# Tasmanian Oak Mash Paddle



## cam89brewer (22/7/12)

I have recently made my own mash paddle and used Tasmanian oak which I purchased from Bunnings. I asked them when buying it whether it has been treated with anything and they didn't have a certain answer and I was just wondering if it is fine to use?


----------



## Phoney (22/7/12)

Can you make another one and send it to me for analysis? I am a chemical engineer specializing in food safety.


----------



## cam89brewer (22/7/12)

Mmmm very tempting but this one is customised specifically for my jerking hand :lol:


----------



## cam89brewer (22/7/12)

I thought I would boil it to see if anything leached out and the water turned a golden brown colour. Is this normal?


----------



## Dan Pratt (22/7/12)

I used the same wood and have used it for 5-6 brews without any noticeable taste, plus it only goes into the mash for 5 mins.


----------



## white.grant (22/7/12)

It's a hardwood so won't have been treated with any nasty preservatives, likely its just the tannins and natural oils and such coming out in the boiling water. Mash temps and the short duration you are stirring, shouldn't bother it.

I made my workbench out of tassie oak, beautiful stuff.


----------



## QldKev (22/7/12)

cambrew said:


> I thought I would boil it to see if anything leached out and the water turned a golden brown colour. Is this normal?




It is not treated with any chemicals, so from that perspective it should be ok. 
http://www.porta.com.au/assets/Uploads/Fil...heet%20TOSL.pdf

All natural woods will leach some tannins if soaked in water. Personally between the tannins possibly being leached and the fear of bad bacterial living in the paddle I would not use any timber in my brew gear. Definitely don't use it once the wort has cooled


QldKev


----------



## TidalPete (22/7/12)

You can never trust Bunnings or any timber supplier in matters such as this. Cheaper better to make up an aluminium or stainless mash paddle.
Failing that, the above green sponser will supply your needs easy as.


----------



## QldKev (22/7/12)

TidalPete said:


> You can never trust Bunnings or any timber supplier in matters such as this. Cheaper better to make up an aluminium or stainless mash paddle.
> Failing that, the above green sponser will supply your needs easy as.




That's where I got my s/s paddle from, for about $20 can't go wrong.


----------



## Spoonta (22/7/12)

I also made one out of tas oak its fine after 20 to 30 brews with it


----------



## cam89brewer (22/7/12)

Mmmm. I am kind of leaning towards finding some stainless steel to put on the end as the paddle.... I really have a lot of trouble trusting the advice of bunnings employees and I suppose you cant go wrong with SS. 

Thanks every one for your input.


----------



## TidalPete (22/7/12)

8\9 years old ATM & will last forever. Also not as dirty as in this old pic.  
Much less hassle to just buy from the green sponser (no, nil, zip, nada afilliation yadda yadda).


----------



## TasChris (22/7/12)

Tas Oak (there is actually no such tree as Tas Oak, just a vague grouping of eucalypt species...bit of marketing bullshit) is fine, I use a piece of Blackwood and had no problems, I am going to make a Huon Pine mash paddle just to be flash.
Most timbers have mild antibacterial properties and will be fine to use. The color stops coming out of the wood after a couple of uses and is just tannins.
Do your bit to help:
The Tasmanian economy (if you don't you will have to support us with more GST dividends from other states, thanks WA and QLD), 
The Forest Industries (we need it due to the lying Greens and sell out Labor governments both Fed and State)
Use a renewable resource with low carbon footprint...unlike Aluminium, Stainless steel, plastic etc.
My continuing employment 

I do have a Forest Industry affiliation!!
Cheers
Chris


----------



## Helles (22/7/12)

QldKev said:


> It is not treated with any chemicals, so from that perspective it should be ok.
> http://www.porta.com.au/assets/Uploads/Fil...heet%20TOSL.pdf
> 
> All natural woods will leach some tannins if soaked in water. Personally between the tannins possibly being leached and the fear of bad bacterial living in the paddle I would not use any timber in my brew gear. Definitely don't use it once the wort has cooled
> ...



I use mine when it is cooled still in the kettle had no problems


----------



## cam89brewer (22/7/12)

TasChris said:


> Tas Oak (there is actually no such tree as Tas Oak, just a vague grouping of eucalypt species...bit of marketing bullshit) is fine, I use a piece of Blackwood and had no problems, I am going to make a Huon Pine mash paddle just to be flash.
> Most timbers have mild antibacterial properties and will be fine to use. The color stops coming out of the wood after a couple of uses and is just tannins.
> Do your bit to help:
> The Tasmanian economy (if you don't you will have to support us with more GST dividends from other states, thanks WA and QLD),
> ...



I thought I have made up my mind but you are now swaying me again... :lol: So if I boil it a few times before use and extract some of the tannin and colour it should be fine for use then?


----------



## Murcluf (22/7/12)

I use a very large (untreated) wooden spoon as a mash paddle and have never had any issues. Also when you consider brewers have used wooden mash paddles for centuries I can't any area for real concern seriously.


----------



## cam89brewer (22/7/12)

My main concern is to whether it has been treated with anything along the way and find it very hard to know if Bunnings products are safe if they don't know them selves.


----------



## Wolfy (22/7/12)

Grantw said:


> I made my workbench out of tassie oak, beautiful stuff.


How well does it stir the mash?


----------



## Franko (22/7/12)

TidalPete said:


> You can never trust Bunnings or any timber supplier in matters such as this. Cheaper better to make up an aluminium or stainless mash paddle.
> Failing that, the above green sponser will supply your needs easy as.


Well said brother Pete

Franko


----------



## white.grant (22/7/12)

Wolfy said:


> How well does it stir the mash?



Stir? , not so much as it weighs about 40 kg (without the vise and stand) so is a little hard to handle, but it has supported the mash tun well in the past.

A wooden mash paddle is just fine, it's biggest advantages are that it won't scratch the tun or conduct heat/cold as easily as a metal paddle. Metal paddles are more sanitary though, and you don't have to worry about isolating it from the boil side.

I love my wooden paddles, they're carved to fit my hand and feel just right.


----------



## super_simian (22/7/12)

TasChris said:


> I do have a Forest Industry affiliation!!



AKA Logging Industry?


----------



## TidalPete (22/7/12)

In all these posts I can only presume that nobody acknowledges the existance of first, second, & maybe third aerations using the mash paddle or a motorised version of it?
Many more uses for the mash paddle than just breaking up doughballs.


----------



## TasChris (23/7/12)

super_simian said:


> AKA Logging Industry?


Yep its where all wood comes from. Wood does grow on trees after all.


----------



## Jay Cee (23/7/12)

TasChris said:


> I do have a Forest Industry affiliation






super_simian said:


> AKA Logging Industry?



The Ministry of Deforestation. They killed the Thylacine, and are the reason why there are no more koala's in Tasmania.


----------



## cam89brewer (23/7/12)

Well are these so called koala's good for making mash paddles? :lol:


----------



## Nick JD (23/7/12)

cambrew said:


> My main concern is to whether it has been treated with anything along the way and find it very hard to know if Bunnings products are safe if they don't know them selves.



There would be no point in treating it. 

Only treated wood in Bunnings is the stuff that's treated.


----------



## 2much2spend (23/7/12)

TasChris said:


> Do your bit to help:
> The Tasmanian economy (if you don't you will have to support us with more GST dividends from other states, thanks WA and QLD),
> The Forest Industries (we need it due to the lying Greens and sell out Labor governments both Fed and State)
> Use a renewable resource with low carbon footprint...unlike Aluminium, Stainless steel, plastic etc.
> ...



so you doing a bulk buy?


----------



## TasChris (23/7/12)

Jay Cee said:


> The Ministry of Deforestation. They killed the Thylacine, and are the reason why there are no more koala's in Tasmania.


What??
Tasmanian Tigers were hunted to extinction by farmers as they were thought to kill lambs, calves etc they were not killed off by foresters.
Koalas have never been present in Tasmania. 

Don't let facts get in the way

TasChris


----------



## Jay Cee (23/7/12)

It's true, I read it in the Green Left Weekly.


----------



## cam89brewer (23/7/12)

Well back to the thread subject. I haven't used wood anyway and ended up getting a perforated stainless steel offcut for free from a local supplier. 

Thanks for the replies and now I have my mash paddle as you can see below.


----------



## TasChris (23/7/12)

Jay Cee said:


> It's true, I read it in the Green Left Weekly.


I must be wrong as Green Left Weekly and the Tasmanian Times are always correct !  
Sorry for the topic hijack
Cheers
Chris


----------



## warra48 (23/7/12)

TasChris said:


> I do have a Forest Industry affiliation!!



Boefore I retired, I worked in the Sydney CBD.
At luchtime, it wasn't unusual to be accosted by various charities, including Greenpeace and The Wilderness Society etc.
I always took great delight in telling them I was an executive with a woodchip exporter (in reality I managed major personal injury motor accident claims for an insurer) .
Was priceless to see the looks of disgust and horror on their faces (well, except for the idiot wearing the koala suit, couldn't really see his or hers).

Anyway, for what it's worth, I use a wooden mash paddle, and I'm still here to tell the tale. 
I'm sure you'll be fine with your Tas Oak paddle. I havea length of it set aside in the garage/brewery to make into one when my current one gives up the ghost.


----------



## [email protected] (24/7/12)

TasChris said:


> Tas Oak (there is actually no such tree as Tas Oak, just a vague grouping of eucalypt species...bit of marketing bullshit) is fine, I use a piece of Blackwood and had no problems, I am going to make a Huon Pine mash paddle just to be flash.
> Most timbers have mild antibacterial properties and will be fine to use. The color stops coming out of the wood after a couple of uses and is just tannins.
> Do your bit to help:
> The Tasmanian economy (if you don't you will have to support us with more GST dividends from other states, thanks WA and QLD),
> ...



Here here, I could not agree more.......


----------



## Dazzat3 (11/1/19)

Rather than Tassie oak, maybe Camphor Laurel would be a better choice due to its strong antibacterial characteristics and its considered a pest/weed species in Australia so it would be a win for the brewer and the environment.


----------



## Coalminer (12/1/19)

Dazzat3 said:


> Rather than Tassie oak, maybe Camphor Laurel would be a better choice due to its strong antibacterial characteristics and its considered a pest/weed species in Australia so it would be a win for the brewer and the environment.



_Old thread but 

*"Toxicity*

Camphor laurel is mildly toxic to humans, and mild symptoms may occur if large quantities are eaten. All parts of the plant are poisonous and can cause nausea, vomiting and respiratory distress. Allergic skin reactions can also occur." 

https://weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au/Weeds/Details/28
_


----------



## wide eyed and legless (12/1/19)

I think any of those folk using a concealed element single vessel brewery a Tassie oak paddle would be a good choice. I periodically scrape the bottom of the Guten to remove any residual sugars using paddle.


----------



## Hermies (13/1/19)

Dazzat3 said:


> Rather than Tassie oak, maybe Camphor Laurel would be a better choice due to its strong antibacterial characteristics and its considered a pest/weed species in Australia so it would be a win for the brewer and the environment.


Sanitising really doesn't matter too much pre fermentation as the boil will kill most bacteria and as Coalminer said" Camphor Laurel is mildly toxic to humans".


----------



## fdsaasdf (13/1/19)

Camphor laurel leaches aroma and tannins, I’ve had some drying in my yard for almost 2 years and it took a long time to dry out, still has the light smell of camphor and even before considering the toxicity I wouldn’t put it near anything I eat or drink.

My tas oak paddle made with $5 of offcut from masters years ago has been fine, wet it down with cold and boiling water a few times after milling to clean and leach out tannins. It never goes in the pot after the grain is removed.


----------

