Adding Whiskey Barrel Chips to a Brown Ale

[Upthewazzu]

I ordered some Brewers Best whiskey barrel wood chips from Yakima Valley hops and need some guidance on how to add them to a vanilla brown ale I have currently sitting in the primary. I don't generally use a secondary fermenter, but was wondering if I should employ one in this case. I'd be adding three vanilla beans and about 2oz of the wood chips to ~4gallons of a brown ale. Should I just throw 'em all in the primary (fermentation is complete)? Thoughts?

 

[LarMoeCur]

Do you bottle or keg?

If you keg, I would ferment out completely then rack the beer on top of the chips in a keg. Seal with 10 to 15 lbs of co2 and cellar age. You can easily draw out samples with a picnic tap to taste progress. Once you get the oak flavor you want. Jumper it over into a empty keg and carbonate.

If you bottle, how long would you be ageing with the oak?

Short term ageing (less than a month or two)
I would use a secondary and rack the beer before completion of fermentation. About 2/3s of the way through. One to clean up any oxygen that racking may create and two you don't want all the yeast covering the oak.

Long term aging (3 months or more)
I would ferment out just short (.010 points at most) of complete. Rack onto the oak in a secondary. I would be really be trying to limit how much yeast got brought over to the secondary. Just enough to provide some positive head pressure to cover the beer with CO2 and finish the last few points but not enough to cause off flavors if Autolysis sets in.

Now if your planning on a very long time (a year or more). I'd finish completely and find a way to pump some co2 on top of the secondary and for go the any yeast in the transfer.

Either of the three ways you will have to re-pitch some yeast for bottling.

 

[Upthewazzu]

Do you bottle or keg?

If you keg, I would ferment out completely then rack the beer on top of the chips in a keg. Seal with 10 to 15 lbs of co2 and cellar age. You can easily draw out samples with a picnic tap to taste progress. Once you get the oak flavor you want. Jumper it over into a empty keg and carbonate.

Interesting, I never though of this

Wouldn't the dip tube get clogged by the chips and/or vanilla beans?

 

[LarMoeCur]

Interesting, I never though of this

Wouldn't the dip tube get clogged by the chips and/or vanilla beans?

I only use oak cubes and have never had a problem transferring. You could cut the dip tube by 1/2" or so.