Concerns w/ using bourbon to sanitize oak chips

I recently brewed NB's Black IPA (my first AG woot!) and I plan on aging the beer on oak chips.

I've read about the various methods of sanitation and some of them seem like you would lose some of the oak flavor (pasteurization especially) so I think that I'll go with using bourbon to sanitize the chips. The thing I'm worried about is the bourbon flavor being added to the end result of the beer. I don't want any bourbon flavors with this brew, just the oak.

How can I ensure that no bourbon (or any other alcohol ie. vodka flavor) is added to the end result of the beer? I was thinking about soaking it in the bourbon and then letting the chips dry and/or putting them in a vacuum sealed bag until they get added. Would that do anything for me?

I've also read that you can also just add the chips raw and that scares me. I don't want to ruin this brew by doing that.

Just add the chips. I've done it 20+ times and never had an issue. The only thing you could soak it in that probably wouldn't leave a flavor would be vodka. Bourbon will definately give it a whiskey flavor. Wood absorbs pretty much everything.

I have absolutely no knowledge of this subject, but "grain alcohol" (190 proof) sounds like it would do the job and not leave any flavor...

I would just throw them in. If you are still getting some action from the yeast, the CO2 would take care of undesireables I would think. Boiling is an option, might take half of the potency of the wood flavor, add more chips.

I would much rather lose some of the oak flavor to steaming than add any undesireable liquor flavor to my beer.

Hell, buy an extra quarter oz if you're worried about losing flavor.

I steam them and I don't think you loose any of the oak flavor. I've done it several times this way and it works great.

If you want a really strong oak flavor boil them in a small amount of water. Then add the wood and the water. The water will be brown and full of oak flavor.

But be careful it's easy to go overboard with the oak. It's a really powerful flavor and it takes a fairly long time to age out.

Yeah, don't use bourbon if you don't want the flavor. Go with strong vodka or everclear. Some people will put them in the oven at 250*F for 30 min to sterilize also.

Putting oak in the oven sounds like a bad idea... are you trying to toast the oak to get it darker? Cause that's what'll happen.

And dry heat at 250* for 30 mins is not even close to sterile... maybe not even sanitized.

Giving them a quick boil or steam (less than 10 min) will not suck out much, if any, of the oak flavor.

I boiled chips for five hours in total, with multiple changes of water, and let them soak in water for over a week, again with multiple changes of water, and they still were giving off color and flavor.