Utilzing Bottling bucket (sealed) to age on oak chips..

[bferullo]

What are people's thoughts on this probably unorthodox technique. I have never "oaked" a beer before, so I was looking for some way to be able to sample as it ages and make life easier getting the chips out of the fermenter (bucket as opposed to better bottle).

The base beer is a brown ale, so I won't be planning on aging long.

I would stick the fermenter lid with airlock over the bottling bucket. My concern is obviously contamination being that there is a spigot.

 

[solbes]

My concern would be oxidation risk from the large headspace. I like to fill my carboys to the neck or just short of the neck any time I'm going to let the beer sit for more than a couple of weeks.

I have never used oak chips (because you have to be very precise on when the beer is finished "oaking" due to high surface area). I use oak cubes (made from real barrels) and they work wonderfully. 3-8 weeks has been my range on oak contact. They easily fit through a carboy or better bottle opening. About $5 or 6 per 3 oz. 1.5 oz is usually plenty to oak a batch of beer.

If you are sampling through the spigot, won't you mostly be getting yeast out of there? Maybe it will be tertiary and relatively free of yeast that got left behind in secondary?