Adding Oak Chips for a Porter

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upperNY01brewer

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I'm getting ready to brew a Bourbon Barrel Porter tomorrow, so on Friday I purchased some Makers Mark Bourbon to soak the American medium oak chips in till I'm ready for them in secondary in about 2 weeks from now. Question is shall I hold the bourbon that doesn't soak up into the chips to the side or add it along with the chips when I place them into my secondary ?:mug:
 
IT really comes down to taste. IMO you use the soaked chips and sample once per week until you get the desired taste you are looking for. If at the end of soaking on the chips you still desire more bourbon you can add it bottling time.

I brewed Denny's Bourbon Vanilla Porter and used the 350ml of bourbon a to a 6 gallon batch at bottling. After about 10 weeks bottle conditioning the beer is absolutely fantastic!
 
I leave mine to the side but I know other people that would just pour the whole mess in. When I do my Scotch ale, I use about an ounce of light toast American oak chips soaked in Johnny Walker red for about a week before it goes into the beer, and it sits on the beer for about a week to give that wonderful oaked boilermaker scotch taste.
 
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