Pecan is in the same family as Hickory. It has a milder smoke. Propane is a great heat source, but it doesn't offer any kind of flavor, "Taste the meat, not the heat", as Hank Hill would say. I avoid charcoal. Most commercial charcoal is made from softwood sawdust and binders. If you get the hardwood lump charcoal it works pretty well, but my rational is if I want to use hardwood, why bother with the charcoal if you can use the actual wood. The best woods to use for smoking are pecan, hickory, oak, apple, and peach. Pretty much any fruit or nut bearing tree makes good cooking smoke.