By Here is a list of some of the more popular smoking woods people use. There are plenty others out there, but not all wood is good or safe to use for smoking, so do your research before using anything that is a bit exotic or you are unsure about.
| Type | Characteristics |
| Alder | Very delicate with a hint of sweetness Good with fish, pork, poultry,and light-meat game birds. |
| Apple | Slightly sweet but denser, fruity smoke, excellent with pork. |
| Apricot | The flavor is milder and sweeter than Hickory. Good with most meats. |
| Cherry | Slightly sweet, fruity smoke flavor. Good with most meats. |
| Grape | Aromatic, similar to fruit woods, good with most meats. |
| Hickory | Pungent, smoky, bacon-like flavor and most common. Good for all smoking, especially pork and ribs. **Personal Favorite for Ribs** |
| Maple | Mildly smoky with a little bit of a sweet flavor. Good with pork, poultry, cheese and vegetables |
| Mesquite | Very strong flavor, best with beef. |
| Mulberry | Sweet and very similar to apple, good with pork. |
| Oak | Very popular, heavy smoke flavor. Good with red meats, pork, fish, and heavy game. |
| Peach | Slightly sweet, woodsy flavor, good with most meats |
| Pear | Slightly sweet, woodsy flavor, good with game birds and pork |
| Pecan | Similar to hickory, but not as strong, good for most meats. |
| Plum | Mild and sweeter than hickory, good for most meats |
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How do I add charcoal, and add wood chips, during cooking? Want to cook a brisket and will probably have to add both say, 4-5 hours in.
TIA
Stephen –
If you are using a BGE you shouldn’t have to add any charcoal after only 4-5 hours. I’ve smoked briskets for over 18 hours and never had to add anything. If you do have to add – you’ll have to remove the meat, the grate and the plate setter and refill – then put everything back. I’ve only had to do that for smokes over 24 hours+.
To add wood chips – I usually place chunks in the lump around the circle – so they get the heat later in the cook – and if i need to add wood chips, I can drop them in the sides of the grate without having to remove anything
Thanks. Will try a test run, at 225F.
Was trying to smoke home-made bacon and had trouble keeping the temp at 140F. Any hints?
You’ll have a hard time keep it below 225F without a cold smoker setup. I have the Amazen cold smoker for cheeses and fish. But you might need something like the Smoke Daddy for maintaining 140F with constant smoke. Or the DigiQ for temperature control