Jon Duncan
New member
Can someone tell me the order of mildest to strongest? Thanks
Oak, pecan, hickory- which is strongest?
- Thread starter Jon Duncan
- Start date
Dave Russell
TVWBB Honor Circle
Both Tom and Ryan are right, but wood species can make a difference as well.
We use a lot of shaggy bark hickory around here, and it's got a fantastic flavor that goes on everything if you use it right. Chris Lilly says that some other hickories give the wood the reputation for being too strong for ribs and poultry. Also, red oak supposedly has more flavor than white. Generally, the more dense the wood is, the longer it will smoke and give a stronger flavor. IE, pecan vs. hickory...although pecan is technically a member of the hickory family, it's not near as dense as the others. Also the same with at least some white oaks vs. red. The white oak I still have a lot of is very mild, and not near as dense a wood as the red oak I grew up helping my dad cut and haul for firewood after a hurricane on the Mississippi gulf coast.
We use a lot of shaggy bark hickory around here, and it's got a fantastic flavor that goes on everything if you use it right. Chris Lilly says that some other hickories give the wood the reputation for being too strong for ribs and poultry. Also, red oak supposedly has more flavor than white. Generally, the more dense the wood is, the longer it will smoke and give a stronger flavor. IE, pecan vs. hickory...although pecan is technically a member of the hickory family, it's not near as dense as the others. Also the same with at least some white oaks vs. red. The white oak I still have a lot of is very mild, and not near as dense a wood as the red oak I grew up helping my dad cut and haul for firewood after a hurricane on the Mississippi gulf coast.
K McCarthy
TVWBB Fan