wood chips in cider

[gazzagahan]

hello cider heads, apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere, but how many grams of smoked wood chips should i be adding to a 20 litre batch of fermented apple juice prior to bottling.

all the advice I've read around this has been a bit vague on detail.

cheers!
gaz

 

[Airgead]

That really depends on how much you like the taste of smoked wood chips in your cider...

I don't oak my cider but I do oak meads with oak dominoes. I usually use 2 for a 5l bath and and a proportional 10 for 25l. I leave the batch on oak for up to 6 months to develop the flavours. A little for a long time is better than a lot for a short time.

How that translates to cider I'm not sure.

General rules are - use a little. it's easer to add more than take some away. Slow and steady. Taste often and adjust as necessary.

Cheers
dave

 

[barls]

like dave i find the smaller the size of the wood the quicker it infuses. so chips have a time frame of weeks where staves and dominos have months/years.
also the quicke infuses sometime it can leave a one dimensional character in there and be a bit harsh.

 

[malt junkie]

like dave i find the smaller the size of the wood the quicker it infuses. so chips have a time frame of weeks where staves and dominos have months/years.
also the quicke infuses sometime it can leave a one dimensional character in there and be a bit harsh.

The one dimensional harshness will eventually smooth out to a degree but that will take months/years. Either way oaking a beverage well takes time.