British BBQ Society Forums

essexsmoker wrote:I haven't found it to be bitter personally. Maybe you over did it. Max 3 hrs. Or maybe it wasn't hot enough? Was the smoke blue?

Oh, no! I love hickory! I was just quoting what Robert Irvine said. I wonder how many/few Britons would agree with his dislike of hickory.

am a self confessed salt noob...is Kosher salt better than rock salt/sea salt/table salt? (I feel this could and probably should be a thread in its own right)

Well, salt is salt for the most part. I specified Kosher salt simply because it is more consistent in size than table salt, which varies ...

My best success uses the 8:3:1:1 ratio mix. For example, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup of Kosher salt, 2 tablespoons of chili powder/paprika mix, and 2 tablespoons spice combination.

I like using Chinese five spice, garlic powder, onion powder, and thyme for my spice combination.

I'm a backyard grill owner in west Georgia, USA. I am curious whether you Brits find hickory to be (as chef Robert Irvine says) "bitter tasting." If so, have you found any European native woods that impart a good smoky flavor?