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


 
I've got some land up in the Sierras in California that has a lot of oak and I was thinking that would be a good source to get my own (it feels really weird buying bags of dry wood chunks). I know I have to let it season well and probably won't be ready for smoking for a good while, but that's ok since I'm in this for the long haul.

Anyway, the point of my post is this. There's a patch of several acres that's densely covered in manzanita. I know the wood burns really hot, and even though it's like a big bush, it seems to me it has some hardwood characteristics. I was just wondering if anyone has tried using manzanita for smoking and if it's good or nasty. I've been reading a lot but so far I haven't seen any mention of it in conjunction with smoking. Was hoping to get some insight from the experts here before I start chopping down a bunch of trees.
 
I can definitely tell the difference and especially my wife can. If i'm smoking and she is going to consume it anything stronger than apple or cherry and she can't stomach it. I go with oak or hickory if she isn't going to be eating it. I 2nd the mesquite, my very first time smoking back on my first weber kettle I just threw a handful of the only smoke wood I could find at Walmart and that was a bag of mesquite chips. I will never cook with them again as that was all I could taste.
 
Thanks for the link, timothy. I've since found a couple too. Seems it's ok, with most that have tried it describing it as a milder oak flavor.

Bob Correll, that's an interesting link but he debunks some stuff that others seem to take as gospel, like the bit about opening to spritz your meat every half hour won't slow down the cooking time. Seems counterintuitive to me.

I think that's one of the things that interests me so much in smoking; if there was only one way to do it, it wouldn't be nearly as fun. I expect that experimenting to find out which techniques work best for me and deliver a finished product my family and I enjoy is going to keep me busy year after year.
 
For those who have used apple and think that it is too mild, try it again, just use more of it.
It is great for chicken and turkey, and if you use the drippings, makes a great smokey gravy
to go with the meat.
 
Dan Crafton said:
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
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I've been smoking for almost 4 years so the following is based on my cooking experiences up to now.

Alder - My go-to wood for fish. It would probably work well with poultry too but I've only used it for fish so far.

Cherry - Agree with others that it works very well with poultry and it's great mixed with hickory for ribs and butts.

Apple - My take is that it's too mild as well.

Hickory - This is the one I use with beef and pork.

Pecan - Goes well with virtually everything. If I were restricted to using just one type of wood for smoking this would be the one.

Maple - Goes well with poultry and pork.

Mesquite - I only use this for beef. Just too overpowering for poultry, pork, etc.

Woods I haven't tried yet.

Oak - We have a HUGE oak tree in our back yard so next time the tree gets trimmed, I'll have to save some of the limbs and cut them up into chunks and use them after they're seasoned.

Pear - my next door neighbor has a big pear tree in his backyard so I'll have to ask him to save some limbs for me if he ever decides to trim it.
 
I'll say this on the Meat head article, different species and location do make a difference in flavor. The Alder I get from the East coast tastes similar to beechwood (Think Budweiser) Alder I tried from the PNW has a unique flavour, almost musky, but different than the right coast.
I would never use a Canadian or USA species of Doug Fir to smoke with, but in Europe I think I read that they use the D-Fir for Black Forest Hams.

Tim
 
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