The Pit Room

Wood Encyclopedia

Twelve profiles covering heat, burn duration, coal production, smoke intensity, flavor, pairings, seasoning, storage, and conservative fuel safety.

12
WOODS

Compare all woods How wood burns

Post Oakbalanced, dry, gently earthy smoke · brisket, beef ribs, sausage, pork, turkeyOpen wood profile →Live Oakdense, earthy, moderately assertive smoke · beef, pork shoulder, sausage, large cutsOpen wood profile →White Oakclean, rounded, medium smoke · beef, pork, poultry, sausage, vegetablesOpen wood profile →Red Oakearthy, robust, sometimes sharper than white oak · beef, game, pork shoulderOpen wood profile →Pecannutty, rounded, gently sweet · pork, poultry, sausage, brisket, dessertsOpen wood profile →Hickorystrong, savory, bacon-like smoke · pork shoulder, ribs, sausage, beefOpen wood profile →Mesquitevery assertive, earthy, distinctive smoke · beef, direct grilling, short hot cooksOpen wood profile →Applemild, sweet, lightly fruity · pork, poultry, ham, vegetables, cheeseOpen wood profile →Cherrymild-to-medium, sweet fruitwood smoke · pork, poultry, beef, ham, vegetablesOpen wood profile →Peachsoft, fruity, floral smoke · poultry, pork, fish, vegetables, dessertsOpen wood profile →Maplemild, clean, gently sweet · poultry, pork, vegetables, cheeseOpen wood profile →Mulberrymild, sweet, fruitwood-like smoke · pork, poultry, vegetables, sausageOpen wood profile →

Conservative fuel rule: cook only with positively identified, untreated cooking wood from a reputable source. Never use construction, pallet, painted, glued, treated, moldy, contaminated, or unknown wood.

Read before using Kitchen resourcesSafety, professional-use, and verification notice

Educational reference—not approval, certification, or professional advice. Recipes, wood profiles, temperatures, yields, costs, logs, checklists, and operating suggestions are general planning material. They do not replace the current FDA Food Code, Texas Food Establishment Rules, local health-authority requirements, permits, inspections, HACCP or variance approval, fire-code review, manufacturer instructions, insurance requirements, food-handler or manager training, or qualified culinary, food-safety, legal, tax, accounting, engineering, fire-protection, medical, or insurance advice. Verify every ingredient label and allergen; prevent cross-contact; use calibrated thermometers; use only known, untreated cooking wood from a reputable source; and discard food whenever time, temperature, source, identity, or safety is uncertain. Read the full Kitchen disclaimer.