Aging on Bourbon and Oak Chips

[nman13]

I recently brewed a clone of the Goose Island Bourbon County Stout and want to figure out the the best way to get the oak and the bourbon flavor.

In the past (for other recipes) I've used a handful of the Jack Daniels Wood Chips and soaked them in bourbon. I then dumped the bourbon and chips into the fermenter, and had them sit on the beer for about 7 days. Kegged it, drank it, was amazing!

This time around I'm planning on aging the beer in a keg for about 3 months or so until winter rolls around. I definitely want to go with the same bourbon and JD oak chips, I'm just not sure how for how long and during what period it should rest on the beer.

Should I add the bourbon and soaked chips for 7 days, then take it off the beer, and then age the beer in the keg for 3 months alone? My concern is if I do that, the flavor will fade over the three months. can I keg it, add the chips and bourbon, then let it sit for 3 months or will that add wayyyy too much of the bourbon and oak flavor? My last though is that I can age it for the three months and add the bourbon mix at the end for 7 days. Just not sure what method is the best when it comes to long term aging

Any guidance would be great!!

Cheers!

 

[unionrdr]

I'd do towards the last week before you intend to put it on the gas & serve.

 

[day_trippr]

I agree with ^that^. It cuts down the handling - assuming you don't want to leave the oak in the fermenter for 3 months you'd have to pull them, adding some degree of risk. And then there's the attenuation thing - by the time you package it, some of the character you're looking for may have faded.

So, yeah, do the aging up front, add the bourbon and oak at the back end...

Cheers!

 

[nman13]

Thanks guys.

Do you think there is any issue in oaking up front, and then reoaking again if it fades more than i want?

 

[Calder]

Thanks guys.

Do you think there is any issue in oaking up front, and then reoaking again if it fades more than i want?

No problem. You could also toss in cubes for the 3 months and get a more complex flavor from the oak.

 

[urg8rb8]

No problem. You could also toss in cubes for the 3 months and get a more complex flavor from the oak.

Would you recommend chips for a week or two and cubes for a few months? What flavors would that create?

 

[Calder]

Would you recommend chips for a week or two and cubes for a few months? What flavors would that create?

The cubes will give you more complex flavors, but will take a lot more time to get them. Chips are one dimensional, and give you oak, while cubes give more depth with vanilla and other flavors. You can leave cubes in longer as they take longer to give up they flavors.

 

[urg8rb8]

The cubes will give you more complex flavors, but will take a lot more time to get them. Chips are one dimensional, and give you oak, while cubes give more depth with vanilla and other flavors. You can leave cubes in longer as they take longer to give up they flavors.

What about using both, chips and cubes? Would adding chips (for a week or two) add an extra dimension to the flavors coming from the cubes?

 

[unionrdr]

The chips give a lot of oak flavors sooner, but the cubes give more depth, albeit over a longer time.

 

[urg8rb8]

The chips give a lot of oak flavors sooner, but the cubes give more depth, albeit over a longer time.

Right, I agree with you. However does one get more depth if one uses both chips and oak in the same batch?

 

[unionrdr]

The chips would get pretty strong sooner than the cubes. I don't know how strong the chip aspect would be come time to keg. As compared to the cubes that is?

 

[urg8rb8]

The chips would get pretty strong sooner than the cubes. I don't know how strong the chip aspect would be come time to keg. As compared to the cubes that is?

Right, the chips would be stronger because of its surface area. For sure I'm using cubes for a few months. However, what I want to know is, would I get any additional flavor depth if I use chips for a week or two along with the cubes that I will use for a few months?

 

[unionrdr]

Not that would last until the cubes had done there thing, no. That's what we're basically saying.

 

[urg8rb8]

Not that would last until the cubes had done there thing, no. That's what we're basically saying.

Ah OK. So you'd recommend just sticking with the cubes? Is 2.5oz enough you think?

 

[unionrdr]

I'd make it an even 3 ounces.