More than a hint of oak
Barbecue smokers have to handle lots of heat for a long time, which is why most of them are made from industrial-grade steel — and that’s why Maurice O’Brien made his smoker out of wood.
Industrial Revolution chic is the aesthetic of most offset smokers. The default look is big, black, and brutish steel barrels and boxes. Some of them do their darndest to look like vintage steam trains with tall chimneys and steel wagon wheels.
Maurice O’Brien decided to go another way. He wondered about making one out of a wine barrel, evoking a rustic vibe, which is much more convivial than the Industrial Revolution.
“I just wanted to do something different,” says Maurice.
As you don’t set the fire in the barrel — you cook with hot air and smoke — he reasoned that a wine barrel should
