| Alder: light, delicate aroma, excellent for fish | | | | the coals or into a foil pouch with holes in it, then |
| Apple: light, sweet, fruity aroma, good for pork | | | | onto the coals. Small metal "smoke boxes" are |
| andchicken. | | | | available as well to hold the chips in place of the foil. |
| Cherry: same as apple | | | | Hickory and mesquite are the most common types |
| Hickory: most widely used, strong, hearty flavor, | | | | of wood chips available, however almost all types |
| usedon beef, poultry and pork | | | | including wine soaked ones are available online. |
| Maple: sweet and mild flavor good with chicken, | | | | Pellets are made from compressed sawdust. They |
| Vegetables or fish | | | | are thrown directly onto the fire, no soaking. Jack |
| Mesquite: burns fast and hot, heavy smoke. Be | | | | Daniel's wood pellets are made from the charcoal |
| carefulnot to use too much. Not used a lot on | | | | used to mellow the whiskey and are very popular. |
| thecompetition circuit. | | | | Pellets, like chips can be ordered in almost any |
| Oak: strong flavor, not bitter, second most often | | | | "flavor" off the internet. A little goes a long way with |
| used insmoking meat | | | | these, and little or no ash is produced. |
| Pecan: mild smoke with a rich aroma. A mellow | | | | There are some pellet fed smokers out there, using |
| versionof hickory | | | | the pellets for fuel as well as smoke, a thermometer |
| Mixing woods in a smoker is very common. A mix of | | | | detects the need for more fuel and pellets are fed |
| oak, apple and pecan is terrific on chicken in particular. | | | | into the firebox. |
| Beef seems best when smoked with a mix of oak | | | | Aside from the flavoring that wood imparts into the |
| and hickory. | | | | meat it is cooking, it also develops a smoke ring. |
| CHUNKS, CHIPS AND PELLETS | | | | There is a chemical reaction that causes a pink or |
| Chunks are the most widely used form of wood | | | | reddish ring inside the meat. This is very desirable, as |
| used on the competition circuit. This is largely due to | | | | the judges look for it in competitions. |
| the size of the smokers; a handful of chips won't do | | | | This pink or red ring about ¼ inch below the |
| you any good on a smoker that is 6 feet long. | | | | surface is caused by a reaction of the nitrates and |
| The chunks are mixed in with the coals when the fire | | | | nitrides with the myoglobin of the meat. It is not the |
| is started. As the fire spreads over time throughout | | | | actual smoke penetrating the meat. |
| the coals, the chunks are ignited, giving you a longer | | | | After 140 degrees, the formation of this ring will |
| duration of smoke. | | | | stop, however the meat can keep retaining the |
| Once your meat hits 140 degrees the smoke ring | | | | smoke flavor. Remember, it is not the amount of |
| stops being formed inside your meat. The meat will | | | | smoke you put into the meat that will get your name |
| still absorb the smoke flavor though. | | | | called in competitions, it is the flavor. Do not over |
| Chips are the favorite of the backyard bbq'er, easy | | | | smoke your meat. |
| to use, dispose of and readily available. Most | | | | The smoke ring adds color, not flavor. Some cooks |
| backyard smokers such as the Weber or Brinkman | | | | put their meat on as cold as possible to enhance the |
| are perfect for the use of chips. | | | | formation of this ring. A good smoke ring will |
| Chips are soaked first, then either put directly onto | | | | definitely help your presentation. |