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Red vs White Oak


 
I feel that 75% of the woods we typically use are interchangeable. To the vast majority of us, smoke is smoke, very few can discriminate.
 
Adam, I used red oak exclusively because that is what the local stores by me sold. I used it primarily for beef. My buddy cut down a white oak and I haven't used red oak since. I'm not sure I can explain it but the white oak to me has a better flavor. Of course that is for my taste anyway. I read alot about people saying the smoke differences are subtle but for my pallet I can tell a difference between the two woods. The white oak to me seems cleaner tasting. I currently use 1/3 white oak, 1/3 sugar maple, and 1/3 cherry for alot of my pork. I'm guessing it could also be the fact that it is a newer flavor for me, I used red oak for 10yrs or so and have been using the white for just a year. Ken
 
I think they tast different also. To me, the red oak has a sour note that I really like with my Tri-Tip. White oak is more mellow but both are great in my opinion.
 
not sure what i use. around here we have several oak varieties. to me its all good. i have two oak trees and use what drops or gets trimmed. my sister lives in the foothills and has a huge amount of oaks so i don't have a problem getting oak.
 
I have not used either red or white oak (can't find the wood in my area), but, I really like the wine Oak staves, for Brisket. The wine imparts a great flavor to the meat.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bill Spearman:
I feel that 75% of the woods we typically use are interchangeable. To the vast majority of us, smoke is smoke, very few can discriminate. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I respectfully dissent. I'm very new to all of this, and have only tried two smoking woods, but I can DEFINITELY taste a difference between the Apple bag I went through and the Pecan I'm using now. The pecan has no fruitiness to it and is more, I don't know, "woody"? I know it's not very creative of me, but the fruity seems good for chicken and birds, while the pecan I think I'd be ok using on anything, especially beef.

I have no experience with oak but really want some for my tris. They don't sell it at BBQs galore and I haven't found a private supply yet.
 
Hey Tim - do try and get your hands on some oak. I tried it for the first time last fall - a bag of white oak chunks from a US company whose name escapes me at the moment. Real nice, good with beef, and I will also give it a try with lamb as well.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tim L.:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bill Spearman:
I feel that 75% of the woods we typically use are interchangeable. To the vast majority of us, smoke is smoke, very few can discriminate. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I respectfully dissent. I'm very new to all of this, and have only tried two smoking woods, but I can DEFINITELY taste a difference between the Apple bag I went through and the Pecan I'm using now. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You're both right if you look at it a certain way. Apple's kind of out on one extreme and you should definitely be able to tell it from most other woods (although I bet I could fool you with some other sweet woods). I'd say some other distinctive woods are hickory and mesquite. But there's an awful lot of fruit/nut woods that aren't on an extreme - they just kind of make middle of the road smoke and any of them will do in a pinch. If you get one of those long lists of every wood people use there's a lot of "Nutty, kind of sweet" or "sweet, kind of nutty".
 
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