I'm brewing my first barley wine this weekend - I'll be dry hopping as well as adding some oak chips to the secondary. I plan on leaving it on the oak for around 4 weeks and the dry hop for the last two weeks of that time prior to bottling.
I have a couple of options, I'm not sure what's best or recommended:
1) Add the oak chips at the start of secondary fermentation, two weeks later add the dry hop, and two weeks later bottle and age in the bottle for several months.
2) Add the oak chips at the start of secondary fermentation, two weeks later add the dry hop, and then rack to a tertiary carboy to bulk age for several months.
3) Let it mature in the secondary for several months, then add the oak chips, two weeks later add the dry hop, and two weeks later bottle.
Any thoughts on what the best method is? I'm leaning towards option #1 simply because it would free up a carboy for other brews... but I'm not so sure that's what's best for the beer (though I don't know it would "hurt" it either).
Thanks for the help.
I have a couple of options, I'm not sure what's best or recommended:
1) Add the oak chips at the start of secondary fermentation, two weeks later add the dry hop, and two weeks later bottle and age in the bottle for several months.
2) Add the oak chips at the start of secondary fermentation, two weeks later add the dry hop, and then rack to a tertiary carboy to bulk age for several months.
3) Let it mature in the secondary for several months, then add the oak chips, two weeks later add the dry hop, and two weeks later bottle.
Any thoughts on what the best method is? I'm leaning towards option #1 simply because it would free up a carboy for other brews... but I'm not so sure that's what's best for the beer (though I don't know it would "hurt" it either).
Thanks for the help.