Adding oak chips the the secondary.. too late?

[GreenDragon]

I'm doing an oatmeal stout, hopefully a very dry one, and wasn't ready for the oak chips when I pitched originally. I got the french oak chips in in time for the transfer to the secondary, so I put about 2.5oz of french oak chips in the bottom of the secondary before doing the xfer on Saturday.

Is the time it spends in the secondary enough time to soak up any of the oak flavor?

 

[bp262]

I've only done one oaked batch, and that with 1oz of cubes in secondary for about a week. I prefer my oak flavors to be in the background, so I kept it conservative.

With 2.5oz of chips in 5 gallons I'd be checking that beer every 2-3 days to make sure I didn't over do it.

Blake

 

[iron_city_ap]

I have only done 1 oaked batch too (currently drinking). I put 4oz in for about a week before crash cooling/kegging. It worked out pretty good. I think you'll be just fine.

 

[likwidbliss]

I have a house oak sour ale that uses 4 oz of oak chips (American oak). I put in the fermentor with the wort and let it sit for 2 weeks and rack to a secondary to get it off of the oak. I like it and people that have had it like it too.

 

[vasvas]

you can put the 1-2 oz of oak chips in vodka for 3-5 days. Then filter and throw away the chips and mix the oaked vodka with the beer according to taste.

 

[blizzard]

Secondary is the best time to add oak. Leave it on the oak until you think it tastes right.

 

[unionrdr]

I'm going to soak some oak chips in Kentucky bourbon,then add the whole thing to secondary. I'd think one would use just enough liquor to thoroughly soak the oak. Then add the whole thing for a week or so. That's my theory,anyway. Using dark ale,porter,or stout,you get what used to be called "whiskely".

 

[GreenDragon]

Yeah I don't really like hard alcohol so I steamed the chips to sterilize them before adding them to the secondary. I'll just keep an eye on it. Due to a busy schedule it spent about 14 days in the primary so I should be able to bottle early if need be.