It’s suitable for electric smokers that don’t have an open flame, the electric heating element causing a slow smolder, rather than an outright burning. Wood splits are typically 18 inches in length, though you can and do get lengths anything from 12 to 24 inches, particularly from people that cut their own to match the size of their smokers’ firebox. If you’re thinking of smoking lamb then we’d recommend first getting yourself a piece of mutton or older lamb. Most lamb will work better not smoked (still great smoked though) but a tougher cut of lamb with more connective tissue will work just great low and slow. A wood that is too heavy with the smoke will almost certainly ruin the lamb as it’s quite a mild meat. The heaviest smoke we’d go to is oak again, but we’ve had the most success with apple. Apple is sweet enough and mild enough to let the lamb’s natural flavors come through without too much intervention from the smoke flavor. Note that crabapple wood is exceptionally similar to applewood, and you can use the two kinds of wood interchangeably. Season, or dry, the wood before tossing it on the fire. How dry is dry? Generally, well-seasoned wood is left with about 20 to 25 percent of its water.

Complete Guide to Smoking Meat with Hickory Wood

Sweet chestnut belongs in the same family as beech and oak trees. They can grow up to 115 feet high and 7 feet in diameter. The trunk is straight, with branches starting at relatively low heights. Gasification and pyrolysis– This stage takes place when the wood is between 500 and 700°F. Compounds within the wood start to change at this point. Some of these compounds become flammable gasses, so if these gases are exposed to a flame, they will ignite (at this point the wood itself is not igniting independently of these gases). So in everyday terms, this is the point at which it appears as if the wood “catches fire”.Apple: Apple is one of the classic smoking woods. It burns quite hot and gives a decent smoky flavor. It can work well with any meat or veg and gives a bit of a sweet, fruity flavor. It’s great to use with lighter meats and fish. Apple wood is a great companion to ribs and you’ll find that a lot of the best ribs around are cooked over apple wood.

Smoking Wood 101 — An Expert Guide to Using Smoking Woods Smoking Wood 101 — An Expert Guide to Using Smoking Woods

And when lignin breaks down in a fire, it creates aromatic compounds called phenolics that bring spiciness and pungency to smoke flavor. Pyrolysis is the process of breaking chemical bonds in a material’s molecules by heating it over its breakdown temperature. The components typically break down to form smaller molecules, but they can also combine to form solid compounds and residues. Cook indirectly for longer cooks –Cooking indirectly means the heat source is in a chamber separate to where your food sits, like in an offset cooker. If you cook indirectly there is no chance of the moisture or fat from the meat dripping onto the fire. For shorter cooks, this isn’t such an issue. But when cooking low and slow, cooking indirectly is best. Alder: This is a milder wood that generally burns quite low. Mild woods are good for whiter meats, fish and vegetables. Alder is generally used for smoking salmon as it gives a subtle, but sweet flavor and a hint of smokiness.Almond wood gives a nutty, sweet flavor similar to pecan. Almond wood is versatile and ideal for all meats. However, for large cuts such as ribs, brisket, pork butts and shoulders, they can take anything from between 5 and 16 hours to cook! Should you smoke for the whole time? Or just some of it? As always, take notes, and increase or decrease smoking time depending on how you find the results. Should You Soak Your Smoking Wood? Pecan – Very sweet, nutty flavor. It should be combined with a stronger flavor wood so the brisket is not overly sweet. Lignin ( 20%-30%) — a polymer that doesn’t have a clearly defined shape or form, unlike crystalline cellulose. Lignin serves as a matrix or binder for cellulose and is responsible for wood’s strong, fibrous texture.