Help me Oak this Ale

[PantherCity]

I made a brown ale on 2/11 OG=1.070
I pitched a decanted 2.4L stir plated starter. I fermented at 66 for a few days then moved it to the closet (so the APA could go in the ferm fridge.) where it has been slowly raising up to 69.
it seems to be slowing down so now is the time to really figure out when and how to add the oak chips.
I have been soaking 2 oz of toasted oak chips in enough Maker's Mark(6oz?) to cover them sense brew day(2/11).

here is my question:
Should I add the the oak and whiskey directly to the fermenter, or just the oak chips. Should I let it finish out and give it another week then add the oak and whiskey to the keg in a bag? What ever information regarding what I can expect out of the different techniques would really help.

The whiskey looks really dark and I imagine that it has alot of great oak flavor in it.

Recipe:

mash 153
2.4L starter W/ WLP007 Dry English ale yeast
SRM=20
IBU=50

14lb Maris otter
1lb biscuit
1lb special B
.5 lb carapils
1oz Chinook @ 60
1oz Amarillio @ 30
1oz Amarillio @ 15
1oz Amarillio @ 5

Fermented @ 66 for 4 days then let it raise up to 69 where it sits now

Thanks for all the help,
Chase

 

[Beernip]

Personally, I wouldn't add add the whiskey to the fermenter. I would only add 1 oz of chips for up to a week. I don't think that a .070 beer would handle that that much whiskey or oak well. I added 2 oz of cubes to a Old Ale and it was way too much. Start with 1 oz and taste after a week. You can always add more chips or whiskey if you feel it needs it.

 

[gregpio85]

Most bags instruct you to let your fermentation finish, rack to a secondary, then add the chips. This lets you age the beer for as long as you want without worrying imparting any yeast flavors in your beer.

Also, oak is about surface area. If you've got your chips in a bag, you limit that surface area. That being said, I'm sure someone will say they've put it in a bag and it's tasted fine. I can't argue with that.

 

[PantherCity]

Not to be contrary but how is a muslin bag going to reduce surface area? Its not like any of the chips will be dry and their surface area doesn't change because they are close together in a bag.
I would prefer to go with the bag in the keg because it would be really easy to taste each day until I get to the amount of flavor that works.
I'm open to ideas preferably from those with experience oaking.
Also is the whiskey going to sanitize the oak chips?

 

[cactusgarrett]

Most bags instruct you to let your fermentation finish, rack to a secondary, then add the chips. This lets you age the beer for as long as you want without worrying imparting any yeast flavors in your beer.

Seeing as how you'd realistically be aging with oak for only two weeks MAXIMUM, i don't think racking to a secondary is necessary. You're not going to get off flavors (yeast related) from keeping your beer on the primary cake for 2 extra weeks.

The whiskey will definitely add a specific flavor to an APA, so whether you add that or not is up to you. In the future if you're worried about it, you could soak in vodka instead, but i'm sure you've chosen whiskey for that flavor. In my experiences, i've added oak beers:

1) by itself (no sanitizing),
2) by just adding the alcohol soakings, and
3) with both the oak and the alcohol soakings.

Each method gives a different result. Specifically, using the physical oak will yield a gradient effect, and you're going to have to constantly taste in order to determine when to pull the oak out (and for the record, i don't think a bag will affect the oaking efficiency - similar to dry hopping). This differs (in my opinion) from how adding the alcohol soakings work. Once you add the soaking, that's it. That's what your beer will taste like, there's no gradient effect.

All that being said, i prefer option 1 above, as i think soaking in alcohol produces flavors that i don't necessarily like in my beers (type of alcohol flavor aside). So, it' really up to you. Regardless, i would at least wait until your beer finishes up, fermentation-speaking, before adding the oak. I don't like what fermenting yeast does to ANYTHING i add for flavor (ie. scrubs away flavor & aroma).

Also, since you're adding the oak after primary fermentation, the sanitary state of your oak isn't that big of a deal, as the alcohol in the beer will protect it pretty well. Soaking in whiskey (or other alcohol) does help, though, but not enough for me to feel it's necessary when I oak my beers.

 

[jjp36]

The whiskey will definitely add a specific flavor to an APA, so whether you add that or not is up to you.

He's oaking the brown ale, not the APA.

 

[Steven9026]

I have a amber ale in the keg right now that I could experiment with oak chips. I was going to put them in a bag and let them soak. I wanna taste this every other day or so just to see how the oak flavor impact the beer over time. Any one see a problem with adding these to the keg of conditioned and aged beer? The beer is about 10 weeks old.

 

[cactusgarrett]

My bad - quick reading, thanks. But still - whiskey will add a specific flavor (to any beer), of which i'm sure he's looking for otherwise he'd use something like vodka.

 

[PantherCity]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I'll let it finish out then keg it up and add the chips to the keg so I can taste it every day. I think I'll start with about half the liquid and I can add more as I go.
P.S. what do y'all think of the recipe? did it on the fly and it seems like it will lend it's self to some whisky/oak flavor.

 

[cactusgarrett]

I like the grainbill, but i don't know if you're going for something to fit the "Brown" style somewhat strictly or not. Upon first glance, it seems a little hoppy to me for a "stylistic" brown ale (despite starting at 1.070). Shoot for balance - unless you are going for a hoppy brown. To me, i'd want the hops more on the down low for the whiskey and oak to come through.