Oak for smoke

Firetruck · June 2008

I have used some red oak firewood that I cut into chunks for the last few smokes. I cooked two butts for mothers day, and tonight I smoked venison backstrap. The pork seemed to hold up to the oak, but the venison was a little too harsh. Has anyone else had experience with oak? I'm thinking a fruit wood may be a little smoother. Any input would be appreciated.

Richard Fl · June 2008

I like apple for venison.

Beanie-Bean · June 2008

JoJo,

I use the Jack Daniels oak barrel chips, along with oak chunks/chips for smoking beef. For pork, I'll use a mixture of apple and hickory, with about a 30/70 mix favoring hickory.

BamaFan · June 2008

I use apple or cherry for most of my cooks. A little mskete for some beef but very light

NibbleMeThis · June 2008

The last load of wood I bought was a mix of hickory and oak (white oak, I believe). I found that I actually liked the oak in my offset smoker but not in my BGE. It could be because I split the oak into 1" x 1" x 16" pieces for the offset and into 2" x 2" chunks for the egg.

I do really like the Jack Daniels oak chips in the egg.

I think oak works in the egg, maybe we just need to use a little less or smaller pieces of it.

Firetruck · June 2008

There is not much fruitwood to be found around Memphis that I have found...short of becoming GW. That is why I've been basically limited to hickory and mesquite. I have found apple in the pellet form, but I don't know how it is to use. I think I'll keep on looking. One other thing I thought of, I have tried soaking and not soaking. Sometimes I use chunks sometimes I use chips. I have not found much consistency. Also It just don't smell like cooking butts...like when you drive by the pit bbq places. At first everything tasted really good. It would seem the learning curve is headed in the wrong direction. I'm looking forward to the curve heading back up.
Thanks for the help.

Firetruck · June 2008

I'm thinking you may be on to something there Chris. Tonight the venison kinda made the tounge num.

Austin Smoker · June 2008

Routinely use Post Oak for brisket...holds up great! Most of the best brisket joints in TX use it exclusively. I normally mix in Apple or Pecan

Fidel · June 2008

In my opinion if you had that numb or waxy feeling on your tongue and a bitter flavor or aftertaste you probably had a creosote issue. Creosote affects me that way.

Firetruck · June 2008

It may have been Rod. There really wasn't any bark to speak of. When I put the meat on the smoke had settled down. I put two chunks about 2.5x2.5 that had been soaking for days on the fire and kept the dome at 235 until the meat was 155. It was tender and had otherwise good flavor. Just the numbness.

Big'un · June 2008

JoJo,
I use oak alot. The only time it tastes harsh is when I don't wait for the smoke to slow. Sometimes the bark can put off an acrid taste. BTW, did you use a drip pan so that the grease didn't fall into the fire, also causing a harsh taste?

Fidel · June 2008

Moisture in the wood is part of what causes creosote. Green wood can cause some too.

I don't soak wood. Wet wood plus low temps is a recipe for creosote.

Again, just my opinion.....

Firetruck · June 2008

I did have a pan on the platesetter. I waited a few minutes until after the smoke setteled, but I may have not waited long enough. The chunks had been soaking for a long time...several days, only because I forgot to pour off the water. Anyway It probably took a while for the smoke to really get going good.

Wait a minute...I just realized something my son told me. After I got everything going, I told my son to keep the dome at 235 and pull the meat at 155. I had to leave to go repair a customer's air conditioner, and when I got home supper was ready. I do however remember him saying he left the fire to go take a shower, and when he got out the dome had risen to over 300. That makes me think the wood chunks may have dried out enough to ignite or atleast smoke more than when I left it. What do ya think?

Grandpas Grub · June 2008

I don't soak word for more than a few hours, and that is when I am just not paying attention to the soak. Long periods of soaking usually takes the favor out to the wood and into the water.

I at times soak to get the wood smoking further into the cook.

It is usually easier to spread the wood out around the lump that isn't burning at the start up time.

GG

Unknown · June 2008

was a thread not long ago and seemed those that posted preferred white oak. i was internet shopping for planks and smoke wood and white oak was what was being sold. i suspect there is a difference between red and white. maybe the saturday morning group will know more .
bill

Eggtucky · June 2008

Lotta cooks never use anything but hickory and a lil red oak for ribs and butts...when I'm using it I usually use 1/3 to 1/2 the amount of red oak to the amount of other wood whether it's hickory or a fruit wood...

QBabe · June 2008

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE oak with beef. Roasts, brisket, meatloaf, chili, ribs, and pretty much anything that takes a little time to cook. Mix it with a little cherry and it's amazing.

Gotta believe you didn't let the heavy, early smoke clear. Even if your fire got up to 300 or so, I don't think that would have made a big difference, if the wood was at the "flavor" stage and not that early, acrid stage. I do chili and roasts at 350 all the time and haven't had a bitter effect, but I get my egg up to temp with the platesetter, then put in the wood, then let it go for at least 1/2 hour so the chunks are burning nicely and the white, initial smoke has turned to the thin, clear-blue stream.

Big'un · June 2008

I don't think the wood should have ever ignited, as long as the dome was closed. I'm guessing that you had a huge amount of smoke pouring out of the egg? If so, that was your culprit. BTW, there is no need to soak the wood. The egg is so air tight that the wood wont ignite. Soaking wood is an old gasser ritual.

It's also possible that the wood you had soured somehow. Maybe leaving it in the same water too long, it got "funky"

Next time try using dry wood chunks, and letting most of the wood smoke die down, you have to wait the VOCs(volatile organic compounds) to burn off of the lump anyway. Remember to let your egg burn for 30 mins before putting food on. HTH.

Unknown · July 2010

i use smoke in a regular smoker all the time.. i also rub my meat...i find you only smoke at low temp225-250 for 2 hours and then wrap up the meat and finish the cooking i have excellent smoke ring and flavor

Oak for smoke

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