Hickory Smoke

[CandySueQ]

Hickory gives me heartburn! Not a couple of anti-acid fix, but more like a roll of Tums.

I suspect that I'm not the only one and that dislike of smoked foods is really a specific result of hickory tummy upset. I do better with pecan or even walnut.

What are your thoughts?

[Steve R.]

I've never considered that. Could it be that the meats we choose to use hickory smoke for have something to do with it?

[jfmorris]

I like hickory, and use it for most of my pork ribs and Boston butt smokes. It is a stronger smoking wood for sure, as I just got through explaining to my son who just picked up a (new to him) Weber kettle.

[FireMan]

If it gives you the burn, then it do. Me, I’m like a junk yard dog. I use various, no problems. Not a good gage fer what ye

[LA Pork Butt]

I like hickory and can’t say I have ever seen a relationship between it and heartburn.

[Jim White]

Wow. Seems like a distinct disadvantage for you in competition cooks, assuming you taste test along the way.

[CandySueQ]

No, just use pecan and cherry whether I'm using big sticks or little ones!

[mrteddyprincess]

Silly question, but no dirty smoke, right? Nice, clean smoke? And you're still getting indigestion?

I am currently burning a rick of seasoned hickory splits (from Indiana) in my off-set and I've done quite a few cooks with no off tastes at all. This is my third rick in three years and previously I've burned wild cherry and maple. The only real difference among those three woods is that maple left a residue on my chicken that I could never get to clear up. Otherwise, to me, cherry, maple, and hickory were nearly identical in the smoke profiles of everything I smoked. :-)

My buddy has a Traeger and believes that he can tell the difference between the types of pellets being used. He and I have agreed to disagree on that point.

I hope you find out what's causing your indigestion!

[CandySueQ]

No dirty smoke! Same cooker just different blended with oak pellets. Doesn't take much for hickory to push me over.

[mrteddyprincess]

CandySueQ that sucks! So sorry.

[RonB]

I use hickory only now. I have tried other woods, but hickory just tastes right to me.

[Dadof3Illinois]

Hickory, Oak and Pecan are pretty much what I use all the time. Is it just when you use the pellets or doesn't matter either way?

[Donw]

By chance do Walnuts cause you heartburn?

[WayneT]

I was thinking along the same line, nutwoods vs fruitwoods. Great question.

Edit: NVM. Pecan was listed as acceptable above.

[Donw]

WayneT I was thinking along the lines of juglone which walnuts have, and hickory does too in lesser amounts. Not sure of concentrations in the bark and wood of either but the nuts both contain it. I don’t believe pecan contain any, but I’m not sure about that.

[WayneT]

Donw Came back around to this topic and nerded out briefly on juglone. That’s a new one for me and it’s fascinating that the black walnut has cytotoxic properties. The Wiki article said that American southerners would even use walnut husks for ‘fishing’, aka, poisoning them. 🙄 Seems as if fish are super-sensitive to this stuff so why not some humans?

[Bogy]

This is something for me to keep in mind. Hickory doesn't both me, but I'm not the one who it would bother in my house. Lots of things bother my wife's tummy, and we are starting to learn why. I can't say I have ever put it together that a particular smoke might be one of the culprits, but I'll watch for that now.

[Sid P]

I feel bad for you, because hickory + pork = BBQ heaven. But that’s just me.

[MsTwiggy]

I don't care for Hickory but it's been a long time since I used it. I recall it blackening my protein much more than other woods and being a little too smokey. I've never been troubled by heartburn.

[Mosca]

Hickory is my favorite, no problems with it.

[HawkerXP]

This is something I never thought about.