The past few weekends have seen me smoking different meats on the Weber Smokey Mountain and I have kinda come to a conclusion with what I like personally.
Apple/Cherry wood - very mild flavor that I can't taste that much. 1st Boston Butt I did was with apple and I couldn't taste it.
Alder - good flavor and just a tad stronger than the fruit wood. Did a Cornish hen with apple, Alder 2nd and preferred Alder.
Pecan - I have it but have yet to use it. I have read that it's good for poultry, fish and pork.
Hickory - used this a lot and I'm growing very fond of this wood. I'm a beef/steak addict and this pairs nicely. Last Boston Butt was done with Hickory and it was excellent.
Mesquite - I like this wood but its strong. Smoked a petite filet with it and it was good but very smokey flavor. Overpowers beef but it's also for lamb. May try it with a boneless lamb leg sometime.
Post Oak - have not tried it but every YouTube BBQ video has someone smoking with this wood especially with brisket. I'm still new to smoking so I'm not going to attempt brisket quite yet. Read that it's a bit milder than Hickory. Maybe in the late Spring I'll try a brisket with post Oak.
This is my preference but I'd love to hear others and possibly experiences with certain woods.

I’ve used plenty of apple with good results. I love some mesquite for brisket. But now I am using a stick burner so I need a steady supply of split seasoned wood. That leaves me with mostly red oak as it’s what is on my land. It is very versatile. Strong enough for beef. Not to overpowering for pork and chicken.

I do have a giant cherry I plan on cutting next year.

A little mesquite with oak is great for smoking salmon.

I've been using a big Weber Smokey Mountain for years & I use mostly apple wood for pork butts & ribs. I think it gives the pork a smokey-sweet flavor. There are enough apple trees around here that I'll never run out.

For beef, I like hickory. It gives a nice smokey flavor without being overwhelming, like mesquite sometimes does. Hickory is also easy to find in my area.

I have access to an unlimited supply of mesquite, post oak and pecan trees so that's what I use. I am fairly traditional and maybe old fashioned, but pecan and poultry, post oak and brisket, and mesquite and steaks always works well.

Beech wood is very good with pork.

Here is my list of favorites in order along with preferred uses.

1). Apple (Pear use my own wood) - Great for long smokes and pork, but great with any meat.

2). Pecan - Most versatile of all woods, great on any meat, great taste, not overpowering, but very noticeable.

3). Hickory - Good with any meat, but I would use more with Beef or Lamb.

4). Mesquite - Good flavor, but I don't like to smoke with it, too strong. Rather use this for grilling fish or chicken.

I also have had some good results with using whatever bits and pieces I have left over and mixed together.

ETA forgot cherry which goes right up there with the Apple/Pear.

Mom has a pear tree. I never understood why our neighbor would trim the branches and top off...
Then we tasted his pork and salmon!


That was some goooood stuff!

I burn firewood all winter, but I always set aside some good pieces for smoking purposes. Cherry and apple are my favorites, but I also use hickory.

quote:

Originally posted by MRBTX:
A little mesquite with oak is great for smoking salmon.

I've caught and smoked a ton of salmon over the years and I have to disagree with this choice. I tried them all at one time or another and settled on alderwood or apple as the preferred choices. Mesquite is a pretty harsh choice for fish in my opinion. For grilling salmon, use a cedar plank. Yum.

Jim

I did a turkey breast on hickory for Thanksgiving, it turned out fantastic. I've tried apple with pork shoulder, but I thought the mesquite turned out better.

Pork butt and ribs I always use hickory and sometimes mix it with oak.

Chicken I like apple and usually toss in a little oak or pecan. Chicken doesn't smoke long and readily takes what's there so hickory is strong for my tastes on chicken.

Bacon I use apple and hickory.

Pecan is my go-to favorite, especially for any kind of pork. I use a decent amount of apple as well, mostly on chicken. I have avoided mesquite because everyone says it's too strong.

I should give hickory a try though...

I use a combination of hickory and apple with pork.

Pecan with poultry.

Oak with beef.

Careful with hickory and mesquite it can overpower, especially poultry.

I use alder for salmon or albacore tuna, overall it is a good choice. I do soak the chips overnight in water, this helps the chips last longer and not burn.

Pecan for poultry and pork, hickory and oak for beef

Where do you guys get your wood? I can buy bags of chunks of almost any wood. I can buy apple from orchards but it’s not cheap. I’m happy with my oak but I’m curious where people buy their wood if they aren’t cutting it. I’m guessing most people only use a small amount for flavor? Since I use all wood I need a lot.

I generally use mesquite for poultry (turkey and duck) and hickory for beef. I am playing with fruitwoods but I don't really like any of the results yet.

I use:
Beef
Mesquite
Hickory
Oak
Chicken
Same as beef but less qty
Fish
Apple
Pecan
Pork
Apple
Pecan
Hickory