Wood Mixin'

[Russ]

I'm going to smoke some ribs and chicken today, and I've never used apple before, but I have used cherry. Would it be a bad idea to mix apple and cherry? What woods are good mixed and which ones aren't? Apple+Pecan? Apple+Cherry? Apple+Oak? How do you know if they'll be good mixed or not?

 

[Bryan S]

Russ, apple & Cherry are very similar. I like to mix a strong wood with a mild wood ,If doing two different types of meat. I will use Pecan and aplle or cherry. Pecan is my favorite JMO /infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

 

[Guest]

Russ,

You will probably not be able to tell any difference between a fruit wood by itself and two fruit woods mixed. IMHO, it's the strength of the smoke that matters more than the smoke flavor. In general, fruit woods like apple and cherry are milder than hickory or oak and aren't as likely to overpower the meat. Let your nose be your guide. If the wood smoke smells good, it'll put a good smoke flavor on the meat, as long as you don't overdo it.

Steve

 

[Bryan S]

Steve, you make an excellent point. DON'T OVER DO IT WITH YOUR SMOKE WOOD /infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif

 

[Konrad Haskins]

For Chicken Oak is too strong IMO and I have tried it. For ribs a mix fruit woods with Pecan and/or Hickory. Too much smoke is bad you want it almost invisible or a thin blue smoke. The only exception to that is if you are cooking Chicken up at 300~350 indirect in a Kettle then a thin gray smoke from fruit wood I like Apple and Cherry seems to work best for me.
~Teddy Bear

 

[David Munson]

I can tell the difference between the two (cherry and apple). It probably means I used too much.

I have a preference using apple for turkey and chicken. Only recently "needed to" trim the cherry trees and have not experimented too much.

 

[Rick H]

I've always thought that poultry "takes" smoke easier, and therefore always prefered a lighter wood ala apple, cherry. I find hickory and oak rather "heavy" and prefer it used in moderation and only on a substantial subject. Pecan (my favorite all-purpose wood) never seems overdone, yet always makes a statement without yelling. Very forgiving, even when maybe you've gone a little too far. Smoky without being over- powering, slightly nutty.