Have you ever been to a great barbecue restaurant and just stood outside and inhaled that wonderful smoke billowing from a wood fired, brick pit? There is just something special about how barbecue smells as it slow cooks for hours upon hours. Let’s get to work now on trying to duplicate that same aroma in your own smoker.
The type of wood you use will make a big difference. The general rule of thumb is that fruit woods are mild and sweet, hard woods are more robust and savoury, and nut woods produce a strong smokey flavour. This includes such woods as hickory, oak, Holm oak, olive, almond and pecan. Fruit woods would include apple, cherry, lemon, orange,and peach. Do not use coniferous or oleander woods (pine, cedar, fir, hemlock, cypress, and spruce are some common ones).
Wood can come in several forms. Logs, split logs, chunks, chips, dust, and pellets.