# Adding a coniferous taste



## Aurum (Aug 22, 2018)

I'm aware that I'm probably way off-topic for this forum, and I'm sorry about that. I just couldn't find any other forum with such fine conoisseurs of all things smokey!

So. I've been dying to try and smoke *coffee beans* for a while. While I know this is already a thing, while sipping my morning black coffee, I realized that adding a coniferous taste to the beverage could actually be a super interesting thing to try (or a disastrous one, only one way to know). Adding either cedar or spruce homemade syrup (or extract) isn't out of the question, but for obvious reasons, that's just not the ideal way to go. Smoking is. More specifically, smoking the green beans while they roast.

But, yeah. You already know the thing about using conifers to smoke edible stuff. Creosote, sap smoke, all ready to ruin your food and/or make you sick. So I was wondering if there was a way to indeed use these woods for smoking, and impart that coniferous smokey taste to the roasting coffee beans, or if that's just really impossible. Sawdust, chipped wood? Needles? I'm open to suggestions. Thanks!


Edit: And while we're at it, does anyone know if it's beneficial to roast coffee beans in a very humid environment? A quick research seems to say that it is, so I may be tempted to try heavily soaked fir/cedar wood in the oven while the roasting happens (15-20 minutes), I'll get a definitely less smoky result, but it might be worth it.


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## mike243 (Aug 23, 2018)

Chew on a few pine needles then take a drink of coffee and see what you think,not all mixes match and not sure where the cedar plays any roll in smokes even though folks roast fish on it in a high heat setting,there are enuf commercial blends and brands of coffee out there that a person could try a new 1 every week for the rest of their life and not have to resort to making their own ymmv lol


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## chef jimmyj (Aug 23, 2018)

Black Forest Ham is smoked with some Fir or Juniper. Then there is Cedar Plank Salmon. I suspect a Touch of any of these would suit your need. Small batch experiments will be the key here...JJ


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## mosparky (Aug 23, 2018)

Perhaps the result you are looking for will be archived by brewing with water that has been used to steep/soak the wood or greenery. Just a thought.


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## Aurum (Aug 23, 2018)

Mike243: I get what you mean, but I can't for the life of me find any coniferous coffee ANYWHERE, so at least I want to try it before dismissing it. 

JimmyJ: probably, juniper is also something I didn't think of, and it sounds promising. 

Mosparky: That's actually brilliant, and I kinda hate myself for not thinking of that before. Since the process for making cedar-tasting water is about the same as for making cedar syrup, it's probably the first thing I'll try.

Thanks, I'll keep you guys posted about what happens next!


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## dave schiller (Aug 23, 2018)

Retsina wine from Greece has a bit of turpentine flavor from pine tar.  I find it to be pleasant.  And Gin is flavored with immature juniper cones, referred to as berries.  So why not conifer taste in coffee?


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## oddegan (Aug 23, 2018)

You might try tossing a few juniper berries in with the coffee beans as you roast them.


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## SonnyE (Aug 23, 2018)

Not me!
I'm all about my Hazelnut Creamer.
Not much, just a dollop will do.

Maybe a few drops of Pine Sol? :confused::rolleyes:


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## gmc2003 (Aug 23, 2018)

If you really want to try it use sawdust and cold smoke it. I would use something other then your smoker, perhaps a large cardboard box. 

Chris


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