BBQ smoked coffee is a unique and natural twist on traditional coffee that involves smoking the beans with real woods or pellets to give it a BBQ flavor. While it may sound unconventional, the process can yield surprisingly delicious results. I am one of the owners here at Whiskey Morning Coffee. We are the first company to ever BBQ smoke coffee beans. Being born and raised in Texas as well as salmon fishing guides in Alaska, we brought a blend of Texas BBQ and Smoked Salmon across to coffee beans. If you would like to try some smoked coffee first order the Texian Army Bew.
Here's a general outline of how you could create BBQ smoked coffee:
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Start with fresh roasted coffee beans: Choose a coffee bean variety that you enjoy and want to experiment with. I recommend using whole beans rather than pre-ground coffee so that you don't lose any flavor from the coffee before brewing,
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Prepare your smoker or grill: Ensure you have a set up for smoking. It's best to use a charcoal or wood-burning smoker to achieve the desired smoky flavor. Preheat the smoker to a moderate temperature, around 150-200°F (93-121°C).
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Select your wood chips: Choose wood chips that complement the coffee's flavor. Some popular choices include hickory, mesquite, applewood, or cherry wood. Soak the wood chips in water for 30 minutes before use to prevent them from burning too quickly. Here at Whiskey Morning Coffee, we use a blend of pecan and cherry wood chips.
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Set up the smoking process: Place the soaked wood chips directly on the heat source of your smoker or grill. If you're using a charcoal grill, position the chips on top of the lit charcoal. If using a smoker, they can be placed in a dedicated smoking box or wrapped in a foil packet with holes poked in it. The foil packet method is a good way to protect the wood chips from catching on fire and getting too hot. If the smoker gets to hot it can cook your coffee and ruin it.
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Prepare the coffee beans: Spread out the coffee beans in a thin, even layer on a metal tray or a wire mesh tray. This allows the smoke to reach the beans evenly. Make sure the beans are not exposed to direct flames to prevent them from burning.
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Smoke the coffee beans: Place the tray of coffee beans in the smoker or grill, ensuring it's not too close to the heat source. Close the lid to contain the smoke and let the beans absorb the smoky flavors. Aim for a smoking time of approximately an hour or two, but you can adjust this based on your preference for the intensity of smokiness. The time smoking will also depend on the amount of coffee you are smoking. Our cold smoker holds about 300 pounds of coffee and takes around 8 hours of smoking to reach the preferred smokiness.
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Cool and store the smoked coffee beans: Once the desired smoky flavor is achieved, remove the tray of coffee beans from the smoker or grill and let them cool completely. The beans will absorb some of the smoky aromas during the smoking process. Once cooled, store the beans in an airtight container and put in a dark space to preserve their flavor.
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Grind and brew the coffee: When you're ready to enjoy your BBQ smoked coffee, grind the beans just before brewing to maximize the freshness and flavor. Brew the coffee using your preferred method, such as a French press, pour-over, or espresso machine. My favorite way to brew my Texian Army Brew smoked coffee is a pourover.
Remember, the intensity of the smoky flavor will depend on factors like the type of wood chips used, the duration of smoking, temperature smoker reaches, and brewing method. It's a fun experiment, so feel free to adjust the process to suit your taste.
Enjoy your unique BBQ smoked coffee experience!
If you want to try out a smoked coffee first before you invest time and money, order the Texian Army Brew. We are the first company to ever smoke coffee beans and have been adjusting our process since 2019 to provide the best smoked coffee around:
Order Texian Army Brew (Smoked Coffee): Smoked Coffee with Pecan and Cherry Wood: Texian Army Brew - Whiskey Morning Coffee
Order Texian Army Brew Kcups:Pecan & Cherry Smoked Coffee: Single Serve Pods - Whiskey Morning Coffee
Read How We Built Our Cold Smoker:Home Built Cold Smoker - Whiskey Morning Coffee