Wood Smoking

Wood Type Meat Poultry Boar/Pork Ham Fish Salmon Lamb Turkey Venison Game
Acacia
Alder Good Better Good Best Best Better Better — X
Almond
Apple Good Good Best X X Best Better Good
Apricot
Ash X X
Bay Wood S
Beech X X
Birch
Blackberry
Butternut
Cherry Good Good Better X X Good —
Chestnut
Corncobs X X X
Cottonwood
Crabapple X X X X
Fig
Fruitwood
Grapefruit X X X X
Grapevines X X X X X X
Guava
Herbs (Italian) X X X
Herbs (Oriental) X X X
Herbs (Dried)
Hickory Better Good Better Good X X Good Best
Jack Daniel’s Best   Good X
Kiawe X X X
Lemon X X X
Lilac X X
Lime X X X
Maple X X X
Mesquite Best Better — Good X X Good Better X
Mulberry X X X X X
Nectarine X X X
Oak X X X X
Olive X
Orange X X X X
Peach X X X X
Pear X X X
Pecan Good Better Good X Better —
Persimmon X
Pimento X
Plum X X X X
Sassafras X X X
Seaweed X
Walnut (Black) X X X
Walnut (English) X X X
   

Other Smoking Notes

  • Never use lumber scraps or pallet wood. These woods may have been treated with chemicals or pallets could have been used to transport hazardous chemicals or materials. Such chemicals could be hazardous to your health.
  • Avoid any wood with mold or fungus. These can impart a bad taste (at best) or be hazardous (at worst).
  • Never use wood that was painted or stained. Do not use wood scraps from a furniture manufacturer as this wood is often chemically treated. Old paint may contain lead which is hazardous to your health.
  • DO NOT USE any wood from conifer trees such as pine, fir, spruce, redwood, cedar, cypress, or sweet gum trees. These can make you ill. Also avoid wood from elm, eucalyptus, sycamore, and liquid amber trees.