Killer oak?

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Chairman Cheyco

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Will oak tannins kill yeast? Being uncertain as how to use oak chips for that oh-so-classic taste, I boiled them for a while along with some hops before straining the water into a Black Rock IPA kit. In primary, there was some light foaming, though not what I'm used to seeing. I racked to secondary after four days and it was completely flat. It doesn't tase sweet like there is any unconverted sugar.
Will oak inhibit fermentation and what is the best way to utilize this tasty adjunct?
 
Won't affect yeast...I've used it for an oak stout and everything went fine. The best way to know how well your fermentation has progressed is by SG readings. I would certainly expect a fermented IPA wort to be flat and not too sweet.

The method I used with oak chips was to put them in a hop bag with some stainless bolts and place it in the secondary.
 
Thanks for the reassurance. Since I racked it this morning it's showing a bit of activity and I feel better now. It seems really pale though. Like grapefruit juice.
I'll try that oak method next.
 
Are you using oak chips or oak powder (ground oak)?

I've used oak powder. 10 grams for an IPA and 3 grams for a pale and 1 gram for a lighter rye ale.

The first time I used the oak powder I boiled it in the microwave then dumped everything into the secondary.

Now I either put them in the primary or boil them in the microwave for 5 minutes and dump just the water into the carboy.

It takes a few weeks for the tannins form the oak to mellow out, so don't be suprised if the taste seem a little odd at first.

And no, they shouldn't effect fermentation.
 
I have seen oak carboy sticks. They are reuseable and go into the neck of the carboy. Let me see if i can find them.

Here we go:
OakBoy
A funny name, but a great alternative to conditioning and caring for a barrel. The OakBoy is a thin strip of air-dried, toasted oak that is designed for optimal extraction. Slender enough to easily fit through a carboy neck. Add an OakBoy into your wine; when the desired level of oak character is reached, transfer the OakBoy to another batch or rinse and dry it for storage. Use one OakBoy per five gallons of wine; leave in contact for a minimum of two to three months.

#9061 OakBOY American Medium
$4.50
EACH
#9062 OakBOY American Med Plus
$4.50
EACH
#9063 OakBOY French Medium
$4.95
EACH
#9064 OakBOY French Med Plus
$5.00
EACH


http://www.northernbrewer.com/pics/fullsize/oakboy.jpg
 
I'm not sure how comfortable I am putting something in my beer that isn't easily pasturized, seems dangerous. I thought wooden spoons were a big no-no. I think I'll stay with the chips and or powder.
And it was powder I was using. Sorta like steel-cut oats, or coarse sand.
 
No, I haven't been down there yet. They wouldn't sell extract since they brew all grain. But I would like to snag some hops/grains off them.

If you like a really hoppy beer I'll post my own "Western Provincial IPA" recipe. And it incorporates oak powder.

It's an extract recipe. I'll dig it up and post it in the recipe/ingredients section. And damn, it's tasty. I only have to 20oz bottles left! I've recently gone AG so I'm going to have to try and covert it over for AG.

BTW Cheyco, where do you live? Where did you try the Tree Hop Head?
 
I'd love to try that IPA of yours. I have only begun to brew and am discovering that I'm a total hophead, though truly, that was discovered through years of research.
I live in Calgary and my wife's parents live in Winfield.
 
Just a few kits so far to get into the swing of things. A stout, an ale, a heffewiesen, a pil,and an IPA. The usual suspects. I'm going to get my method straight and then start tweaking them as far as they'll go. I'm not sure if I want to go all-extract, though I imagine it's not much different than what I'll be doing soon with the kits anyhoo.
What are some of your thoughts about kits and pure extract?
 
Cheyco said:
.
What are some of your thoughts about kits and pure extract?

More control and cheaper to boot. You should try all grain. I just started AG not to long ago and it's not that hard plus you have much more control of fermentability and flavor.
Costs less too, once you build a mashtun and buy a bigger pot to boil in.

I used to brew with bulk extracts and specialty grains.
You should be able to get bulk LME at you local Homebrew store or Ubrew.

There's a home brew club in Calgary you might want to check out: http://marquisdesuds.wort.ca/
 
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