Yes, hickory is strong, but oak is as well. If friends or neighbors don't have any <span class="ev_code_RED">pecan</span>, head down to Academy Sports or somewhere and get you some. You can use it with anything, and the smoke will last a lot longer than fruitwood. Like apple though, it's easy to tell if the smoke is good since it smells so good when it's burning right.
Still, it sounds like you need to work on your smoking technique. I've laid out mine to ad naseum lately, so check out <span class="ev_code_RED">Harry Soo's technique</span>, a real live bbq <span class="ev_code_RED">champion</span> :
Posted March 01, 2010
1. Do you use the "minion method" or do you start with all the charcoal fully lit charcoal?
Ans: Yes, for 18-inch WSM use 1/2 lit chimney for Brisket and Butts (250 degres); use 2/3 lit chimney for Ribs or Chicken (275 degrees)
2. Do you use wood chunks or chips?
Ans: I use tennis-sized wood chunks.
3. How much wood do you use for one cook?
Ans: For butts and briskets @ 250 degrees, use 6-8 tennis sized chunks; For ribs, use 3-4 tennis sized chunks; For Chicken, use 1 tennis sized chunk
4. During that one cook. How do you use the wood, just at first, at least half the cook or the entire time?
Ans: Wood is arranged around the side of the charcoal basket
5. Do you pre burn your wood or just load it in unlit?
Ans: Wood goes in as the Minion pile is made so it's unlit
Slap Yo' Daddy BBQ
By the way, Harry revealed in another post that he uses apple wood with ribs, and a 50/50 mix of apple and hickory for butts and briskets.
Since Harry foils he can get away with more smoke, but I'm not advocating simply using as much wood as he does. His amounts simply illustrate my contention that good smoke is independent of wood quantity, or at least indirectly related. BBQ contests aren't won by contestants that don't know how to smoke. He doesn't elaborate as to the "why's", but I'm guessing his idea is the same as mine. Wood needs to be placed around the ring (or buried/partially covered in my case) so that it doesn't come in contact with the lit charcoal (I'm guess his is placed on top in the middle) too much, too soon (at the onset of the cook).
Hope this helps.