Adding run or bourbon smoking chips to cider
- Thread starter globell
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I suggest using oak cubes. Any wine supplies or LHBS will have them in different "toast" levels. Don't mess with trying to create your own. Add them to secondary and sample taste once in a while to monitor the effect. I just rinse them in hot water to wash off any dust.
No. Those are made to be burned. Who knows what's in them.
Stick with stuff made for us - https://morewinemaking.com/category/tannins-oak-barrel-alternatives.html
Stick with stuff made for us - https://morewinemaking.com/category/tannins-oak-barrel-alternatives.html
madscientist451
Well-Known Member
If you want to use the rum barrel chunks, I'd say go ahead and try it. You may want to get some 1/2 gallon jugs and try different methods/materials.
There are a lot of ways to do it, Add the wood to a carboy, add bourbon or other spirits to the wood and then add the wood or add the wood infused spirits to the beverage. Remember that blending is your best friend and leave as many options open as possible. Reserve some cider/beer/wine un-oaked so you'll have some to blend back if your beverage gets too much oak character.
There are lots of blogs and You Tube videos about using wood, I'd say spend some time considering all your options, and do a lot of test batches.
There are a lot of ways to do it, Add the wood to a carboy, add bourbon or other spirits to the wood and then add the wood or add the wood infused spirits to the beverage. Remember that blending is your best friend and leave as many options open as possible. Reserve some cider/beer/wine un-oaked so you'll have some to blend back if your beverage gets too much oak character.
There are lots of blogs and You Tube videos about using wood, I'd say spend some time considering all your options, and do a lot of test batches.
Have you seen Winestix? They are oak cut like a twizzler or corkscrew that you soak in rum or bourbon then stick in your carboy. Looks like an easy cheap solution.
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1486318765.435304.jpg
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1486318765.435304.jpg
I've got a life-times worth of oak for ~$40
http://www.homedepot.com/p/25-in-Dia-Oak-Whiskey-Barrel-Planter-B100/202314761
Several home improvement stores will seasonally get a batch of used bourbon barrels, untreated (the important bit), and sell them as planters. It's the right type of wood, cut for minimum end-grain exposure (important to minimize astringent flavors), and just out there to be picked up.
It does take a little work, when you cut the bands it just falls apart, it's literally just a tension fit save for one bolt on each band. Then you cut it into smaller sections, sand off the grime it picked up from being stored outside, then toast it in your oven to the desired character. Most of the wood isn't already toasted since they just fire/char the insides before filling, leaving most of the wood a blank slate more or less to be toasted to your liking.
I've not personally had any off-flavors picked up, but mind the labels and make sure nothing has been done to treat the barrels before it comes anywhere near something you'd ingest.
Yeah I tried toasting my own wood filings in a hot air combi-oven because it seemed like a really cool idea: they were shavings from making my own Japanese tools...
I put the shavings in a dish made of aluminum foil and it really seemed like the oven could not toast it all that well. After a long time it did seem to work.
However apparently the heat could not properly penetrate every nook and cranny because it seemingly introduced contaminants into my cider. No strange smells or appearances whatsoever but it messed up my guts.
So I am flushing this batch unfortunately - it was a trial batch anyway and I had already bottled a part of it for christmas which was quite a success.
Now I ordered and received some american medium toast oak chips.. But I do wonder if it is possible to just treat my oak shavings in something like a percarbonate bath for a while to sterilize. Shouldn't any contaminants be relatively superficial? And/or nuke it in a proper oven.
I put the shavings in a dish made of aluminum foil and it really seemed like the oven could not toast it all that well. After a long time it did seem to work.
However apparently the heat could not properly penetrate every nook and cranny because it seemingly introduced contaminants into my cider. No strange smells or appearances whatsoever but it messed up my guts.
So I am flushing this batch unfortunately - it was a trial batch anyway and I had already bottled a part of it for christmas which was quite a success.
Now I ordered and received some american medium toast oak chips.. But I do wonder if it is possible to just treat my oak shavings in something like a percarbonate bath for a while to sterilize. Shouldn't any contaminants be relatively superficial? And/or nuke it in a proper oven.
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