Heads up about using pecan wood for a long brisket cook

I smoked a full packer brisket over pecan wood last weekend, expecting a nice mild flavor. After about 8 hours, the smoke taste turned really bitter and almost medicinal. I learned that pecan can get acrid if you don't have perfect, thin blue smoke the whole time, which is tough on a long cook. Has anyone else had this happen with pecan, and what's a more forgiving wood for a 16-hour smoke?

3 comments

3 Comments

noah_barnes2mo ago

Pecan is actually a hickory relative (it's in the same genus) so it can get pretty strong. For a long cook, I've had good luck with a mix of oak and a little cherry.

derek_dixon782mo ago

Wait pecan is related to hickory? That explains a lot, I always thought it was way milder.

kai_west1mo ago

I mean, is the flavor difference really that huge? They both just taste like smoke to me.