Oak In A German Pilsner

[shoobs]

So,

I made what is essentially this recipe, with a few different hop additions (Saaz as the late hop instead of Hallertau). It has gone through primary fermentation, a diacetyl rest and is now lagering in the secondary at 4C. I added 100g of American oak chips to the secondary a week ago. Upon tasting it today, it has quite an oaky character.

Is it time to transfer to another secondary minus the oak chips? The recipe says to leave them in for two weeks, but I'm worried that it might end up too oaky. Will the oak flavour fade with time?

 

[Bizier]

100g is a lot, and the oak will probably outlast the actual beer. Get it off oak asap and if you like it, drink it. If not, then brew something to blend which will make use of the pils and the oak, like a dubbel or stout.

 

[shoobs]

100g is a lot, and the oak will probably outlast the actual beer. Get it off oak asap and if you like it, drink it. If not, then brew something to blend which will make use of the pils and the oak, like a dubbel or stout.

I pulled it off the oak today. It tastes overwhelmingly like oak. Hopefully it mellows a bit in the next 3 weeks while it is lagering.

 

[jbowers]

Why on earth would you oak a pils?

 

[drsmurto]

I pulled it off the oak today. It tastes overwhelmingly like oak. Hopefully it mellows a bit in the next 3 weeks while it is lagering.

3 weeks won't mellow the oak, you'll need to wait 3 years for that to happen.

 

[shoobs]

Why on earth would you oak a pils?

Yep, I'm sort of regretting the decision. I guess I was just following the recipe, which happened to be in Hopvilles "featured" list. I made the assumption that it'd be good.

 

[drsmurto]

Yep, I'm sort of regretting the decision. I guess I was just following the recipe, which happened to be in Hopvilles "featured" list. I made the assumption that it'd be good.

I don't see why it should on paper be a bad thing, the level of oak will be the clincher and it sounds like you haven't been subtle. I also would have used french oak rather than american oak for a beer like this.

Keep the oak chips, they can be re-used and by the sounds of things they are very strong in flavour. Just boil them before using them again and taste the beer regularly, every few days or so. Rack the minute the beer has a discernible oak character.

 

[Bizier]

I did a brown ale last year which I felt the American oak really enhanced. I used 40g of lightly home toasted Winequip chips (large size) for a total of three days. All it did was really round out the malt with the vanilla. I could taste the oak because I knew the before and after flavour, but basically no-one else picked it up as oak, including wine drinkers.

 

[drsmurto]

I've got a RIS that had a stave of american oak in the keg for 12 months. Very nice.

American oak is good but you need to find a beer where the flavours (vanilla in addition to oak) blend in well rather than standing out.