This article is all about the different types of smoker wood you can use with a Weber smoker grill. Using different wood chips can give food a distinct flavor and vary in taste when cooking certain types of meats. It is a lot of fun to try out the different timber that can be used with a Weber smokey mountain smoker and to see how the same two types of meat can have a completely different flavor when you use a different type of wood in the meat smoker.
First we will look at the type of wood and then we will look at the different characteristics and flavors in lends to the meat you are smoking. Lastly we will look at the type of meat that goes best when using that particular meat to smoke using Weber smokers.
Alder Wood – Alder belongs to the Alnus genus and includes shrubs as well as trees but for smoking you typically use the tree wood. This wood is a very delicate wood and it has and there is a little bit of a sweet taste to it. It is commonly used in the Pacific Northwest territories like Oregon, Washington and Alaska for the purpose of smoking wild salmon. It also lends itself to smoking various other fish, pork, and small game poultry.
Apple Wood – Apple wood is of course the wood that come from apple trees. It is very common in smoking and has a sweet and fruity flavor when used for smoking. You will commonly see apple smoked bacon in stores but you can also smoke pork, beef and poultry with it.
Cherry Wood – You almost feel bad using cherry wood in your Weber smoker because it makes such beautiful furniture but true meat smokers know this is a wonderful wood to use that has a slight sweetness to it and also a fruity smoke flavor. This is one of the great timbers that is universally good for smoking all meats.
Grape Vines – This is an often overlooked wood to use because it is not always readily available but is similar to other fruit trees wood. It is very aromatic and if you can find a supply of it, it is good for smoking pretty much all meats.
Hickory Wood – Hickory is the most common wood used for smoking meats. The timber itself is very hard and dense which allows it to be used for long smoking times since it burns for so long. It is distinctively smoky and pungent and has a bacon like flavor. This makes it perfect for smoking all meats but is best when used to smoke ribs and any type of pork.
Maple Wood – Maple is used for a diverse and endless amount of products from furniture, baseball bats and universally loved maple syrup from the trees sap. It is of course sweet due to the sap and the smoke it produces is mildly smoky. It is good for smoking meats like pork and small game birds but also for smoking vegetables and cheese.
Mesquite Wood – If you want a pungent and earthy flavor when using your Weber smoker then Mesquite is perfect for you. It commonly goes hand in hand with grilling and barbecuing. It is superb to use to smoke beef, but also great for most meats and even vegetables.
Mulberry Wood – This tree produces small berries that are tart and commonly used for wines, pies and cordials. When you burn the wood it produces a sweet smoke and is similar to apple wood. Because it is reminiscent off apple wood it is also great for smoking ham but also beef and poultry.
Oak Wood – Oak trees are very common throughout north America which makes getting ahold of the wood for smoking very easy. It is also a very dense wood which makes it very popular for the use of smoking with Weber smokers since it burns slow and hot. You get a very heavy smoke flavor when using it for smoking meats and it is good for all red meats, pork, pungent flavored fish and heavy game.
Peach And Pear Wood – We are combining peach and pear wood because they are extremely similar in the flavors they give off in wood smokers. Because they are a fruit tree they are slightly sweet and give of a woodsy flavor. They are both good for smoking poultry, game birds and pork.
Pecan Wood – Pecan is a species of hickory and is native to North America. It is most commonly known for producing pecan nuts. It smokes similar to hickory but is not quite as strong of a flavor. One fun thing to do is to smoke it with the pecan shells still on which gives a unique flavor. It is pretty universal in use for smoking all types of meats.
Walnut Wood – Lastly we have walnut which is another nut producing tree. It is also another very hard and dense wood so using it in Weber smokers is perfect because it will burn for a long time period. This wood is a little unique and has a very strong smoke flavor. For this reason it is often mixed with lighter woods such as apple or pecan to help cut it. Otherwise it can produce a bitter flavor on its own. It is good for most game meats and red meats.
This article was meant to tell you all about the different types of smoker wood that you can use to burn and produce smoke in your Weber smokers. It is a good idea to test each of them out if they are readily available to determine which you like best. Just follow the pairings of the types of meats that go well with each wood and you will end up smoking a lot of great meats and meals you won’t forget. If you don’t currently own a Weber smokey mountain smoker and you love barbecuing, then it is definitely a product you will want to look into getting for your home.
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