Oak chips in mash

[Bjornbrewer]

Hey guys,

Is it ok to put Whiskey barrel oak chips in the mash? I'm making a stout and wanted to try this. If I add them to the secondary like normal you have to sanitize them which is going to really take out a lot of the whiskey flavor before it gets to the fermentor. I figure putting them in the mash would draw out those flavors directly in the wort...and then of course sanitized by boiling.

Would boiling kill any flavor I would get out of them? Anyone experiment with this yet?

Thanks,
paul

 

[JetSmooth]

Why don't you re-soak the chips in whiskey, which should sanitize them?

Haven't tried this, but from other threads I've read I think the flavors will be lost in the boil and scrubbed out by the active fermentation. in general, most flavorings are added late in boil or in the primary or better yet, secondary fermenters.

 

[nostalgia]

I don't see any reason *not* to add them to the mash. I don't know how it would affect flavor though, as you usually leave beer on the chips for days/weeks. And the high temps could leach more astringent flavors from the chips.

That said, I'd probably try it

If I add them to the secondary like normal you have to sanitize them

Also, I don't bother sanitizing chips to go in the secondary, and I believe others are in the same camp.

-Joe

 

[Jipper]

For me, I would think you would pull some bits of oak into the boil, resulting in some tannins that aren't the body tannins we like and get out of secondary aging on oak. I wouldn't do it at all, because you will loose aromatics in the boil, and loose some flavors in the mash, when the grains retain your sparge water.