Cherry pucks...

[eldub]

Hey, kids....

I'm getting ready to smoke a brisket tomorrow and just checked out our puck supply. I have apple, cherry and maple left. The last batch of meat got 4 hours of apple smoke and turned out a bit mild for my taste.

I haven't used cherry pucks for years. I don't remember exactly why, but the first time I used that flavor years back I didn't liek the results. (Left a bitter flavor, If'n I remember correctly.)

Anyway, I'm curious as to the communities opinion on the use of cherry pucks. I'm also wondering if I might be better off purchasing some hickory pucks tomorrow before the rubber meats the road.

Any and all opinions are welcome. Thanks in advance.

scott

[Quarlow]

This may help.

Bradley Bisquette Chart
Hickory   
Pungent, smoky, bacon-like flavor.   
Good with Pork, chicken, beef, wild game, cheeses.

Pecan   
Rich and more subtle than hickory, but similar in taste. Burns cool, so ideal for very low heat smoking.   
Pork, chicken, lamb, fish, cheeses.

Mesquite   
Sweeter, more delicate flavor than hickory. Tends to burn hot, so use carefully.   
Most meats, especially beef. Most vegetables.

Alder   
Delicate flavor that enhances lighter meats.   
Salmon, swordfish, sturgeon, other fish. Also good with chicken and pork.

Oak   
Forthright but pleasant flavor. Blends well with a variety of textures and flavors.   
Beef (particularly brisket), poultry, pork.

Maple   
Mildly smoky, somewhat sweet flavor. Try mixing maple with corncobs for ham or bacon.   
Poultry, vegetables, ham.

Cherry   
Slightly sweet, fruity smoke flavor.   
Poultry, game birds, pork.

Apple   
Slightly sweet but denser, fruity smoke flavor.   
Beef, poultry, game birds, pork particularly

Special Blend
Mildly sweet with a hint of hickory
Good with pork, fowl and sausage.


Extra for the poopers 

Peach or Pear Pellets. Slightly sweet, woodsy flavor.   
Poultry, game birds, pork.

Grape Pellets. Aromatic, similar to fruit woods.   
Turkey, chicken, beef.

Wine Barrel Pellets. Wine and oak flavors. A flavorful novelty that smells wonderful.   
Beef, turkey, chicken, cheeses.

[eldub]

Thanks, man. I appreciate the wood flavor profiles.

However, I've had problems with bitter results in the past from cherry pucks and I'm curious if anyone else has experienced this. 

[KyNola]

Short answer, yes, go buy hickory.  Then again I am from KY where if you're not smoking with hickory they will arrest you. :)

[Ka Honu]

If you don't like cherry, don't use it.  Apple would work if you can't get out of the house but I'd use oak or mesquite if I had the option.  It's all personal choice.

[Habanero Smoker]

For beef I generally will go with oak. I don't use cherry anymore. Each time I used it, the smell of the smoke gave me migraines, so there must be something in cherry wood that I'm allergic to.

[eldub]

Hab: Now I remember why I didn't like the cherry pucks. That smoke gave me headaches too. (Although regular pieces of cherry wood don't bother me. As a matter of fact, I like cherry wood smoke.

Thanks again, fellas.

[beefmann]

oak or hickory