Best Wood for Smoking Port Butt - Any Consensus?

[Nate]

Consensus??? Not in these parts here fella... lol

general consensus on the matter is usually a hardwood and fruitwood combination.

when using actual splits instead of pellets or chunks it tends to come down to availability of wood species... pellets is a whole new game.

most popular seem to have a combination of hickory or oak mixed with apple or cherry.

happy smoking...

[RickyBobby]

Your taste buds will guide the way. Personally, and especially for pork, I prefer sweeter smoke. i.e. fruit woods. My favorite are apple and cherry for pork. The best pork butt I’ve ever done according to those who ate it was smoked with about a 3:2:1 ratio of Cherry:Apple:Hickory. I get crazy with my wood combinations and ratios though. I have had PHENOMENAL results using 80% fruit wood (pecan, apple, cherry) and 20% hickory, oak, or mesquite on brisket.

IF I understand things correctly, pork prefers sweeter smoke (obviously there is a lot of personal preference here) and to my very limited knowledge and experience, the sweetness in descending order is cherry, apple, then pecan. At least of the woods I’ve used.

Good luck with the cook! Regardless, I’m certain that the product you turn out will be excellent! I’m jealous..... lol, I wish I could spend my time at the Pit this weekend! .....Oh, and, Pictures or it didn’t happen! 😎👍

[JeffJ]

Pork butt?

I like hickory and it's not even close.

[Santamarina]

I use oak for everything. Used almond a few times last year - my wood guy gave me a good deal to try something new. Almond was nice on pork, but I still prefer oak.

[texastweeter]

I backed up some almond last time I was at the farm, have yet to use it.

[pjlstrat]

Straight up apple here.

[Mr. Bones]

Most usually, I use a Hickory / Apple mix, though sometimes it's Hickory / Mesquite, dependin on th flavour profile I'm aimin fer...

[ColonialDawg]

Dry wood

[au4stree]

Pecan or hickory for me. That what we have in abundance round these parts....

[Bkhuna]

In order of preference, for pork:

Pecan
Hickory
Cherry
Apple

Beef:
Oak

[holehogg]

Rooikrans (alien hardwood from Australia) that has become a pest here at the coast. I find it very close to mesquite but not quite as strong. I have tried different woods after using only one type for the first 6 months of my journey and can honestly say I can't really tell the differences.

[texastweeter]

wonder if you can ship me some...

[holehogg]

texastweeter will float some from Sardinia Bay in the morning check out in a week or two weather dependant

[texastweeter]

lol, Huck Finn style. holehogg

[Jon Liebers]

2/3 hickory 1/3 cherry. I use a BGE. just get a few nice isize chunks and spread em around.

[ofelles]

50/50 pecan and cherry and once in a while straight hickory.
Apple sounds very popular so I'll have to try some.

[Huskee]

As you can see, any good smoking wood will work. It will all taste good when used correctly. There is no "best", it is a subjective thing. It's like asking 'what's the best seasoning to use?' or 'what's the best side to serve with it?'. Use what you know you already like. You will do great!

[mountainsmoker]

Truer words have not been spoken. It is a matter of taste. Yours and no one else's.

[smokin fool]

Don't recall ever seeing Pecan up here, but then again I don't get out much....

[Potkettleblack]

Pecan is a species of hickory, so basically, yes. It's all good.

[cjv140]

I thought he said pellet smoker? Or am I seeing things?

[texastweeter]

you can buy pellets made of all the major hardwoods.