What type of wood

[Oct.1]

Is there any rule of thumb for the type of wood to use in relation to the type of meat your smoking?
Also, what woods give a stronger smoke flavor than others?

[Salmonsmoker]

Oct.1

The general rule is that for storng flavored foods, use strong flavored smoke. Mild foods, use mild smoke.

Each wood has it's own flavor. Here's a rundown from strongest to mildest:

Hickory (particularly the bark from the Shagbark Hickory tree). Strong tangy flavor - hearty and full-bodied. Good for ribs, roasts, steaks, any pork or beef. Also excellent for adding smoke to the grill where foods will be exposed for short times. If used for long exposures can give an acrid flavor.

Mesquite: Strong, full bodied flavor - when used in long exposures can give an acrid flavor. Good for aged beef, pork and marinated meats.

Alder: A milder and sweeter smoke than hickory - good for fowl and stronger smoked fish.

Maple: Mellower than Hickory or Mesquite but more full-bodied than oak. Excellent for fish, chicken and other mild-flavored meats.

Oak: Smooth mellow flavor, good for almost any food - my favorite for cheese and eggs where a mild smoke flavor is needed.

Fruitwoods: Apple, cherry, peach and even grapevine: Excellent for fowl where a milder and sweeter flavor is desired. (Prolonged cherry smoking can give an acrid flavor).

Corncobs: The mildest smoke. Gives an almost earthy flavor. Good for long exposrue smoking where drying is also a desired factor.

Use either green wood, or wetted wood. I soak hickory bark for 2 hours. Sawdust soaks up almost immediately. Chips require abut an hour. Generally I go to a sawmill and get my wood chips (they sell them for $20 per ton so my garbage bag full (that lasts me for a month or so) has always been free. The trick is to know what wood they are cutting on what day to get a selection.

Hope this helps.

ss

[This message has been edited by Salmonsmoker (edited 07-31-2000).]

[Oct.1]

Salmon,
Thank - You. Exactly what I was looking for. This is better than "Barns and Nobel". You need to start your own school.
Oct.1

[Salmonsmoker]

Oct.1

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I have given a lot of thought to how one could make a living at this sort of thing. The problem is there are always thoes %@#&%@ (translates to bothersom) details, like how to pay the bills and buy groceries and all that sort of stuff. If you have any ideas, let me know. In the mean time, I'm glad to share what I've learned.

ss

[Salmonsmoker]

Oct.1

An update on the kind of wood:

Yesterday, I had my smoker filled with cheese and was working to keep the temp down to 100 degrees. (In all of the books that I have, and in 30 some years of experence at making smoked foods, this has never been in issue.)
I was usng an electric heat source - keeping all of the vents closed to create an oxygen-defficient atmosphere, thus, lots of smoke with low temp. That part worked. It is called a "reduction" fire. I have never completely smoked anything using reduction smoke.

Two weeks ago I made some smoked cheese and the temperature was slightly hotter, (which meant that I had to keep much closer check on the cheese to insure that it did not melt.) The vents were partially open and there was sufficient air to keep more fire going. That is called an "oxidation" fire.

The point in all of this explanation is that reduction smoke gives a heavy/dense smoke flavor. Oxidation smoke gives many more individual wood-flavor subtlies (sp?). It gives a better flavor to the final product.

Reduction smoke gives a lot of smoke-flavor similar to liquid smoke. Oxidation smoke brings out the individual flavors inherient in the specific wood being used.

I hope this will help as you experiment with different wood-types in your smoker.

ss

[Oct.1]

S.S.
Thanks,
Another learning tip to remember.
In fact my smoker does not have a vent to let heat or smoke out.
Think I'll cut a hole in the top and rivit a vent cap on for that perpose.
Thanks again
Oct.1

[Salmonsmoker]

There have been several questions on smoking foods lately. This may give some ideas to people trying it for the first time.

[fishwitch44]

great info salmonsmoker....i have been using shaggy bark hickory for all my fish and turkeys and ribs......maybe all have to try the maple

[Salmonsmoker]

Fishwitch44,

I use a mixture of 1/3 shag bark and 2/3 Red Oak for many of my smoked foods. The hickory gives a tang, the Red Oak adds a nice Earthy flavor.

Each wood has it's own distinct flavor when burned (Oxidized rather than an oxygen defficient Reduction eviornmnet). One can spend many hours experimenting with the individual flavors, and combinations of flavors. The result of that experimentation will be distinct flavor combination that you can enjoy eating and serving.

[ESOX]

My favorite for most smoking is Pear. Especially good with poultry.

[Salmonsmoker]

Esox,

I have never tried Pear wood - mostly because of availablity. Fruitwoods in general give an excellent smoke flavor to poultry and small game - also, using cider in place of water for the liquid in the brine gives an excellent flavor.

Thanks for the tip. As soon as I can find some pear wood......

[ESOX]

I'll have to try the cider, never done that before.
If you have an orchard with Pear trees nearby, they will have a lot of tree trimmings they will be glad to get rid of. I have a few Pear trees at home, even the smaller branches work well.

[fishwitch44]

wow never heard of the cider either..wouldnt work for me..i usually have 2 five gallon buckets of brine..think it would get a tad costly

[Salmonsmoker]

fishwitch44,

Try using cider with a smaller "test" batch. Then, if you like it, use it for limited production items and special recipies.

[Salmonsmoker]

Esox,

Yes, there is an orchard a few miles from here, and right on the way to a good ice-fishing lake. They are closed this time of the year, but someone must be around there supervising the work. Will stop by and see what I can find. Thanks for the idea.