Bourbon barrel smoked Beef Ribs

YukonRon

The local farmers market has many items of interest, fresh fruit and vegetables, produce, dairy and bags of cut up, fist sized pieces of bourbon barrels for smoking wood. No offense to anyone, but these are not, your typical Jack Daniels smoking chips, these are from a very high quality Bourbon distillery that produces Weller, 12 year old.

Thought I would use them in today’s cook, Beef ribs, I bought at Costco. I trimmed off some of the fat, scored the remaining fat top, put down a light base of gunpowder, then followed with my own rub. It is a mixture of several I put together to please the 3 different tastes in our home.

It is on the XL, at 225°F going for a long low and slow.

Photo Egg

I can almost smell the sweet smoke. I used to buy the JD wood chunks before they stopped making them. They were great. Can only imagine what good bourbon has added to the aroma.

EzraBrooks

Weller is my absolute favorite.  What farmer's market has these? Might be worth a road trip.

YukonRon

Photo Egg said:

I can almost smell the sweet smoke. I used to buy the JD wood chunks before they stopped making them. They were great. Can only imagine what good bourbon has added to the aroma.

It has the neighborhood for a couple blocks with a really sweet aroma. I used 3 chunks, and these get the job done.

YukonRon

EzraBrooks said:

Weller is my absolute favorite.  What farmer's market has these? Might be worth a road trip.

Douglass Loop farmer’s market. Louisville, KY. I bought a 25# bag, and just recently learned of their origin.

YukonRon

This was a wonderful finish to a 7.5 hour cook. There were no scraps to be had. Very juicy, full of flavor, extremely rich. Costco beef short ribs. Enjoyed them much better than SRF.

loco_engr

just started to google and found this site: 
https://www.pasatiempobbq.com/bourbon-barrel-wood-chunks/
totally intrigued now . . . thanks for that 
Just got a email from them . . . the guys an egghead!
"I have participated in three Big Green Eggfests, winning or placing in all three (Best Wings at the 2018 Grill on the Hill, Best Pork at the 2019 Grill on the Hill, and Top 3 in both people's choice and judge's vote at the 2019 Ohio Eggfest) and that's when I decided to start releasing my products into the wild."

YukonRon

My source is a custom designer who fabricated tables and chairs, bowls, and other forms of decor. My bag of chips was in a large clear heavy duty clear plastic bag for almost nothing. Talked to the guy this week, and hopefully will see him again, this Saturday, likely buying more. 

YukonRon

I placed the bourbon barrel chunks between 2 SRF bags for scale. These are fist sized chunks, 20 pound bags,  of which I have used 4 chunks on 14 pound SRF Black Brisket which proved it was more than enough for us. (YMMV) $10.00. Score.

lousubcap

@loco_engr - in keeping with the spirit, I just placed an order for three bags from the site you found.  And the spend goes on!  I believe I should offer "thanks for that."  

YukonRon

Frank, be glad to pick you up some of these at the next farmer’s market.

lousubcap

@YukonRon - thanks but I went down the above rabbit hole and likely have way more than enough for quite awhile.  I'll let you know if I start to get short.  
Edit:  now if I could just source the contents of the chunks; EH Taylor Small batch, Blanton's and Weller's.  I'm gonna have a smoke off with just the chunks.  I'm quite sure I will not discern any differences.  But good fun.

loco_engr

lousubcap said:

@loco_engr - in keeping with the spirit, I just placed an order for three bags from the site you found.  And the spend goes on!  I believe I should offer "thanks for that."  

We're here to help
YW

2BAMBAM4

New to the forum and the BGE.   I've been using wine barrel oak staves for years in a briquette grill for smoke... looking like I can do the same in the egg.  If there's a winery in the area they usually sell or give away their old barrels.   A barrel goes for about $60.  Enough chunks to last some time! 

lousubcap

@2BAMBAM4 - welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun.  Thanks for the barrel stave suggestion.

YukonRon

Kentucky wine has its fans. Kentucky Bourbon is a bit more desired at this point. Heading to Napa in a couple weeks, will check out some of the wineries for barrel chunks.

2BAMBAM4

@YukonRon be prepared for the Napa tax on anything you get there... if you can head down towards Livermore (reds) ,  Santa Cruz (pinots)  Monterey (whites and reds) you'll find amazing wines that rival our exceed Napa IMHO at fractions of a cost. If you like bold reds a little further south into Paso Robles will yield some amazing reds.  Enjoy! 

YukonRon

@2BAMBAM4

Actually, we have enjoyed Lodi as well.

We are taking My Beautiful Wife’s brother and his wife, for their first trip out. We will be meeting some friends out there in Paso Robles that own a vineyard, and some other friends in the area. 

I work out there frequently. Many of the vineyards in the areas you have mentioned are clients of the company I work for..

Thank you for the insight, and I totally agree. This is just a first time trip for them to see Napa. My sister in law still drinks white zins, if that tells you anything about their pallet.

We are going for a few days, ending back in SF, to catch the Giants and Braves game. We will also be looking at properties on the Oregon/California border while there.

Gilroy garlic fries, sushi and a ball game. Hard to beat.

Again appreciate the insight, and welcome to the forum. 

FatEgger

YukonRon said:

EzraBrooks said:

Weller is my absolute favorite.  What farmer's market has these? Might be worth a road trip.

Douglass Loop farmer’s market. Louisville, KY. I bought a 25# bag, and just recently learned of their origin.

I live in Nelson County and will be making a trip to Douglass Loop FM as soon as I Google it to find out the dates/times they're running.  I have chips from bourbon barrels at Beam and have been looking for chunk staves to smoke with.  Thanks for posting, sir!

YukonRon

FatEgger said:

YukonRon said:

EzraBrooks said:

Weller is my absolute favorite.  What farmer's market has these? Might be worth a road trip.

Douglass Loop farmer’s market. Louisville, KY. I bought a 25# bag, and just recently learned of their origin.

I live in Nelson County and will be making a trip to Douglass Loop FM as soon as I Google it to find out the dates/times they're running.  I have chips from bourbon barrels at Beam and have been looking for chunk staves to smoke with.  Thanks for posting, sir!

Every Saturday 10-2 Douglass loop. Corner of Dundee and Bardstown road, behind the bank.

Do not know what bourbon you will get. 

Send me a pm if you come up.

bluebird66

Just ordered mine!

YukonRon

@bluebird66

you are going to enjoy smoking with them.