Oak Chips In Batch

[doombrewer]

Hi all, I've got a batch fermenting at the moment, picked up some oak chips from the lhbs which I'm gonna have a crack at adding. Found a bit of info out there on the topic and looking to more or less 'dry hop' the oak for a week or 2, just thought I'd see if anyone here's played around with adding oak or anythin other sort of wood elements to a brew? And if so what kind of technique/method you found worked for you?

 

[boingk]

I used my chips in the boil and in the fermenter, ended up quite powerfully affecting the brew.

I would recommend 100g or so for the final few days, much like dry hopping, and seeing how you like that.

Cheers - boingk

 

[benno1973]

I bought some French oak chips and added them to a barley wine. I've heard that you should blacken them a bit with a brulee torch, but these were already blackened, so I didn't do that. I just added some to a bottle of bourbon and let it soak for a week or so, tasting a little each time. Then I poured the bourbon into the barleywine. I was after a bourbon barrel aged flavour and it worked out really really well. The oak flavour was definitely there, but not overpowering.

 

[petesbrew]

I bought some French oak chips and added them to a barley wine. I've heard that you should blacken them a bit with a brulee torch, but these were already blackened, so I didn't do that. I just added some to a bottle of bourbon and let it soak for a week or so, tasting a little each time. Then I poured the bourbon into the barleywine. I was after a bourbon barrel aged flavour and it worked out really really well. The oak flavour was definitely there, but not overpowering.

Kaiser, I got some American Oak chips once from Dave's @ Nth Sydney, which seemed to give off that bourbon flavour.
Sadly they were out of the french oak that day... bourbon wasn't the flavour I was after.

 

[benno1973]

Kaiser, I got some American Oak chips once from Dave's @ Nth Sydney, which seemed to give off that bourbon flavour.
Sadly they were out of the french oak that day... bourbon wasn't the flavour I was after.

I think I have some american oak chips somewhere. I went french only because Randy Mosher in Radical Brewing seems to indicate that they give off a better flavour, and I didn't want to risk 20L of barleywine.

 

[doombrewer]

I'm just after the oak flavour this time, but good to know about the bourbon method as I'd be interested in giving that a shot down the track.

Was looking to take it tentatively as I don't know how quick it imparts flavour and don't want to end up overpowering things, figured I'd dry hop it for a up to a week or so and just sample it as it goes, do it to taste.

I think I have some american oak chips somewhere. I went french only because Randy Mosher in Radical Brewing seems to indicate that they give off a better flavour, and I didn't want to risk 20L of barleywine.

Yet to read Radical Brewing, sitting in the pile of books to get through, but it's funny you mention that Kaiser, I picked up 100g of American Oak instead of the French due to a section in Sam Calagione's Extreme Brewing book where he mentions something about French being a bit more subtle and needing to be left longer than American to impart its flavour

 

[benno1973]

If you're planning on adding it to the primary or secondary (i.e. post boil), it's suggested that you steam the chips for a bit first to sanitise them.

Yes, I take it that the American oak is a bit more up front, while the french is a bit more subdued.

 

[doombrewer]

If you're planning on adding it to the primary or secondary (i.e. post boil), it's suggested that you steam the chips for a bit first to sanitise them.

Yes, I take it that the American oak is a bit more up front, while the french is a bit more subdued.

I'd seen something about baking them a bit to sanitise, but I like the sound of steaming them so cheers for that.

Good way of putting it. If I like how this batch turns out may give it a shot with the french and see that pans out

 

[j1gsaw]

i have 3 5l demijohns full of 9% old ale that have been sitting on assorted oak chips for just shy of 2 years now, never meant to leave it for this long, just never got round to bottling them yet... dont know what they will taste like, will probably just blend all 3 , crash chill and add a bit more yeast before i prime/bottle.

 

[manticle]

I toast mine.

Add to secondary.

Only really done it with Brett beers.

 

[RobH]

A recipe that I read recently for a Porter had 30g Medium Toasted American Oak Chips.
It's method for the chips was to soak them in 1 litre of near-boiling water for 15 mins & then chuck it in the fermenter.
This was before pitching, so I imagine that the volume of wort that would be then added would be at the right temperature so that when mixed with this hot water it would end up at the right pitching temperature.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Been wanting to know more about this, as I'm planning a barleywine for next winter and that'll need to be done (once all the kegs are full) in the next month or two. And I want to oak chip it for a period of time.

I've got my brothers saving 330ml bottles, as I'm going to push this one over 10%.

 

[Clutch]

I think you should be saving 750ml bottles...
:chug:

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

If I had some grolsch swing tops...........

Isn't that where all this started?

Goomba

 

[fraser_john]

I use them in my Kentucky Ale, American Oak to match the bourbon addition.

Sanitised the oak chips by soaking in the bourbon addition for 60 minutes. Eeezy peezy.