add whiskey to beer?

[unionrdr]

When we mention these other aromas/flavors,we're referring to when the oaked whiskey flavors start to mellow out over a couple of months. You still taste some whiskey,but the wood starts to change into these other flavors. Def not a quick,swill it down ale. It will take time to mature properly. And that's when the flavors start to change. It's def not going to "just taste like whiskey". We've been drinking from that batch this week. After some 12 weeks,the spice in the oak is coming back & mixing with the dark malt flavors. Interesting.

 

[jdubb75]

It's the reaction between the oak ( Medium toast French oak in my case) & the bourbon that breaks down into a oaky vanilla flavor with time. The french oak seems to break down into vanilla flavors moreso than American oak. It does take a couple months for it to happen,though.
I think it's pretty good right now,with that slight vanilla,spicy oak thing going. Reminds me of the spicy smoke I get from using black oak in the bbq pit.

If you want a great example of this (at least I think so), try some Jim Beam Devil's Cut if it's available in your area. The "devil's cut" is the term used to describe the bourbon that soaks into the oak barrel while aging. Basically the opposite of "angel's share", which is the amount that has evaporated during aging. Anyway, Jim Beam developed Devil's Cut by sweating the bourbon back out of the wood and blending it with other Beam bourbon. I typically drink top shelf (Knob Creek, Russell's Reserve, Booker's, Baker's, etc), but really like JB Devil's Cut. I really like the extra hint of vanilla that comes through at the end.

It might be worth experimenting with by adding it straight to the beer in the secondary. I have a batch of barley wine that I will be moving to seconday in a couple weeks and thought about splitting the secondary into two carboys and aging part of it with Devil's Cut.

 

[unionrdr]

You better be careful how much you add. We're not just trying to add whiskey flavor to the beer like a boiler maker. That'd be easy. We're trying to simulate aging/conditioning in an oak cask,like olden times. The spicy,vanilla flavors come from the whiskey reacting with the wood,not from the whiskey itself. But the JB DC might add some of those flavors,even moreso when soaked with oak cubes.

 

[jdubb75]

You better be careful how much you add. We're not just trying to add whiskey flavor to the beer like a boiler maker. That'd be easy. We're trying to simulate aging/conditioning in an oak cask,like olden times. But the JB DC might add some of those flavors,even moreso when soaked with oak cubes.

Yeah, I had thought about that. That's why I'm just going to split out a smaller amount to try aging with the Devil's Cut. I had considered soaking in oak chips as well, but I was really afraid of risking an infection in a beer that has to be aged so long. I still have a couple weeks to think about it and read up on it a bit more. I definitely don't want it to over power the barely wine...just add a hint a flavor that it brings to the table.

I was only pointing out that JB DC really accentuates the oak/vanilla aging that comes from the barrel and not much of it should be needed to impart that into beer.

 

[unionrdr]

You don't have to worry about any infections whatsoever in the wood. Whether it's boiled for oak flavor & added to secondary,or soaked with whiskey for a few weeks it takes the beer to ferment. I put it in an airtight container in the fridge for that time. The oak chips soaked up 2/3 of the bourbon. No infections are possible since what might be in there died of alcohol poisoning a long time ago. Especially in your high ABV barleywine,let alone my 5.9% dark ale! Nothing at all to worry about in that regard.
So you might try soaking 2oz of toasted oak with maybe 2 or 3 jiggers of whiskey for the length of ferment time to get that light hit on the back.

 

[twanger1994]

I recently saw an episode on brewingTV, where they put whiskey (I think) into there barley wine as a warm drink on a cold brewday, during the final boil!

I may have have to collect a few extra cups in a batch to give it a shot...

 

[Denny]

I think what you;re referring to is a "Hot Scotchie". Scotch added to warm wort

 

[jdubb75]

You don't have to worry about any infections whatsoever in the wood. Whether it's boiled for oak flavor & added to secondary,or soaked with whiskey for a few weeks it takes the beer to ferment. I put it in an airtight container in the fridge for that time. The oak chips soaked up 2/3 of the bourbon. No infections are possible since what might be in there died of alcohol poisoning a long time ago. Especially in your high ABV barleywine,let alone my 5.9% dark ale! Nothing at all to worry about in that regard.
So you might try soaking 2oz of toasted oak with maybe 2 or 3 jiggers of whiskey for the length of ferment time to get that light hit on the back.

Okay, I'm going to run with this and pick your brain a bit.

I was planning to rack the barley wine to the secondary next weekend. Since it will be aging for several months, I'm assuming there should be no issue with soaking some oak chips and adding them later? Also, and this may sound crazy, but won't the chips just float on the top? I would feel better if they were submerged or is this another thing I shouldn't worry about?

Since this beer will bulk aged for several months, what do you think would be the best approach to take with the oak chips? Is this something that I should maybe just do in the last month or so of aging so I can take a small sample every few days to see how much flavor it is lending to the beer and pull them out when needed? Leaving them in for the whole duration would be a romantic notion to the times of old, but I'm worried that might be overkill.

Thoughts, suggestions?

 

[twanger1994]

I think what you;re referring to is a "Hot Scotchie". Scotch added to warm wort

Thanks for the correction.. I like the name too