Was that guy on the way to Ocala? Is so, I think I've seen him as well.

The alder worked well. Perhaps not as good as hickory or maybe fruit wood (I've done cherry wood to smoke sausage in the past with really good results). I used alder exclusively for smoking fish while growing up in Washington state. We typically put out perhaps 300+ lbs of smoked fish a year in my mid-late teens. I actually got burnt out on fishing.

The smell of the alder smoke in this batch does definitely remind me of my smoked salmon days. It is suitable for use on well seasoned red meat and pork.

For most birds, I prefer to smoke with Mesquite. Mesquite on chicken is one of my favorite flavor combos.