Food tip - flavoring your wood for smoking/BBQ (white wine, beers, bourbon)

[elnina]

Summer is the best time for outdoor cooking! Forget plain water and enjoy new meat flavors
by soaking your wood/wood chips in flavored beers, wine or fruit juice!
- wood soaked in citrus juice gives your meat light, citrus flavor
- wood soaked in apple juice add a fruity taste
- a few drops of rum will give your delicate meat a hint of caramel
- wine will add spicy touch
but don't discard the fluid after you soak the wood. Drain it and add to the dripping pan
to boost the flavors even more.

Here is a list of more and less common wood types that can be used for your smoker or BBQ pit:
List of Smoke Wood - BBQ Source Forums

Enjoy !!

[SATX56]

The dog peed on some of our mesquite... ...what does that do? Just kidding! Those are some good tips I'll have to try Elnina thanks!

[Hunter Wold]

Great idea: I want to try the citrus soak soon. Probably w/ chicken.
HW

[SATX56]

Yep if my stinking lemon trees produce this year!

[23145tp]

When I use my smoker I either use oak, cherry, mesquite or apple woods. I soak the woods in apple juice and it does a great job in flavoring the meat (ribs, brisket, pork shoulder or butt, sauasges, turkey or chicken).

[Mr.City]

This thread is so flavorful, I am going to Home Depot to pick up a new grill and a few citrus trees.

[rural chick]

Which type of easily found wood would be best to soak in apple juice to smoke ribs? Would hickory be the best? I've not seen apple wood and other types in the stores. I've only seen mesquite and hickory (I don't like mesquite).

[Mr.City]

For you, rural chick:

KMART:
Mr. Bar-B-Que Apple Wood Chips Bundle
Kmart Item# 028V004283639000 | Model# 5012
$12.34

HOME DEPOT:
Weber 5 lb. Bag of Apple Wood Chunks
Model # 17005
Internet # 202015001
Store SKU # 670531
$6.99

AMAZON:
Weber 17005 Apple Wood Chunks, 5-Pound
$9.98

[elnina]

Here are some handy tips:
Should You Soak Wood Chips Before Using Them in a Smoker? | eHow.com

Best Wood Chips and Chunks: Apple, Cherry, Hickory, Mesquite, Pecan, Alder, Maple, Oak for Smoker, Barbecue, bbq, Grilling

Some people advice to soak the wood in beer/wine/juice/apple cedar/herb extracts etc. for 30-36 hours and then let it DRY!!!!! I can imagine this to yield the best results without slowing down your BBQ time.
I heard of great results when using apple chips/wood and white wine ( get 5 gal. bucket, fill with cheap cooking wine, stick in apple wood/or chips, or sugar maple, soak overnight - wood start to smell like bourbon, then dry it out and use for your smoker or BBQ ).
People living close to wineries can ask for old barrels and use this beautifully soaked, fragrant wood.

Extra tip: The easiest way to use chips in a GAS grill is to soak them and then make a aluminum foil packet to stick the wood chips in, seal it up and poke a lot of holes in it and then stick it in the grill.
Wrapping wood in alu foil will prevent the ashes from clogging the gas burners.

[Rggr]

Good tips. I've never thought of soaking the wood in things like that but it makes sense.