Oaking RIS

[zlandaal]

I brewed a Russian Imperial Stout yesterday, and I want to use oak cubes in it. I brewed this a good 7 months ago and used oak chips for 10 days or so, and I found it to be too astringent--it definitely mellowed out with a few months time and tasted absolutely delicious, but I'm trying again with cubes.

Recipe:
18.75 lbs 2-row (72.1%)
2.25 lbs Amber (8.7%)
1.5 lbs Roasted Barley (5.8%)
1.5 lbs Black Malt (5.8%)
1.0 lbs Flaked Oats (3.8%)
1.0 lbs DME light (3.8%)

Mashed ~151-152 for 60 minutes (target was 150), 1.15 qt/lb (barely fit my 10 gal mash tun)

Boiled for ~60 minutes to reduce volume, then:

1.3oz Warrior hops @60 minutes (50 IBU)

OG: ~1.108, 5.5 gal into fermenter
Expected FG: ~1.030, 11.3% ABV

Pitched two packets of Wyeast London ESB at around 68-70 degrees. Its bubbling away quite nicely now. Last time I did this in a carboy and lost 1 gallon+ to blow off... so its in a 9 gallon bucket this time (still anticipating blow off)

So, my plan is to give it 3 weeks in the primary (maybe more), then rack it to a glass carboy for secondary.

I'm getting medium toasted french oak cubes from the LHBS. I'm not sure what the dimensions will be.

I want to soak the beer on the cubes for a long time to get the complex and rounded flavors of the oak, without the sharp astringency that can accompany it.

What would you recommend to accomplish this?

I'm thinking 1oz-1.5oz for ~3-4 months @~65, then racking off the oak into a keg to age for another 3 months @50.

I have no experience with oak cubes, and I don't want to have to pull the beer off prematurely, so I'll probably lean towards 1 oz.

Last time I soaked the chips in scotch to sanitize. I'm thinking this time I should boil first, then soak in bourbon or some alcohol (doesn't matter--not looking for flavor from it) for two weeks, just to get the astringent flavor off.

 

[Chrisl77]

I did a bourbon barrel quad that I made in November. After a couple weeks fermenting I just racked it into a keg, tied a piece of sanitized dental floss onto a piece of an oak stave that was soaking in bourbon for a long time. Got the stave from a friend that had it soaking in a jar of bourbon you cant buy in stores. I hung it in the keg and pinched the floss in the lid. It sat with a co2 purge for 2 months and then went into the kegerator. The oak is still in the keg and it gets better every time I sample it. 1 big piece of oak works differently then chips as it has less surface area. Cubes would be the middle of the road.

 

[homebrewdude76]

I have soaked wine oak cubes or junks in a mason jar of bourbon.
Sometimes added a vanilla pod.
Then dump it all in, bourbon also.

 

[Chrisl77]

To add you can do the same with cubes and chips in the keg. Just put them in a sanitized paint strainer bag and tie it off with the floss. This way you cut down on transferring the beer. When your ready to pull out the oak cubes or chips just take the lid off the keg and pull the bag out with the floss. I do the same thing with dry hopping.

 

[homebrewdude76]

I just dump them in. No need for the bag. Oak chunk is not going to pass through the tap... like a pellet hop would

 

[pandamonium]

After doing a ton of research on this for my bourbon county stout clone, I decided to really try to emulate the actual bourbon barrels they use by charring the oak cubes. All bourbon barrels get charred before they put the bourbon in. So I took my 3 ounces of toasted oak cubes and held them over a candle until all the sides were charred black. I then soaked them in Woodford Reserve for 1 month before adding the 3 ounces of cubes along with about a pint of bourbon (it was very dark colored at this point) into the secondary. It turned out... amazing. Good oaky flavor and the bourbon comes through nicely but neither flavor overpowers the beer (which is on the sweet side, FG 1.046).

 

[zlandaal]

Thanks for the replies.

Does anyone have any experience with using cubes for 3 months+?

 

[day_trippr]

A[...]So I took my 3 ounces of toasted oak cubes and held them over a candle until all the sides were charred black.[...]

I can "char" a tablespoon over a candle. That's soot.

Next time try the broiler...

Cheers!

 

[bobeer]

Thanks for the replies.

Does anyone have any experience with using cubes for 3 months+?

I have oaked several beers for 3-6 months. I've done Strong ales, Stouts and IPA's. All in the primary only.
I've used oak spirals, staves, and chips.
I've soaked the cubes in bourbon, rum, grand marnier, and a couple others. I've also done oaking without any liquor involved.
3+ works well with big dark ales. It worked pretty well in the Strong ale too but the flavors went much better with a darker beer.
The oak flavor is pretty overwhelming at first but it mellows pretty fast and it will last a very long time in the bottle if you bottle condition. I still have bottles 3 years old and they're fantastic.

The burning of the chips is a great idea. I'm going to try that with my next oaked beer! I'm always thinking about what new liquor I could use...

 

[zlandaal]

I have oaked several beers for 3-6 months. I've done Strong ales, Stouts and IPA's. All in the primary only.
I've used oak spirals, staves, and chips.
I've soaked the cubes in bourbon, rum, grand marnier, and a couple others. I've also done oaking without any liquor involved.
3+ works well with big dark ales. It worked pretty well in the Strong ale too but the flavors went much better with a darker beer.
The oak flavor is pretty overwhelming at first but it mellows pretty fast and it will last a very long time in the bottle if you bottle condition. I still have bottles 3 years old and they're fantastic.

The burning of the chips is a great idea. I'm going to try that with my next oaked beer! I'm always thinking about what new liquor I could use...

How much oak do you typically use?

 

[bobeer]

How much oak do you typically use?

For a 5 gallon batch I usually use a good fist full. I don't really weigh it out unfortunately. If I'm oaking a half batch (2.5-3 gallons) I'll use a little bit of a smaller handful. Sorry I can't be more specific but that's just what I do!

 

[tjosborne]

How do you guys sanitize staves or spirals?

 

[bobeer]

How do you guys sanitize staves or spirals?

usually by soaking them in some kind of liquor like bourbon, whiskey, tequila, etc... I've done a quick 5 minute soak in starsan too if I'm not using any booze.

 

[Rhetorik]

I'm currently soaking oak cubes for an Imperial Stout I'll be making in the next week or two. I'm using a 50:50 mix of French:American medium toast cubes; 2.5oz of each. The plan is to let them soak for 1 week in Bulleit bourbon, drain (and drink) that bourbon, then add fresh bourbon and soak another 2-3 weeks, possibly with a vanilla pod also. The reason for swapping the bourbon partway is to try and remove any astringent flavours that may be extracted from the cubes.

I will then be aging the imperial stout for ~4 months in 5gal carboys, after which half will be kegged (if I have a keezer set up by then with a nitro tap) and half will be bottled.

 

[homebrewdude76]

Many people have aged in an entire barrle. I doubt cubes will give out astringency