Oak

[DJR]

How long did you leave it? I did a Wee heavy (16L) and chucked in 15g of French oak chips soaked in some sherry, the oak was pretty prominent at about day 3, so i racked it then and bottled. 50g would overpower some beers pretty quickly - but it depends on how much oak you've added and for how long it's in there. This was a big fat 1072 beer that finished at 1020 and was made with some Peated malt, so there was plenty of other flavours in there. I wonder how a very pale beer would taste with Oak - probably a bit much!

 

[Phrak]

How long did you leave it?

The oak chips spent 7 days with the beer during Primary fermentation, then another 8 days during secondary. The beer then bottled (without any chips).

I've actually just put down another batch of the same beer, and used the same 50gms of oak chips. I've thrown them all into the primary fermentor, but after fermentation has finished.

I guess we shall see if it makes any difference! :beer:
Tim

 

[Screwtop]

My dry stout is turning out to be not so dry... 1.042 to 1.015 <_< so I decide to oak some. 20g of french roast in 5L is probably way to much but I will be checking it every couple of days.

And the Stone porter is still coming along nicely.

Jye, have you ever tried Emmersons Bourbon Porter, it would put a horn on a jellyfish. The porter is aged in old bourbon casks. Like Kirem says 5g/L is lots for wine, but I imagine the oak used for wine is in a different form to the chips which most home brewers use. I'd imagine the flavour obtained from large chips would be less than fine chips, and greater from new/virgin oak than old barrel oak. Also the flavour of French Oak and American White Oak is quite different. After trying emmersons I want to try making a porter using the larger chips made from old Jack Daniels casks at about 10g/L in secondary.

 

[Jye]

Jye, have you ever tried Emmersons Bourbon Porter, it would put a horn on a jellyfish. The porter is aged in old bourbon casks. Like Kirem says 5g/L is lots for wine, but I imagine the oak used for wine is in a different form to the chips which most home brewers use. I'd imagine the flavour obtained from large chips would be less than fine chips, and greater from new/virgin oak than old barrel oak. Also the flavour of French Oak and American White Oak is quite different. After trying emmersons I want to try making a porter using the larger chips made from old Jack Daniels casks at about 10g/L in secondary.

Thanks for the tip Screwtop, Ill keep a look out.

The bourbon oak cubes I used in the stone porter took a few weeks to impart their flavour and I was also doing it at serving temp. It seems to be agreed that cubes are better for flavour control due to the smaller surface area causing slower oaking. I took a 50ml sample of the stout today (day 2) and the oak is very much there, but the sample was also taken from the very top next to the chips. I think I will bottle it on Thursday or the first chance I get.

 

[browndog]

Hi Jye,
I followed the Stones recipe to the T by boiling the chips in the microwave and adding the resulting tea. IT seemed to come out pretty similar to yours. Let me know if you want a bottle for comparison.

cheers

Browndog

 

[Jye]

Hi Jye,
I followed the Stones recipe to the T by boiling the chips in the microwave and adding the resulting tea. IT seemed to come out pretty similar to yours. Let me know if you want a bottle for comparison.

cheers

Browndog

Ummmmm... YEAH I want a bottle

 

[Jye]

Well I ended up leaving the stout on the oak for 5 day and its now been in the bottle for over 2 weeks (lots of age ). First impression are that the aroma and aftertaste remind me of whiskey, but the oak flavour isnt dominating the stout characteristics. Over all I would like to try this again but with a bigger stout and it would probably make a great winter warmer.

 

[Stuster]

That's interesting, Jye. Hmm. I am making an Imperial Stout tomorrow.

 

[facter]

hhmmm.. is there anything wrong with using french oak chips? I was going to put some into my porter tonight fora few days, prolly around 25grams or sose ...

i dont ahve anything to put them in either, and its into a plastic cube - they will float wont they?

 

[Jye]

I used roasted french oak chips and they will float. With 25g I would leave it a week and then sample the beer every day until you have reached the level of oak you want.

 

[facter]

Okay didnt put it in yet, but will do so tomorrow ... ci have two methods i can use, one is to put it in rum, but the rum is already in the beer and i dont really want anymore ...

what was the microwaving way of doing it? I dont have that issue of zymurgy ...if i micro it in say a cup of ater, is that enough? for how long? do i also add the water or discard it for any harsh flavours? should i also maybe roast the chips first? is this done int he oven or under the grill?

 

[browndog]

Okay didnt put it in yet, but will do so tomorrow ... ci have two methods i can use, one is to put it in rum, but the rum is already in the beer and i dont really want anymore ...

what was the microwaving way of doing it? I dont have that issue of zymurgy ...if i micro it in say a cup of ater, is that enough? for how long? do i also add the water or discard it for any harsh flavours? should i also maybe roast the chips first? is this done int he oven or under the grill?

Basically, it says take a 1/2 cup of oak chips and top with boiling water, place in the microwave for 1min then remove, cover with foil and let cool then add the "tea" to your fermenter, chuck the chips. I did this, I had problems with boilovers in the microwave but other than that I reckon it tuned out pretty good. If you want to toast your chips, do it in the oven I reckon.

cheers

Browndog

 

[boingk]

I've done oak in a TCB Wetpak of 'Classic Oak Ale'. I think the amount was 100g? Will have to ask next time I'm down. Anyway, it says to just throw the chips in with 5 minutes left to go on your boil. Then leave them in for primary/secondary.

The oak flavour is strong to start with but you get used to it and its more of a mid-ground flavouring by half-way through your first glass. I think its brilliant!

 

[facter]

.. well, i am going a different route entirely now, and tihnk i may have buggered myself from what iw as going to do!

About a week ago I put my 25grams of oak chips into rum ... this is because i didnt realise that the amount of rum that I'd placed into the secondary with the porter was already strong enough ...so, I pretty much have to dump the rum from the jar its in with the oak (which has already taken out heaps of the flavour) and then put those chips in there..but,t he flavour has been leached ...

What i was thinking of doing, was adding a little water to the rum and oak chips, then nuke it to boil the alcohol away (lets hope that the vapour doesnt ignite eh?) then dump the entire lot in ..or, I may seive the chips away and just add the liquid .. i guess if i want more oak i can always boil a few more chips ...

Okay, im being overly cautious i know - but, and this is a big call, this Porter is quite possibly one of the best beers I have ever made so far ..it is jsut missing the oak - i jsut dont want to stuff it up!

 

[Jye]

facter, I would bother stuffing around with the rum and boiling, just chuck them in the secondary and taste it every couple of days until its ready and then keg. Or keg it then add the chips in a tea ball which can be removed once your happy with the flavour.

 

[facter]

...well, i put them into the rum in order to sterilise them as i dont have a steamer .. i'll just pull them out and chuck them in without the rum and then add more if needed at the end of the week then.


this ones not being kegged, its being bottled so i can give it to friends thats why ima little worried about sanitation - if it was jsut being kegged i wouldnt even bother and jsut whack them in non-sterilised!