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  • A really novice question - smoking woods

    Hi everyone,

    I've recently purchased a kamado Joe and some smoking wood chunks : apple, sweet chestnut, cherry, hickory, oak and plum

    My question is about experimenting ...
    I'd like to smoke different woods and see the difference ....

    Do I need to do 1 wood cook a steak, then next day another wood cook a steak etc....

    Or can I use 1 wood(cook steak), then a few hours later another wood etc. Or will the flavours get mixed up?

    Many thank

    Tony


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  • #2
    Hmm..well..your pit WILL develop a certain “seasoning” as time goes on. Probably most apparent with the first few smokes. But you’ll know the difference in the woods.
    Smoke is often “layered” IE I will start with hickory and then go to apple for a “finish smoke” on ribs alot.
    In God I trust- All others pay cash...
    Check out the Mad Hunky and products at https://madhunkymeats.com or https://www.facebook.com/MadHunkyMeats
    Lang 60D, The Beast, 18 and 22 WSM, Brinkmann Backroads trailer, Weber 22 Kettle, gutted MB burning watts

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Richtee View Post
      Hmm..well..your pit WILL develop a certain “seasoning” as time goes on. Probably most apparent with the first few smokes. But you’ll know the difference in the woods.

      Smoke is often “layered” IE I will start with hickory and then go to apple for a “finish smoke” on ribs alot.


      Thanks for the reply ... at the moment I'm still at the stage of working out which wood I prefer - hence do I need to smoke different woods on different days to get an idea, or after a few hours or so, can I put a different wood on or will the BBQ still be flavoured by previous wood ......


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      • #4
        Best way to learn what smoke flavors ya like is build lots of fires...

        Try em all and then try em all again...

        And to Smoked-Meat
        Craig
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        • #5
          Yup, just experiment and see what you like. Everyones taste buds are different so youll have to figure out what you like best.
          Bored Guy Blog

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          • #6
            Another thing.. your tastes WILL be affected by hanging around the cooker. Almost always..the next day I notice subtleties in the flavor I did NOT the day of the cook. The smoke of course affects the nose, and that affects your tasting ability.
            In God I trust- All others pay cash...
            Check out the Mad Hunky and products at https://madhunkymeats.com or https://www.facebook.com/MadHunkyMeats
            Lang 60D, The Beast, 18 and 22 WSM, Brinkmann Backroads trailer, Weber 22 Kettle, gutted MB burning watts

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            • #7
              So,
              Nice selection of wood. Organize them by strength of smoke. Hickory and Oak will be the strongest followed by your fruit woods. Heavier meats will tolerate a stronger smoke. I don't mean more smoke but heavier aroma. For instance I wouldn't necessarily smoke pork or chicken in oak but some do after they have gained experience with their tools.

              Personally, I use my fruitwoods for a light sweet smoke flavor on white meats, especially fish. In my opinion, combinations of wood flavors is nice but always err on the conservative side and go with less of the stronger flavor. Like one chunk of hickory to two chunks of plum. A good hardwood will always overpower the flavor. And make sure you ALWAYS go light on the smoke. Those K joes don't have a tremendous amount of airflow so a little goes a long way. Plus you save on wood. So, start light and practice like the other guys said.

              A good way to experiment is get a big pack of chicken thighs. do a few at a time until you get dialed in. They are relatively cheap and can always be eaten as is or chopped up for other things. no need to trash out a good ribeye if you get my drift.
              Good luck
              sigpic

              Some days I think Bravo Zulu, other days it's more like Whiskey Tango Foxtrot...

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              • #8
                Originally posted by jwbtulsa View Post
                So,
                Nice selection of wood. Organize them by strength of smoke. Hickory and Oak will be the strongest followed by your fruit woods. Heavier meats will tolerate a stronger smoke. I don't mean more smoke but heavier aroma. For instance I wouldn't necessarily smoke pork or chicken in oak but some do after they have gained experience with their tools.

                Personally, I use my fruitwoods for a light sweet smoke flavor on white meats, especially fish. In my opinion, combinations of wood flavors is nice but always err on the conservative side and go with less of the stronger flavor. Like one chunk of hickory to two chunks of plum. A good hardwood will always overpower the flavor. And make sure you ALWAYS go light on the smoke. Those K joes don't have a tremendous amount of airflow so a little goes a long way. Plus you save on wood. So, start light and practice like the other guys said.

                A good way to experiment is get a big pack of chicken thighs. do a few at a time until you get dialed in. They are relatively cheap and can always be eaten as is or chopped up for other things. no need to trash out a good ribeye if you get my drift.
                Good luck


                FANTASTIC reply !!! Thanks very much indeed [emoji106][emoji106]


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                • #9
                  Originally posted by jwbtulsa View Post
                  So,
                  Nice selection of wood. Organize them by strength of smoke. Hickory and Oak will be the strongest followed by your fruit woods. Heavier meats will tolerate a stronger smoke. I don't mean more smoke but heavier aroma. For instance I wouldn't necessarily smoke pork or chicken in oak but some do after they have gained experience with their tools.

                  Personally, I use my fruitwoods for a light sweet smoke flavor on white meats, especially fish. In my opinion, combinations of wood flavors is nice but always err on the conservative side and go with less of the stronger flavor. Like one chunk of hickory to two chunks of plum. A good hardwood will always overpower the flavor. And make sure you ALWAYS go light on the smoke. Those K joes don't have a tremendous amount of airflow so a little goes a long way. Plus you save on wood. So, start light and practice like the other guys said.

                  A good way to experiment is get a big pack of chicken thighs. do a few at a time until you get dialed in. They are relatively cheap and can always be eaten as is or chopped up for other things. no need to trash out a good ribeye if you get my drift.
                  Good luck
                  It almost sounds like he knows what he's talking about
                  Craig
                  sigpic

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                  • #10
                    Shit, I don't ever know what I am talking about. Mostly I'm just talking. The only thing I know for certain is when two things happen: a girl hikes up her skirt and a man pours me a drink. Both times I say thank you and if I get them on the same day, it must be a holiday. Happy Fourth of July!!!!
                    sigpic

                    Some days I think Bravo Zulu, other days it's more like Whiskey Tango Foxtrot...

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by jwbtulsa View Post
                      Shit, I don't ever know what I am talking about. Mostly I'm just talking. The only thing I know for certain is when two things happen: a girl hikes up her skirt and a man pours me a drink. Both times I say thank you and if I get them on the same day, it must be a holiday. Happy Fourth of July!!!!
                      It almost sounds like he knows what he is talking about
                      Craig
                      sigpic

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                      • #12
                        I would suggest using a mild wood to start out with if your not used to smoking meat. As mentioned try a pork butt and chicken, cheap and kinda hard to mess up. Also you don't want billows of smoke just nice wisps. If your tongue tingles and meat taste like an ashtray you created creosote by not applying light smoke. I would suggest tossing it at that point.

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                        • #13
                          I know it's supposed to make a difference, but honestly I've never noticed one.

                          Even the bay wood, which smellsa bit like bay leaves, doesn't make the food taste like bay.

                          One of the problems I find is that as the cook and person whos exposed to the smoke while cooking, it totally kills my taste buds towards smoke flavour.
                          I can pretty much only taste the smoke in food the day after I've smoked it.

                          So make sure you keep some for the next day :-)

                          Cold smoking on the other hand is much better as I just light the smokevark and bugger off for 18 hours. Or 5 if it's cheese.

                          But differentiating between different types of wood - never been able to. That said I always use very light tbs. And my food doesn't turn out black as pitch, like some I see round here. So maybe that's it
                          Made In England - Fine Tuned By The USA
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