Using oak chips, how many, how long?

hello guys,

I thought it might be a good idea to make an oak aged porter. I just brewed it yesterday so I haven't added any oak chips yet, i'm planning on doing that during secondary fermentation.

I have 3 ounces of medium-toasted american oak chips (was this a good choice?). I want a subtle but noticeable oak flavor in this porter so I was wondering how many cubes I should use and how long should I let it ferment with the oak cubes... Also, I was wondering, should I force them to sink to the bottom (via puting them in some sort of hop-bag type of deal with marbles or something) or is it okay if I just steam them (to sanitize) and then chuck them into the fermenter?

Thanks a lot! I hope this turns out!

I used 4oz of light toasted chips soaked in bourbon in my last American IPA. About three weeks after bottling, it was horrid. It tasted like liquid oak tree.

That was in June. I had one the other day...beautiful beer. Oak faded to just the right point, and now the hoppiness has bloomed. The bourbon soak/steam gave it just a smoky hint.

SO, in a long winded summary, I would say for a fuller bodied beer like yur porter, 3oz would be good. But yoy may have to age it a while. If the oak is overpowering at first, don't sweat it....oak mellows well.

-Todd

I would use 2 oz. But it depends on how much oak you want to taste.

A cool trick I learned from the guys at Stone brewing is to boil your chips and make an oak tea. Make it really strong and then add that to your brew in a measured, controlled amount. Instant oaked brew.

That is only half-assed. Water will only extract partial flavor. The alcohol in the beer will extract a more complex flavor.

I am just passing on what they do to make Oaked Arrogant Bastard. I agree that the best way is to let it soak. Towards that end, I like to use the Jack Daniels wood chips packaged for grilling. They have a great character. I also use french oak and find it gives a mellow toast.

I've not yet gotten to a point where I'm considering adding wood chips. This post does give me a question though.

Can other types of wood be used as well? I have a lot of orange and magnolia wood (great for a smoker). Could these types of wood also lend a unique flavor to a brew?

I am sure they would give it a flavor....not sure if it would be good. Most folks use the oak to simulate the oak/whiskey barrel aged flavor.

Never heard of a magnolia barrel...but why not. Thats te beauty of homebrewing.

-Todd

The wood usually goes with the flavor of the fruit of the tree. But that is just a general rule. Exceptions do exist. Pecan would be good in a nut flavored beer also slightly fruity. Your orange tree wood would leave a citrusy flavor.

I would guess that Magnolia wood would suck in beer. But I could be wrong. Most evergreens are not suitable because of rosins.

Some wood contains toxins and are not to be used in foodstuffs. Do your homework.

dougjones31 said:

The wood usually goes with the flavor of the fruit of the tree. But that is just a general rule. Exceptions do exist. Pecan would be good in a nut flavored beer also slightly fruity. Your orange tree wood would leave a citrusy flavor.

I would guess that Magnolia wood would suck in beer. But I could be wrong. Most evergreens are not suitable because of rosins.

Some wood contains toxins and are not to be used in foodstuffs. Do your homework.

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I never would have thought of magnolia until I had someone trim the tree. He offered me $300 just for the few limbs that I paid him to cut off. Then I did some checking around and there is even a smokehouse near me that uses magnolia exclusively.

I've burned a few logs in my fire pit and it gives off a faint floral smell. Perhaps this could compliment the right hops? More likely I'd just end up with a odd tasting brew, huh?

Smoking with the wood and using the charred or smoked wood for flavoring in beer are two totally different things.

When the wood burns it releases different compounds than when you just use it to flavor. But Hey.....try it and see what happens. I would have never thought it would be good to smoke meat with.


If I did anything, I would smoke some barley with the magnolia wood and add the flavor that way. Atleast you know that you will get the floral smell of the burning wood.