Was skeptical about using wood chips soaked in whiskey on my smoker

Friend of mine swore it gave a deeper flavor than just water-soaked chips on a pork shoulder. I tried it last weekend with some cheap bourbon and a 7-pound butt, honestly thought it would be a gimmick. The bark came out with this subtle sweetness that my regular applewood recipe never gets. Anyone else experiment with booze-soaked chips for longer cooks like brisket?

2 comments

2 Comments

blairstone5d ago

The alcohol content evaporates way faster than water at smoking temps, so you might be getting a different vaporization curve that changes how the smoke adheres right when the meat hits that stall zone. Ever considered trying a peated scotch on beef to see if that earthy character holds up against a 12-hour smoke? Might be worth tossing a probe in the smoker to see how long it takes for that ethanol to fully burn off versus a standard soak.

davidh884d ago

Man, I was exactly the same way. Drove past the whiskey barrel chips at the store for years thinking it was just some marketing junk. Then a buddy brought over a rack of ribs he'd smoked with cheap rye whiskey soaked chips and I had to eat my words. That sweetness in the bark is no joke with longer cooks, especially on pork shoulder around that 8 hour mark. Tried it myself on a brisket flat with some bourbon and definitely got a richer crust than just water soaked chips alone.