ordering or having a source for smoke-wood with the right moisture content makes a big difference in flavor IMO.
Experiment with different types and have fun!:wsm:
Tim
 
Yes. I had a bunch of apple from my boss that had been sitting in yard for almost a year. I was really excited after hearing about apple and the taste it gave. i believe I used it for chicken and was totally disappointed. It was just too mild for me. Use Mesquite chips that I like, but mostly use Hickory.
 
I've only used cherry & hickory up until my last smoke where I used oak on a pork butt & meatloaf. Absolutely could tell a difference.
 
Dan - I have used apple, cherry, hickory and pecan and I honestly cannot tell a difference. Now I do notice a difference between 1 chunk and 3 or 4, but not based on type of wood.
 
I'll piggy back on to the thread with another question. Is apple wood apple wood? What I mean is, is there a specific variety of apple tree that is used for smoke wood, or can you take wood from any apple tree variety and have success?
 
Yes, although it's not too easy to tell the difference between peach, apple, pear, and cherry, or at least the flavor differences are subtle. I'm sure there are folks that can tell the difference right off, but I suspect that often we expect a certain smoke flavor to be different just because the smell of the smoke is different. For instance, bradford pear wood smoke pretty much stinks compared to other fruit woods, although the smoke flavor is typical of fruit woods and mild, about like apple.

That said, there are definite differences, especially fruit woods compared to nut woods, and take pecan and shaggy bark hickory, for instance. Technically, pecan is a hickory, although my shaggy bark hickory smoke flavor is a lot more robust. Of course, for the size of the wood chunks, the hickory smoke lasts a lot longer.

I smoked 30 thighs on the big bullet this afternoon with K Comp, lump (leftover lump mix with a lot of it being Wicked Good), and a couple of sassafras chunks. I've smoked with sassafras many times, but let me tell you....talk about unique smells coming out of the cooker! (I think it was the WG lump, as it can smell funky.) All was good, though, and the smoke flavor was uniquely sassafras, and fantastic!
 
I don't taste apple flavor when I use apple wood, or cherry flavor when I use cherry wood. For me, smoking woods have different degrees of intensity. Apple and cherry are mild. Pecan and oak are a bit stronger. Hickory is stronger still, then there's mesquite, which can overpower some foods.
 
You can absolutely tell a difference between woods. Do a cook with all hickory, then do one with all cherry. You can't miss that difference.
 
Think of your wood like different seasonings (salt, peper, etc). There is difference that you can taste. I like peach wood for pork, apple with a little hickory on poultry and hickory and oak on beef. Try different woods and even combinations of woods, you will be surprsed of the difference
 
Bill Farmer said:
Think of your wood like different seasonings (salt, peper, etc). There is difference that you can taste. I like peach wood for pork, apple with a little hickory on poultry and hickory and oak on beef. Try different woods and even combinations of woods, you will be surprsed of the difference
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I like that Bill!
Treat them as a spice, the fresher they are (moisture content) = more flavour:wsm:

Tim
 
I quote from a post by Stogie, who was a frequent poster a few years ago, whom I enjoyed and admired for his unique wit and cooking skills. He sez," To 90% of the consuming public, smoke is smoke, so your choice of smoke wood is not a real issue at this point. Use whatever is free". This statement was in his post outlining how he cooked loin back ribs.
 
I'm in Stogie's 90% range, and would like to see a taste test done by those who "can tell a difference."
Leave woods like mesquite, juniper, etc out of the mix.
Just taste and state if it's a fruit wood, like apple or peach, or if it's a hard wood like hickory, pecan, or oak.
No smelling of the smoke, just tasting the meat.

A difference in the amount of smoke I can agree with, but I'm skeptical of actual flavor differences.

But then again I'm skeptical of expert wine, beer, or other liquor tasters who name all those different flavors.
Do they ever all agree on the same flavors?

Maybe my taste buds are like my hearing, half gone.
 
I've been smoking for about 3 years now, and have battled with this same issue.

The only way I've gotten to the point I'm at now is by numerous smoking attempts with different types of wood.

The following is my opinion only based on my taste buds and cooking experience:

Apple = too mild
Peach = too mild
Cherry = great taste for chicken, also works good when mixed with hickory for ribs or butts
Hickory = great for butts, can be a bit strong if you use too much
Pecan = good for butts, ribs, bacon. significantly milder than hickory. Sometimes i mix pecan and hickory for ribs/butts.
Oak = good for burgers and brisket
Mesquite= tried it and agree with most here. It is way too powerful a smoke and overpowers the rest of the flavors in your food.

So for whatever reason my taste buds pick up cherry smoke much better than Apple or Peach smoke. Most on here say that a fruit wood's smoke isn't that different from any other fruit wood, but for me that has not been my experience. Again, this is only my preference and it is possible you could find things to be slightly different for you.
 
Hickory is easy cause that's what I use the most.
Pecan is it's milder cousin and I can tell a difference from Hickory, but blindfolded I might say it's just some weak Hickory.
White oak to me is a lot different than using Hickory on butts in a good way and Red oak offers way more in flavour than White oak.
Cherry has a unique flavour compared to Hickory like Alan F said and Alder has that somethin that is special.
And Sugar Maple is another one that I use cause it adds something completely different
I'm just a Carpenter and couldn't tell ya the difference tween a fruity note or a nutty note or a floral one.
But I know what I like, and if they all behaved the same, why would I bother?:wsm:
Poultry is a good test because it adsorbs smoke so easily.Try some with Hickory vs Cherry or Alder vs Apple and see if you can taste a difference.
Another one is Beef Tenderloin. I always read that most find the flavor of that cut as being very mild almost bland. Then also to use a mild smoke-wood so not to overpower that mild flavor..
Me.. The first TL I did I used Apple and it was ok, switched to Red Oak and the flavour is out of this world!

Tim
 
timothy said:
I like that Bill!
Treat them as a spice, the fresher they are (moisture content) = more flavour:wsm:

Tim
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Tim (or anyone else): two questions: for fruit wood with a higher fructose/moisture content, at what rate would it degrade? For instance, is one year post-cut too long to generate much flavor? Second question: as wood seasons/dries out, is it logical then just to add more wood at the start of the smoke to offset the degradation? Thanks in advance.
 
I found I like the fruit woods, mostly apple, cherry and peach. I can't really tell the difference between them, but they all provide a nice smokey flavor without making the food taste like it was in a house fire, or bitter. Althought the amount of smoke will also effect the taste of the food too. You could beusing a nice mild fruit wood and cooking your food over a white smokey fire and just ruin the flavor.

Mesquite is too bitter for my tastes. I also did some cold smoking with some grape vine dust and found it to be very bitter as well.
 
B Stone said:
Tim (or anyone else): two questions: for fruit wood with a higher fructose/moisture content, at what rate would it degrade? For instance, is one year post-cut too long to generate much flavor? Second question: as wood seasons/dries out, is it logical then just to add more wood at the start of the smoke to offset the degradation? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I use Cherry from Smokinlicious which when shipped had a moisture level of 31% on my last order. ( They state readings of 20% or higher are suitable )
How long will wood hold moisture in certain areas depends on storage, I keep mine in the garage in dollar store laundry baskets, I've never checked them for any loss with a meter and I have one for flooring Lol.
I go thru an order per year and those are small fillets about 2X2x3"
I also have large cherry limbs that have been stashed on a shelf for years. I slice a disk of when I'm short on the fillets and I do add more of those.
Fillets I use 1 maybe 2 pcs, older wood 3-4 based on my experiences.

Tim
 
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