No Chill Cube Oaking

[Tony]

interested in peoples thoughts on this.

I'm thinking if chucking some rum barrel chips into a cube of porter and letting it sit like this for a month or 2, and then ferment.

I'm wondering if its the alcohol that pulls the oak character and if it will work in an unfermented wort?

cheers

 

[bum]

I'd also wonder to what degree active fermentation might scrub the oak/rum flavours.

Interesting idea, Tony. Keep us informed.

 

[Hippy]

Not really sure about how the chips work but with barrells it's extremes of temperature that give spirits such as bourboun the oak character. When the barrells experience high temps they absorb the liquid into the oak which is then sqeezed back out when temps plummet down. The difference between a bottle of maker's mark and Jim beam is simply where the barrells are stored in the warehouse. The barrels stored high up experience the greater extremes of temp and become smoother and more flavoursome than there counterparts stored on lower racks. Obviously they are given more time to age as well.
I've got no idea if or how this relates to oak chips in porter though.

 

[dmac80]

I'd imagine you'd have trouble controlling the amount of oak flavour you get with this method, i cold conditioned a beer on oak chips and racked it off when i felt it was right.

From what Hippy said it may have been better for me to just sit it in the shed, rather than cold condition it on the oak.

I'm sure which ever way you do it, it'll turn out a nice beer

 

[Tony]

When the barrells experience high temps they absorb the liquid into the oak which is then sqeezed back out when temps plummet down.

Hmmm....... sounds like no chill Rum oaked porter heaven.

rack it onto the chips hot and leave it for a couple weeks in the cool garage, see how it goes.

Only one way to find out!

and if it works, it saves the risk of infection while the beer is sitting in secondary on some dirty timber chunks.

Now to try and work out how much timber to use! I have 100g, i think i will use it all

 

[crozdog]

interesting experiment tony.

I can't offer any advice, but can say Stu & I made a ripper stout a few years back, half of it we fortified with some vodka that i'd soaked in JD barrel chips for a month. Turned out great - had a bit of kick as well as the oak;-)

 

[_HOME_BREW_WALLACE_]

Hey tony, i have looked into this aswell (not no chill, but secondary), and some of the advice i was given was to toast the chips in a dry frypan and soak them in rum/bourban/etc.........

The soaking may work better in secondary, but i would consider toasting them then adding them to the cube.

 

[Tony]

Toasting makes sense.

I have got a 1/4 bottle of bundy thats been sitting under the bar for the last 3 years because i don't drink it (any more)

Might toast the chips up and put them in a jar with the rum while hot, let sit for a couple weeks till i make the porter, drain, add chips to the cube and discard the bundy

 

[_HOME_BREW_WALLACE_]

dont you dare discard the bundy............ Post it to me and i'll drink it!

:icon_offtopic: My time away in Dalby re-united me with the long-lost friend. Dunno if it is the best or worst thing yet but by-god I missed her! :wub:

 

[Tony]

haha i may keep it for a xmas cake or something.

I have a love for single malt whiskey's and bundy dont cut it for me no more im afraid. And it makes me a bit punchy, so i steer clear of it these days.

 

[Tony]

Just heated a thick copper based SS pan and toasted off the chips until they were really hot, not quite smoking but fragrant timber aromas filled the kitchen.

Put them in the jar and tipped in the rum.... it hissed and fizzed as i put on the lid.

Its cooled now, and it smells AMAZING!

and what rum that hasnt been soaked up into the timber had gone the color or tooheys old.

Im getting a bit excited about this!

 

[raven19]

I was thinking you might be going bigger cubes - and thickness of the wood may be an issue re harboring nasties (as such I would be reluctant adding to wort). But finer (smaller) chips like that look like a good alternative fella!

 

[barls]

i did this with this years sour brown. but i used medium plus cubes.
tasted wonderful.
id use cubes as they are there for a longer time and give a rounder flavour.
where as chips tend to be a quicker and harsher flavour.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I've had a beer where the brewer oaked the HLT - distinctly oakey indeed it was. I dont think you'd need to age it in there, just let it cool overnight and go. might be an idea to be fairly conservative with the amount... ireckon it'll give a "lot" of oak character in the cube.

 

[tipsy]

I did a RIS with 100g of chips in the secondary for a week and it was plenty, maybe too much.
Time will tell.

+1 to the conservative amount.

 

[Tony]

ok will make a 35 liter batch and split the chips between 2 17 liter cubes.

One will be fermented fairly fast and the other can sit for a while to see what difference it makes.

only one way to find out hey.

I must say........ the jar of chips and rum smells good

 

[bradsbrew]

I've had a beer where the brewer oaked the HLT - distinctly oakey indeed it was. I dont think you'd need to age it in there, just let it cool overnight and go. might be an idea to be fairly conservative with the amount... ireckon it'll give a "lot" of oak character in the cube.

What style was that thirsty?

Tony this is an awsome idea, I,ve done the oak chips soaked in jamacian rum and added to a keg of stout but I got more rum than oak. In the cube makes sense once someone suggests it. Could work in a few styles.

Cheers

 

[manticle]

I must say........ the jar of chips and rum smells good

Have a sip on the bundy when you go to use the oak just to surprise yourself.

Like you I prefer a decent single malt for my brown spirits. I have soaked french oak in a cheaper whisky before (covered, in fridge, for a week) and used the chips in a beer. New character of the whisky was delicious. Much darker in colour, distinctly oaky.

 

[Steve@PMF82]

REALLY interesting idea.

Looking forward to hearing results of experiment.

 

[Tony]

Oh.... and i do plan to drain the rum from the chips before adding......... I will save the dribble for Wallace