Oak & Bourbon

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alemonkey

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For those of you who have soaked oak chips in bourbon, do you also add the bourbon when you dump the chips in? Or do you just dump in the chips and let the bourbon soak seep out of them into the beer?
 
It should soak in but it won't do any harm putting it in. It'll only be a small amount. Or drain it if you want.

I've only done it in Vodka and it all soaked in.
 
I haad toasted oak chips soaking in Knob Creek for 6 months.
I had topped it up a couple of times to keep the cubes covered.

I drained the burbon and dropped the cubes in, they sat in the secondary for about a month. I just kegged it today. It was subtle, but added a very nice touch.

I know a couple of people that added the burbon and thought that was to much.

I tasted the burbon that was drained off, it had a very potent oak taste. There was a lot of Oak sediment in it.
You mak want to just drop the chips in (save the bourbon) and let it sit for a month or two and sample it. If you think it needs more bourbon pour some off the top of what you saved and add the bottom portion with the oak sediment, then let it age a little more and try it again.

I'd also be a little concerned about adding to much and killing off the yeast and having nothing left to carbonate. Personally this is the type of thing I like to bottle.
 
D*Bo said:
I haad toasted oak chips soaking in Knob Creek for 6 months.

I think Knob Creek is aged in oak too.

alemonkey said:
For those of you who have soaked oak chips in bourbon, do you also add the bourbon when you dump the chips in? Or do you just dump in the chips and let the bourbon soak seep out of them into the beer?

I just racked my Oak Aged Bourbon Porter into secondary on top of the soaked oak chips. The chips were soaked for a week in Jim Beam's Black Label. I poured enough bourbon to cover the chips in a mason jar and sealed it. Then tossed chips and all into the fermenter.

Wild
 
knipknup said:
The current recipe I'm doing calls for steamed oak chips. Any thoughts on this versus soaking in a bit of bourbon instead?

The steaming is just for the purpose of getting rid of any nasties that might be on the wood. The bourbon is all about the flavor. :cross:
 
Soaked 'em in Knob Creek, eh?

Man, I'd have used something cheaper for the oak chiips and drank the Knob Creek. That's some mighty fine bourbon.
 
The steaming is recommended for sanitizing purposes. Booze (bourbon included) will do the same thing.

I've used oak chips and bourbon once. I was going for a not-so-subtle touch, though...so I took 2 cups or so of Evan Williams (what else!?) and soaked 1.75oz of oak cubes and one whole split vanilla bean in it for a week during primary. I also added a bit of vanilla extract as well, because a second bean was really gonna screw up my "profit margin". Anyway, when I racked to secondary, I added the entire thing, bourbon and all, and let that sit for about 13 days. Then I racked off of it into a third vessel, where it sits today. I tasted a sample a few days ago...deliciousness! Dessert beer...woohoo!
 
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