cweston
Well-Known Member
I had a thread about this a while ago. I decided to soak about an ounce of oak chips for several hours in bourbon + water, then steam them 20 minutes in that liquid (Lord, did that make the kitchen smell good), then add them with the dry hops (Columbus) to an IPA for about 10 days.
I tasted the first bottle just now, conditioned 16 days (primed w/ DME).
Observations...
1. This is going to be a spectacular beer. It was an extract brew, with a pound of caramunich, and hopped with centennial, columbus and cascade. I really, really, like Columbus. (Feeling very glad I bought a pound of it this spring.)
2. The oak is surprisingly subtle. Right now, the columbus hops are the dominant flavor, even over the oak. I think soaking the oak chips makes a huge difference--roughly the difference between being conditioned in a new oak vs an old oak barrell. I may even experiment with a little more oak chips next time I try this: maybe soaked in pure bourbon instead.
3. The bourbon is a barely detectable note in the overall flavor, since there is already a fair amount of sweetness from the caramunich. But I think I can taste it.
4. This has me really jazzed about the all columbus APA I'm about to brew, but the combination of the piney and intense columbus with the more grapefruity centennial and cascade is very nice.
I tasted the first bottle just now, conditioned 16 days (primed w/ DME).
Observations...
1. This is going to be a spectacular beer. It was an extract brew, with a pound of caramunich, and hopped with centennial, columbus and cascade. I really, really, like Columbus. (Feeling very glad I bought a pound of it this spring.)
2. The oak is surprisingly subtle. Right now, the columbus hops are the dominant flavor, even over the oak. I think soaking the oak chips makes a huge difference--roughly the difference between being conditioned in a new oak vs an old oak barrell. I may even experiment with a little more oak chips next time I try this: maybe soaked in pure bourbon instead.
3. The bourbon is a barely detectable note in the overall flavor, since there is already a fair amount of sweetness from the caramunich. But I think I can taste it.
4. This has me really jazzed about the all columbus APA I'm about to brew, but the combination of the piney and intense columbus with the more grapefruity centennial and cascade is very nice.