drengel

Recipes 

I would like to age my vanilla porter on oak chips. it has a bit of a sharp flavor that i think the oak might smooth out, plus i've been wanting to try them anyway. i've used the tea bag looking things full of chips for wine once, and i just steeped them for ten minutes before throwing them in the primary. but the porter is in the secondary, and i don't want to risk contaminating it, so how should i make sure the oak chips are sanitized?

Caplan

Recipes 

I'd use one crushed campden tablet in a gallon of water. Add the chips and hop bag (If using), shake well, and soak for 20 minutes before use. Or you could boil them briefly but this may well extract some of the 'oakiness' you want.

Chairman Cheyco

Recipes 

Another option is to steam them in a vegetable steamer for a few minutes. This will also hydrate them without losing too much of that oaky goodness.

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Once the wind has been broken, it cannot be fixed.

BlightyBrewer

Recipes 

Or you could soak them in vodka?

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Beer....the Duke of all Beverages.

casebrew

Recipes 

Nuke them?

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So far, I've had more experience thinking than I've had brewing....you don't think they are mutually exclusive, do you?

57 batches so far,
33 wine, mostly Loquat, peach, plum, prickly pear
22 beers and ciders
1 sauerkraut
1 Tequila, from a prickly pear wine experiment that didn't work. I call it "Prickly Heat"

Sasquatch

Recipes 

Just make oak chip tea. Boil em for 5 minutes, and throw it all in the fermenter.

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Primary: Lager

Secondary: Sangiovese, Honey Nut Brown, some Pilsner/ale kinda thing that just won't quit...

Bottled:
Tar Sands Porter, Special Dark Bitter,Oaky Red ale, Hammer & Tongs Black Ale, Black Draught, Cooper's Bitter, Baron's Pilsner
Super Saazy Saaz Pilsner Saaz (It's a little green, yet)

Baron von BeeGee

Recipes 

I've successfully used oak chips by steaming them as mentioned above...10 minutes in a steamer and toss 'em in the secondary. Don't think they will remove any edge from your beer, though, as they contribute an oaky tannin flavor. They are, however, a nice complement to vanilla.

AHammer16

Recipes 

Steam them.

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"Thru the darkness of Future Past
the magician longs to see
one chants out between two worlds
Fire - walk with me."