Generally speaking, oaks fall into red or white prototype. They can be distinguished by their leaves, typically red oaks have bristles on the leaf margin while white oaks are more rounded. Some common white oaks are: white oak, chestnut oak, but oak. Red oaks: Shumard, pin oak, southern/northern red oak, black oak. Red tends to be the better for smoking due to the amount of tannins found in them compared to their white oak brethren.
USDA Forest Service maintains a very good website for any and all tree species. It got me thru college.
I have pin oak trees in my yard and all throughout my neighborhood. I have used this wood successfully as wood chunks on my Weber Kettle along with KBB to produce great BBQ.
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I've used red and white oak species and both work just fine. Locally we have a lot of water oak which is a type of red oak. They have shallower roots and tend to blow over during hurricanes so I have had access to a lot of it in the past few years. I've used it with good results.
John "JR"
Minnesota/ United States of America
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Any oak is good for smoking. ( I am sure someone will chime in with an oak that can kill you and everyone else around you, but it's a risk I am willing to take! )
I use White and Red Oak. As well as all the subspecies that fall under those umbrellas...............Pin Oak, Bur, Jack, Hill, Red, white,
Black oak (Technically sub species of Red Oak) can be a bit bitter as it has tannin in the sap wood. They actually use it for dye making. It burns really well though once dried.
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