Wood Flavours In Beer

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Linz

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From the Guinness website.....


GUINNESS Foreign Extra Stout is the strongest in taste and strength of the three. It is available only as a high alcohol carbonated product sold in a bottle and has a strong oaky complex flavour. At the time GUINNESS began to be exported to overseas markets, beers were generally sold at a gravity of 1,078 degrees, which was sufficiently strong in alcohol to help the product survive long sea journeys. Until 1962 all GUINNESS Foreign Extra Stout sold the world over was brewed and conditioned in large oak vats in Dublin before being shipped to export markets.
 
There's plenty of fans of real cask ale as well (I havent had the pleasure yet)
 
speaking of cask conditioned - dont mean to hyjack the thread - but is there any issues in using wooden barrels that have had red wine in?

If there are, what is the best oak barrel to use...

Thanks in advance guys...
 
You need either a reconditioned/rebuilt wine cask or a new cask.

Either case, choice will be French or American oak. French oak gives off way strong oak flavors, not suited to beer.

I currently have 2oL of 16% BW in my new Am Oak barrel that I 'broke in' by filling with 20L cheap white wine and leaving that in there a month or two. I have had my clone of Gales Prize Old Ale in there 5 weeks and picked up a mere background hint of oak, the maximum you should go for.

English oak gives no taste to the beer, the American breweries lined their Am Oak barrels with pitch so as to put no oak taste in the beer.

The BW will be in the barrel 2 months, then in bottle for 10 months


Jovial Monk
 
If you want to taste oak in an ale - try to locate an "Innis & Gunn" Oak Aged Beer. Its amazing. They sit th beer in oak barrels for 30 days then condition in a Marrying Tun (whatever that it) for a further 47. The oak flavour is quite intense, but very enjoyable

Check out their web site...

www.iinisandgunn.com

They stock it at the IBS in Perth
 
Hmm i wonder what could happen if you put some of those oak chips that you see at the HBS into a brew with some smoked malt.
 
I have used toasted american oak in my mead and stouts.
It works well...

I get it for a good price up in the barossa.
 
I've used the Oak chips in an IPA and a Lambic Fromboise hoping to impart some interesting flavours, IPA should be ready for a taste in 2 weeks, I'll let you know.
 
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