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Smoking Woods Reference Table
Posted: 29 Oct 2009, 09:30
by Steve
On various sites around the web you'll find tables that describe the characteristics of different smoking woods. To save you all the time in Google I thought I could add one here
The extra bonus here is that we can add to it, so if you're looking at the table and you spot a wood we're missing, post a reply and we can add the wood to the table.
| Wood | Characteristics | Works With |
|---|
[td=1,]Acacia[/td][td=1,]From the same family as Mesquite. Similar Flavour but lighter[/td][td=1,][list][*]Beef[*]Fish[*]Chicken[*]Game[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Maple[/td][td=1,]Smokey, mellow and slightly sweet, similar to birch.[/td][td=1,][list][*]Pork[*]Poultry[*]Cheese[*]Light Game[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Alder[/td][td=1,]Delicate flavour with a sweet musky smoke. Often associated with Fish smoking[/td][td=1,][list][*]Fish[*]Pork[*]Poultry[*]Light Meats[*]Game[*]Particularly good with Salmon[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Almond[/td][td=1,]Nutty, sweet flavour, produces lots of ash.[/td][td=1,][list][*]All meats[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Apple[/td][td=1,]Mild sweet flavour with a subtle fruitiness. Will turn chicken skin dark[/td][td=1,][list][*]Poultry[*]Pork[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Ash[/td][td=1,]Fast burning wood with a light but distinctive flavour[/td][td=1,][list][*]Fish[*]Red meats[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Beech[/td][td=1,]Very mild and light flavour. In parts of Germany, Beech is a popular wood for grilling Bratwursts. over[/td][td=1,][list][*]Pork[*]Fish[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Birch[/td][td=1,]Smokey, mellow and slightly sweet, similar to maple.[/td][td=1,][list][*]Pork[*]Poultry[*]Cheese[*]Light Game[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Cherry[/td][td=1,]Mild, sweet and fruity flavour. Will turn chicken skin dark[/td][td=1,][list][*]All Meats[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Grape[/td][td=1,]Tart flavour, produces lots of smoke[/td][td=1,][list][*]Red Meats[*]Game[*]Lamb[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Hickory[/td][td=1,]Sweet to strong, bacon-like flavour[/td][td=1,][list][*]Beef[*]Pork[*]Ham[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Maple[/td][td=1,]Smokey, mellow and slightly sweet, similar to birch.[/td][td=1,][list][*]Pork[*]Poultry[*]Cheese[*]Light Game[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Mesquite[/td][td=1,]Sweet and quite light[/td][td=1,][list][*]Beef[*]Pork[*]Ham[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Mulberry[/td][td=1,]Smokey, mellow and slightly sweet, similar to birch.[/td][td=1,][list][*]Pork[*]Poultry[*]Cheese[*]Light Game[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Oak[/td][td=1,]Rich and heavy smoke flavour, the queen of smoking woods.[/td][td=1,][list][*]Red Meat[*]Pork[*]Heavy Game[*]Fish[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Orange / Lemon / Grapefruit[/td][td=1,]Nice mild smokey flavour[/td][td=1,][list][*]Pork[*]Poultry[*]Beef[*]Fish[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Pear[/td][td=1,]Nice subtle fruity flavour, similar to apple.[/td][td=1,][list][*]Poultry[*]Pork[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Pecan[/td][td=1,]Sweet and mild with a flavor similar to hickory. Tasty with a subtle character.[/td][td=1,][list][*]Pork[*]Poultry[*]Cheese[*]Beef[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Sweet Fruit Woods - Peach, Apricot, Plum etc[/td][td=1,]Mild and sweet smoke flavour.[/td][td=1,][list][*]Chicken[*]Pork[*]Turkey[*]Fish[/list][/td]
[td=1,]Walnut[/td][td=1,]Very heavy smoke, can be bitter if not used with other woods such as apple or cherry.[/td][td=1,][list][*]Red Meat[*]Heavy Game[/list][/td]
Re: Smoking Woods Reference Table
Posted: 29 Oct 2009, 17:55
by British Bulldog BBQ
Great idea Steve it will be a useful tool.
Thanks
Re: Smoking Woods Reference Table
Posted: 03 Nov 2009, 20:01
by Spice
PEACH --- Has the same charictoristics as Cherry
PECAN --- Light, nutty flavor better with red meats
OAK ---- Helpfull in mellowing out Hickory and other strong flavor hard woods
MISQUITE --- Very strong flavor. Best with red meats. Easy to over smoke with
Re: Smoking Woods Reference Table
Posted: 05 Feb 2010, 21:34
by Steve
Just updated the table. It's complete as far as I can see.
However I'm sure people will spot some missing woods, please shout out if you do.
Re: Smoking Woods Reference Table
Posted: 24 May 2010, 11:37
by joker smoker
somebody just offered me a bay tree. Does anybody know if it's usable or not?
Re: Smoking Woods Reference Table
Posted: 05 Aug 2010, 19:51
by ozza
cheers Steve good piece of work, I echo the question re bay trees?
Re: Smoking Woods Reference Table
Posted: 07 Aug 2010, 14:13
by MadCow
Rule of Thumb usually is Hardwood, fruit wood or nut wood .... I have a feeling that bay might not fall into that category ... probably falls into the eucalyptus category for flavour ... and believe me, I know from experience that that is not good !!!
Re: Smoking Woods Reference Table
Posted: 25 Aug 2010, 11:44
by joker smoker
Thanks Jackie, just been given a pile of damson...will let y'all know how it burns
Re: Smoking Woods Reference Table
Posted: 19 Sep 2010, 18:23
by SmokeShack
This is great, thanks for posting it.
Does anybody know a good source for the more unusual woods, like hickory?
Re: Smoking Woods Reference Table
Posted: 19 Sep 2010, 21:59
by Steve
My wood guy sometimes has some hickory. Obviously he doesn't grow it it but he has come up with some for me this year that he acquired from somewhere.
http://www.smokingwoodsupplies.co.uk
Email Paul and ask him if he's got any.
Otherwise, you can buy Weber branded chunks of hickory and mesquite from garden centres.
Another option is to buy some hickory pellets from American BBQ. They're primarily for pellet cookers but they will burn happily in a foil parcel on your coals.