04-08-2016, 06:14 PM
Hey Curt,
When my mother cut a ton of her grape vine out of her yard I took several boxes full ranging in size from 4" thick on down to 3/4" thick. I used it on some trout within a week and for several weeks after that. It was good and tasted fine, but when I used it months later it was not as good as the green wood batches.
I think the difference was the moisture content and from what I've heard it is best when used green.
One of my favorite wood mixtures for smoked trout, especially Lakers, is local chokecherry and local maples. The flavor is awesome and wild at the same time, but if I could only choose one of those it might be chokecherry. Both very abundant and very good.
I used to own a BBQ restaurant and am fairly proficient at smoking most all meats with good success and it definitely works best to pair the wood up to the fish. White, flaky fishes actually work best, from the feedback that I've received, with hickory, Apple, and maple, while fish with a higher oil content did best with more subdued and fruitier hardwoods like Apple, cherry, peach, etc.
Alder is also an awesome wood, but only if you soak it well and never let it flame. The soot from alder is quite bitter and doesn't compliment anything.
Of course these are just opinions, but they are from customer feedback. No matter which hardwood you use it will still taste pretty good even if it's not your first choice.....just keep the smoke temps low and avoid at all cost having the wood actually flame on you.
Mike
[signature]
When my mother cut a ton of her grape vine out of her yard I took several boxes full ranging in size from 4" thick on down to 3/4" thick. I used it on some trout within a week and for several weeks after that. It was good and tasted fine, but when I used it months later it was not as good as the green wood batches.
I think the difference was the moisture content and from what I've heard it is best when used green.
One of my favorite wood mixtures for smoked trout, especially Lakers, is local chokecherry and local maples. The flavor is awesome and wild at the same time, but if I could only choose one of those it might be chokecherry. Both very abundant and very good.
I used to own a BBQ restaurant and am fairly proficient at smoking most all meats with good success and it definitely works best to pair the wood up to the fish. White, flaky fishes actually work best, from the feedback that I've received, with hickory, Apple, and maple, while fish with a higher oil content did best with more subdued and fruitier hardwoods like Apple, cherry, peach, etc.
Alder is also an awesome wood, but only if you soak it well and never let it flame. The soot from alder is quite bitter and doesn't compliment anything.
Of course these are just opinions, but they are from customer feedback. No matter which hardwood you use it will still taste pretty good even if it's not your first choice.....just keep the smoke temps low and avoid at all cost having the wood actually flame on you.
Mike
[signature]