A new approach to simulated barrel aging?

[seansolo8]

Last year I made a bourbon-infused RIS using the oak chip method (with Jim Beam Red Stag, which came out fantastic). I'm ready to make this year's batch, and although I can't spring for the actual barrel, I've found something I'd like to try and would appreciate any thoughts.

I bought myself an early Xmas gift set of a bottle of Wild Turkey 101, which comes with a mason jar, inside of which is a spiral cut piece of stave from one of their charred aging barrels. You're supposed to soak the stave in the bourbon for 2-14 days then drink it. But you see where I'm headed with this?
I was thinking I'd soak the stave during primary, then plop it into secondary as you would the soaked oak chips. Not the same as barrel aging, but I figure this would more closely resemble the end result.

The stave is roughly the size of a grown man's thumb, for volume reference, and I will most likely add the infused bourbon and some vanilla.

 

[Shred]

I don't think you'll get much out of a stave that size. I love my oak spirals. 6 weeks for full extraction and more complexity than chips.

 

[seansolo8]

And now that I think about it, why not just put the vanilla beans in the bourbon with the stave?

 

[seansolo8]

How about a combo of oak chips with the stave, just to get some of the char essence?

 

[Shred]

Sounds like a plan to me.

 

[dkennedy]

One of the local distilleries sells pieces of the staves from old barrels, I'm considering using them in a barleywine. They are quite a bit larger than what you describe though, see here.

 

[seansolo8]

Nice! My first kit actually came from that very shop when I lived in Madison.

 

[Zrab11]

I don't think you'll get much out of a stave that size. I love my oak spirals. 6 weeks for full extraction and more complexity than chips.

What is your process here?

take oak spirals and soak them in bourbon for 6 weeks? and then Add Everything to a beer? or just the Oak Spirals? or just the liquid?

What flavors do you get? Oak? Bourbon(whiskey or whatever you use)? or both?

 

[Shred]

Depends on the beer. If I want big bourbon notes (like in my bourbon barrel breakfast stout) I do the oak in bourbon and add the whole tincture. If I don't care so much about the bourbon I usually just steam the spirals prior to adding them.


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[seansolo8]

I know it's been a while since I posted this thread, but thought some of you who responded may want to know how it came out.
Well... the batch I made after this post unfortunately didn't carbonate. Still drinkable and flavorful, but you know, not exactly one to boast about.
However - I made another batch for a small competition, and here's how that went:
I used 4 of the barrel staves/spirals soaked in bourbon for about 2 weeks, and soaked two whole (split and scraped) vanilla beans in a second jar of bourbon.
Added all of the liquid and oak chips from the stave jar, setting aside the staves because I'm reusing them and thought the fermentation might leave some funk behind. Strained and added just the liquid from the vanilla jar.
Primary and secondary were practically the bare minimum due to the fast approaching contest, but I pitched champagne yeast at bottling to ensure proper carbing. Worked out great, body was perfect, not too heavy. All of the flavors, from the bourbon to the vanilla and a little bit of char came through nicely and none too overpowering.

OH, and by the way - I won the contest!!!! So yeah, turned out pretty great.

 

[globell]

so you added the bourbon and vanilla extracts to the primary or secondary? thanks