Hard cider with Oak chips?

[dieselboy]

Ok so I am going to make batch (5 Gallons) tonight here is my plan.

Dump 5 Gallons of cider in the fermenter with Yeast nutrient
Add champagne yeast
Wait till fermentation stops and rack into secondary with oak chips and 1 tbl of pure vanilla extract. Leave for 1 week (?)
Keg with Potassuim Sorbate and something else the guy at the brew store gave me. Then I will backsweeten with Concentrated apple juice.
I will be force Carbing this.

Any suggestions or tips on making this? How long would you leave it on the Oak chips? this is my first time using them. Not sure how long it takes to impart the flavor..

 

[caburdet78]

currently have a cider sitting on some french oak chips...also my first time using oak chips

 

[dieselboy]

Just an update. I added 5 gals of cider with 1 lb of brown sugar . I put the brwn sugar in to bring up the O.G. to 1.054 going to ferment for a week and take a few readings. When its done Im going to transfer to a secondary and leave with oak chips for a week. probably test it 3 days in I dont want to be drinking firewood. Ill let everyone know how it turns out!

 

[JLem]

In general I would say you should give the cider more time overall. Cider is closer to wine than beer, and like wine and unlike beer, you really can't expect a quick turn around time. I'm not an expert by any means, but I would suggest you think in terms of months instead of weeks.

As for the oak, you're going to have to taste it to know for sure. Better to use less oak and age for longer than more oak for shorter - easier to control this way.

 

[RobWalker]

I've heard of much longer for oak chips, but meh, trust your taste buds. Again, vanilla to taste, but don't make it too obvious because you'll be drinking it by the pint and it'll bother you if its strong! Are you fermenting your cider dry? If so, don't bother stabilizing - your keg will have a pressure release and you'll get a little carbonation from the leftover sugar, saving on gas slightly

 

[dieselboy]

Yes I am fermenting it dry. I am going to take a reading on it tonight to see how far along it is. hopefully it finishes up in the next few days because i need to transfer it to my secondary and get my pumpking ale started. I think I am going to stabilize it though because I am going to backsweeten to taste.

 

[katzgejm]

i just finished an oaked cider and it turned out very well.

organic apples (red delicious, empire, mac)
SG = 1.056
two weeks at 12*C
cold crashed and sulphited 40ppm at 1.012.
3g/L medium toast american oak chips for 36hrs.

tons of toffee, buttersotch, vanilla warmth on the nose and a great depth on the palate. oak is a great addition but not overwhelming. much like a good cool climate new world chardonnay (think northern cali)

i can see how it'd be easy to overdo the oak, but this seems just right to me

 

[1bottlerocket]

I have recently developed an interest in trying oak after drinking a Sheppy's Vintage Reserve. It has a nice oak flavor and is semi-dry dry. Where do you get the oak chips?

Also, what is the attraction of vanilla in your cider? It sounds interesting but I am wondering how that matches up with dry cider.

Did you squeeze fresh juice or blend store bought? I have been thinking about trying one of those counter top juicers to get fresh apple juice. I have not read up on it but I was thinking about it the other day.

Glad to hear it went well.

 

[rivalry15]

I did oak and a vanilla bean for a test batch. Soaked both in bourbon for about 2 weeks prior. Let age for 2 months and bottled. Came out great. Light vanilla aroma with hints of bourbon.

 

[katzgejm]

oak chips are readily available in different toast levels at your local beer/wine store. or you can get creative and toast some wood yourself if you have access to good lumber.

vanillin is naturally extracted from toasted oak. it's a vanilla-like compound inherent to the wood. like with chardonnay, it's just a nice mellow flavour that really ties everything together. too much though and your cider is going to taste like vanilla pencil shavings.

i used a cider blend purchased from a commercial cidery. if i were you i'd either use store bought fresh cider or juice (preservative free). or wait til apple harvest and visit an orchard/cidery

good luck

 

[ToeNee11]

I did oak and a vanilla bean for a test batch. Soaked both in bourbon for about 2 weeks prior. Let age for 2 months and bottled. Came out great. Light vanilla aroma with hints of bourbon.

Hey Rivalry15... Looking to soak some french oak chips in some bourbon for a few weeks and then plan on adding it to a cider using clover honey to sweeten it.

How many oz of french oak chips did you use for your cider? How much did you make?

 

[rivalry15]

I think used 2 ounces of oak for 1 gallon of cider. I'm going to use actual chips this fall and make a 5 gal batch.
You can either steam the oak to kill the bad stuff in the wood or soak in bourbon like I did for a few days. May try an Irish whiskey next time to see the difference.

 

[kempshark]

This may have been asked before and may be a dumb question.......but what about soaking the oak chips in some apple brandy if adding to your cider in secondary?.....just seems it would keep a little better with the cider theme of the beverage

 

[rivalry15]

I don't see why that wouldn't work. The whole point of soaking them in a spirit is that the high alcohol content will kill off anything bad. Go for it and let us know how it turns out

 

[ToeNee11]

Definitely feeling the whiskey/bourbon angle, thanks for the OZs. I had a local cider aged in a Whistle Pig barrel and it was AWESOME. Great oaky cider flavor but with a kick.

 

[bembel]

You can also make a sweet oak 'tea' by simmering the chips in water with whatever sweetener you choose and adding this. Sterilizes them too. I used 14g ( half an ounce) of medium toasted chips for 5 gallons and got a nice vanilla note. You can always add more

 

[Kiwi-brew]

I was going to add 30g of oak chips to 12 Litres of my cider. Packet I bought says to add during primary fermentation but from what I've read most, if not all, prefer to add it during secondary. I'm assuming these instructions are for wine but does anyone see any cons for adding it during primary other than not being able to taste test effectively during the primary fermentation?

 

[WVMJ]

We always add our oak directly to the cider, no soaking it or trying to sterilize them, I know this is a beer brewing forum and beer brewers have to be more carefull with beer, but you can just add the oak straight out of the package. One quick way is to use oakmor powder in the primary, and if that is not enough oak add some chips to the secondary, its an easy way to tune in the amount of oak you want.

 

[Kiwi-brew]

I added my Oak chips (30g and more like saw dust than chips) to 10 Litres of Apple and Pear juice (store bought 90/10) and two cups of homemade rhubarb juice. Put in some pectalose and let it sit over night and just pitched in my yeast this morning. Was planning to try dry hopping it during secondary but will wait and see what I end up with. SG was 1.078.