steber

Recipes 

I just read that I need to soak a min of 6 weeks on oak chips.. I guess I should have read this earlier. Is there a way to presoak the chips in bourbon or something and then add the whole concoction to the secondary when I rack over? I'm a week away from 2 weeks in primary.. wondering what to do to get the most out of the oak chips..

this is what i'm brewing by the way.

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k1200rsvt

Recipes 

Are you trying to have it done by a specific time? Why not just go six weeks in secondary?

When I have used oak in cider I just boiled them quickly in a little water (just enough to cover) let the whole thing cool and then threw liquid and wood into the carboy. 10 months later I bottled, but that was cider.

steber

Recipes 

Well I never like keeping my vessles held up longer than need be. It's also my partners brew and hes not the most patient man when in comes to long fermentation times. Also, we need to add figs at some point and not sure how long to let those soak either.

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jtejedor

Recipes 

Are they cubes or chips? If they are chips, they need very little contact time, at least to me. When I use chips I use a lot, like 3-4 ounces and only soak for a couple of days not even a week. It does take some time for the oak to die down to the level I like I find chips give a real sharp oakiness. If its cubes (which I prefer a lot more flavor wise) then yes you would want the beer to sit on them for at least a few weeks. And yes you can pour the bourbon in the secondary along with the chips if that is what you are soaking them in.

steber

Recipes 

I haven't yet soaked them in anything. Would it be better to soak in bourbon or boil them in water. Also, they are cubes not chips.

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