04-09-2016, 06:53 PM
[#0000ff]As you have already seen, choices in wood for smoking is a very subjective matter and subject to individual preferences and opinions. Whatever you prefer is exactly right...for you...but maybe not for anybody or everybody else. Just like recipes and seasonings. All over the map.
I have been all over the map myself. And I have been exposed to many types of fish and meats...smoked in many ways over many different kinds of woods. I have liked MOST of them. Only a few that I outright disliked. All good, some better than others.
I have also experimented a lot with various woods and different kinds of smokers myself. I believe you could drive yourself wacko if you tried to make the gentle art of smoking into a zen thing...or into a computerized process not subject to personal tweaks and occasional variations.
In my smoker corner on my back porch I have two kinds of smokers. One is a venerable Little Chief that has aged into a blackened box from countless smoke sessions. I still use it for low temp smoking for catfish and some other goodies. My other smoker is a Masterbilt with electronic controls. It is capable of holding constant heat at any temp up to about 500 degrees. It has it's uses.
I have several woods available in my collection. There is apple, cherry, alder, mesquite...and hickory. I seldom use the first four. I have kinda settled into liking the "traditional" flavor of hickory for most of the things I smoke. And I have hickory in sawdust, chips, chunks and pellets. I mix them at times for a combination of faster burning together with slower and longer lasting smoke.
I like what I turn out. And most folks who try my output don't gag and puke so I guess it ain't all bad.
Gravevines? My only experience with smoking grapevines was when a friend in 7th grade tried to get me to smoke a piece of grapevine...like a cigarette. Choke, gag, cough. Terrible. Guess that may be why I have never thought of using it for smoking fish.
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I have been all over the map myself. And I have been exposed to many types of fish and meats...smoked in many ways over many different kinds of woods. I have liked MOST of them. Only a few that I outright disliked. All good, some better than others.
I have also experimented a lot with various woods and different kinds of smokers myself. I believe you could drive yourself wacko if you tried to make the gentle art of smoking into a zen thing...or into a computerized process not subject to personal tweaks and occasional variations.
In my smoker corner on my back porch I have two kinds of smokers. One is a venerable Little Chief that has aged into a blackened box from countless smoke sessions. I still use it for low temp smoking for catfish and some other goodies. My other smoker is a Masterbilt with electronic controls. It is capable of holding constant heat at any temp up to about 500 degrees. It has it's uses.
I have several woods available in my collection. There is apple, cherry, alder, mesquite...and hickory. I seldom use the first four. I have kinda settled into liking the "traditional" flavor of hickory for most of the things I smoke. And I have hickory in sawdust, chips, chunks and pellets. I mix them at times for a combination of faster burning together with slower and longer lasting smoke.
I like what I turn out. And most folks who try my output don't gag and puke so I guess it ain't all bad.
Gravevines? My only experience with smoking grapevines was when a friend in 7th grade tried to get me to smoke a piece of grapevine...like a cigarette. Choke, gag, cough. Terrible. Guess that may be why I have never thought of using it for smoking fish.
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