Smoked coffee

[hillbilly jim]

Ever tried smoked coffee? I smoked a 28 ounce can awhile back and I was very surprised at how good it turned out. A friend of mine calls it 'Jim's Campfire Coffee'.

I use my CharBroil offset to do this. I start by dumping the can into a half size baking sheet, spread it out evenly and place it on the rack in the offset.

I commandeered an old veggie grilling basket and use it to build a fire with charcoal. Once the charcoal is whited over, I start adding handfuls of chips. I've got 3 pick-up truck loads of chips that I got for nothing, so I use chips instead of charcoal.

I use an old stainless steel steam table tray for the smoking chips. Cover the box tightly with foil and poke a hole in the foil with a pencil. Put the smoke box on the coals, adjust the exhaust and inlet dampers and in a few minutes, we got smoke.

Coffee doesn't start roasting until it hits about 350*. I have a River Country thermometer in the hood, so I can track the temp pretty close. I've had no problem producing a good smoke and keeping the cabinet temp at about 250.

About every 30 minutes or so, I open the cabinet and disturb the coffee with a fork. Kinda' like plowing, this turns up coffee that hasn't been exposed to the smoke. I usually give it a coupla' hours and pull it. Let the pan and coffee cool and put it back in the can.

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• hillbilly jim
• Mar 13, 2017

 

[crankybuzzard]

I've had smoked coffee, but I hadn't thought about making it myself, until now that is.  Sounds like a great idea and also a solid plan to do it as well.

So I'm sure, you are spreading the ground coffee on the sheet and not the beans, is that right?

 

[dukeburger]

I've seen this done a while back on these forums but with no success. Glad to hear yours turned out well!

 

[hillbilly jim]

 
I've had smoked coffee, but I hadn't thought about making it myself, until now that is.  Sounds like a great idea and also a solid plan to do it as well.

So I'm sure, you are spreading the ground coffee on the sheet and not the beans, is that right?

Right. This particular batch, I used Maxwell House Dark Roast. The darker the roast is, the less is the caffeine and acid. Just started on my second 20 ounce mug.

 

[richard cameron]

I’ve never heard of smoked coffee before.  What does the added flavor of smoke taste like?  Can you smoke whole roasted beans?  I’m a serious coffee drinker and I would like to try this method sometime. 

 

[hillbilly jim]

 
I’ve never heard of smoked coffee before.  What does the added flavor of smoke taste like?  Can you smoke whole roasted beans?  I’m a serious coffee drinker and I would like to try this method sometime. 

Not sure I know how to answer your first question. I guess you just have to imagine coffee with a hint of smoke in it.

As to smoking whole beans, I suppose you can. I think you'd get more smoke flavor by roasting it ground, though. That exposes much more surface area.

There's nothing difficult about it. You can cold smoke it or hot smoke it. You just need to disturb it every now and then to expose it to the smoke. If you hot smoke it, keep the temp below 300, preferably 250 or less. Smoke it for a coupla' hours and try it. If you want more smoke flavor, put it back in and run it again. 

 

[richard cameron]

 
Not sure I know how to answer your first question. I guess you just have to imagine coffee with a hint of smoke in it.

As to smoking whole beans, I suppose you can. I think you'd get more smoke flavor by roasting it ground, though. That exposes much more surface area.

There's nothing difficult about it. You can cold smoke it or hot smoke it. You just need to disturb it every now and then to expose it to the smoke. If you hot smoke it, keep the temp below 300, preferably 250 or less. Smoke it for a coupla' hours and try it. If you want more smoke flavor, put it back in and run it again. 

Thanks

 

[chef jimmyj]

This sounds interesting and a detailed post, but I am an Old School Guy when it comes to Coffee. I like COFFEE flavored coffee! No Toasted Mocha Almond Caramel Crunch will ever Pollute this guy's 16oz mug! As for Smoke? I'll take Apple Wood on fatty Bacon, 3 Eggs over easy and Onions in well done Hashbrowns...JJ

 

[mstphrchrstphr]

That looks great! I'd love to try smoked coffee.

 

[mr t 59874]

Good job HJ, have to hand it to a fellow smoking adventurist. Although not using your method, smoked coffee is not something new in our household. Individual cups of hot coffee are smoked using a handheld smoke generator. As for fuel, Folgers Classic Blend produces a very mild smoke. A 5-10 second burst and you are ready for a cup of smoked coffee. 

T

 

[GaryHibbert]

I think I'll be trying this. Sounds good.

You didn't say what you used for smoking chips.

Gary

 

[GaryHibbert]

Good job HJ, have to hand it to a fellow smoking adventurist. Although not using your method, smoked coffee is not something new in our household. Individual cups of hot coffee are smoked using a handheld smoke generator. As for fuel, Folgers Classic Blend produces a very mild smoke. A 5-10 second burst and you are ready for a cup of smoked coffee. 

T

We drink decaf dark roast (NOT BY CHOICE) and it can use all the help it can get. I'll be cold smoking in my MES with an AMNPS/mailbox system. What would you suggest for just a mild smoke? Something to jazz it up just a bit. Type of wood and time?

Gary

 

[hawgrider]

Yes Ive tried it. First cup of smoked beans was ok.... more than one cup was so so I won't waste anymore good coffee beans doing this.

Just my opinion.

 

[rigger45]

This is something to try!

 

[noboundaries]

Interesting.  I'm a bit of a coffee snob, but can see how smoked coffee would have its place.  I break coffee down in the following ways:

Coffee flavored tea.  This is the generally grassy tasting, high caffeine coffee brewed with Robusta beans.  It is served in a lot of diners and restaurants.  Smoke might add an interesting dimension here.  I grew up on this coffee, but have since moved on.   

100% Arabica bean coffee.  Flavor can be all over the map, literally.  I like darker, whole bean roasts brewed with 195-200F water using 1-2 tablespoons of fresh grounds per 8 ounces of water.  This is what I drink daily, usually a French or Italian dark roast.  I would not add smoke flavor to this coffee, but I'd try smoking a medium or light roast bean which is less complex.   

Espresso, moka pot (not mocha), Greek and Turkish coffees.  Rich, thick coffees using a variety of beans and roasts.  I cannot drink this daily, preferring it once a week.  I LOVE this stuff, but it is like the brisket of coffee to me.  If you have it too often, it loses its magic.  The flavors are so complex and deeply satisfying.  No way I'd add smoke flavor to these.  I think I'll brew a moka pot in the morning.

 

[masonsjax]

I have thought about smoking some beans but have not tried it yet. I have brewed some coffee with a bit of Lapsang Souchong tea added with good results. IMO anyway.

 

[ljroller]

Smoked coffee sounds fantastic. I roast coffee at home so here are my thoughts:

Coffee beans that are already roasted dark might not do so well. Since their outer skin is fairly oily, I don't think the smoke will have a chance to permeate the bean itself.

Green coffee beans (pre-roasted) are too hard and and would probably produce the same results as the oily roasted coffee beans.

I'm going to roast my green coffee beans just until the first crack (light roast). At this stage they are fairly dry skinned and should absorb the smoke fairly well. Once they are light roasted, I'm going to put them in my smoker using some fruit woods. I plan on cold smoking them 1½ to 2 hours, and at that stage, put them back in my coffee roaster and finish the beans to a dark roast (second crack).

I will update once I have tried this and if anyone has any thoughts on this please speak up.

Update:
After the second roasting, I smoked them again for 2 hours with Maple & Cherry wood...OOOHHH SOOOOO GOOD...

Roasted beans half way
Smoked for 2 hours
Roasted beans the rest of the way
Smoked again for 2 hours

Awesome...

 

[noboundaries]

This thread has been haunting my sleepless nights. After watching countless YouTube videos and reading as many websites, I've decided I'm going to start roasting my own coffee beans. The three pounds of Nicaraguan green beans I ordered are going to be here Friday, I believe.

I'm going to do a pan roast first on the side burner of my gasser, then move on from there, eventually trying the smoked beans too. It is always fun to find something new to do on the grill and smoker with equipment you already have on hand.

 

[TulsaJeff]

I will personally look forward to hearing more about this adventure!