I have chardonnay oak cubes for a recipe
- Thread starter SteveHeff
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk:
OP
OP
3724.
OP
OP
This beer became better and better the longer it sit in the keg. At the end of 8 weeks kegged, the beer had taken on a different flavor than when it was fresh. The tartness was much more forward and made for a great beer.
OP
OP
I have another 5 gallons ready to go. Eight 22 oz bombers and the rest will be kegged. I'm throwing 5 oz of corn sugar at it, so I'll let it naturally carb up in the keg, too, at 70 degrees F, for 3 weeks before tossing it into the fridge. Then I'll hit it with some gelatin to clear it up.
![Craft A Brew - Safale BE-256 Yeast - Fermentis - Belgian Ale Dry Yeast - For Belgian & Strong Ales - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [3 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51bcKEwQmWL._SL500_.jpg)
OP
OP
I got antsy. I bottled 8 bottles of this today. 10 days in the primary, 3 in secondary on the oak cubes that I steamed for 15 minutes. The rest was kegged and conditioning at 70 degrees for the next 3 weeks. I really want the yeast character to shine through, so I decided to condition in the keg instead of force carbonation.
OP
OP
I chilled a bottle and popped one open, tonight. Primed perfectly. Healthy nose of the yeast characteristics. I couldn't taste the hops, really. It was a lot sweeter than I anticipated, even though it finished at 1.009. It is a good beer right now, but with a few months of aging, I think it will get better. Definite recipe keeper. I wonder, how much or if any, sweetness the oak blocks produce? I really thought a beer that started around 1.071 would taste A LOT dryer than this. I need some outside advise. Samples can be found in southern NH.
OP
OP
New beer photo.
OP
OP
Update on the beer. I bottled the beer on August 14, 2015. I opened one recently and wow. This is the kind of beer that ages incredibly well. I have one bottle left. Don't know how long that is going to last but it's there. Brewing this again, tomorrow.
OP
OP
Indeed, I do.
OP
OP
Today, I transferred 4.75 gallons from my secondary to my keg along with 3.7 oz of priming sugar. It will be in a closet for the next 3 weeks while it carbs up.
In the secondary, I had 8 oz of oak cubes (about 1" cubes) that I steamed in chardonnay for 15 minutes, then I soaked them in another cup of chardonnay for 10 minutes, as they cooled. I siphoned the beer from the primary to the secondary, right on top of the cubes. But I do have to say, those cubes are absolutely spent. After 5 days in the secondary, there was no hint of the oaky character at all. So I'm guessing that they are pretty well used by the time I get them, and then brewing my 3rd beer with them...they're toast. If I was interested in buggy beers, I'd keep the cubes, but I just tossed them out, this time.
So that's where we stand, through and through. I've brewed this beer 3 times, and the first 2 were very good beers. All of my numbers were right in line with the other beers, but I'll list them here, too. So, I don't really know where I stand with oak cubes. I may have to try another vendor, or perhaps the oak spirals from most brew shops.
Here's the beer.
Steve's Saison 5 gallons
10# 2 row
1# C60
1# Extra light DME at 10 minutes
1.25 oz Cascade at 60 minutes
.75 oz Cascade at flameout
Wyeast 3711 French Saison
Data assumes 70% efficiency.
OG 1.062
FG 1.008
ABV 7%
I mashed at 148. Had a friend tell me saisons should finish more dry than my second batch...trying a lower mash temp to see if it dries the beer out. Mash for 75 minutes.
Boil for 60 minutes or until your desired volume/gravity is met. 1.25 oz of cascade at 60 minutes, and another .75 oz at flameout.
Pitch a healthy number of yeast (around 230 billion cells) and primary until your gravity is stable at 1.008. For me, it took 9 days. I transferred to my secondary for 4 days. Gravity remained stable.
As for the oak cubes, they're a cute novelty but I would stick with tried and true oak aging instead of the cubes. I really like that I can utilize them due to their size but they did not impart as much oak/dry chardonnay character as I thought they might. Not even after steaming AND soaking them in wine.
I am quite pleased with how this came out, but I usually brew pretty solid (and not too wacky) beer. My biggest concern was making sure I didn't accidentally sour my beer with the oak cubes. Other than that, it's going to be beer. And I can accept that. Good luck, in case any of you guys want to try it. I'm more than happy to ship some of those oak cubes so you can try your hand and this. It was fun, and I learned something. Brewing beer is definitely a good hobby. Cheers!
In the secondary, I had 8 oz of oak cubes (about 1" cubes) that I steamed in chardonnay for 15 minutes, then I soaked them in another cup of chardonnay for 10 minutes, as they cooled. I siphoned the beer from the primary to the secondary, right on top of the cubes. But I do have to say, those cubes are absolutely spent. After 5 days in the secondary, there was no hint of the oaky character at all. So I'm guessing that they are pretty well used by the time I get them, and then brewing my 3rd beer with them...they're toast. If I was interested in buggy beers, I'd keep the cubes, but I just tossed them out, this time.
So that's where we stand, through and through. I've brewed this beer 3 times, and the first 2 were very good beers. All of my numbers were right in line with the other beers, but I'll list them here, too. So, I don't really know where I stand with oak cubes. I may have to try another vendor, or perhaps the oak spirals from most brew shops.
Here's the beer.
Steve's Saison 5 gallons
10# 2 row
1# C60
1# Extra light DME at 10 minutes
1.25 oz Cascade at 60 minutes
.75 oz Cascade at flameout
Wyeast 3711 French Saison
Data assumes 70% efficiency.
OG 1.062
FG 1.008
ABV 7%
I mashed at 148. Had a friend tell me saisons should finish more dry than my second batch...trying a lower mash temp to see if it dries the beer out. Mash for 75 minutes.
Boil for 60 minutes or until your desired volume/gravity is met. 1.25 oz of cascade at 60 minutes, and another .75 oz at flameout.
Pitch a healthy number of yeast (around 230 billion cells) and primary until your gravity is stable at 1.008. For me, it took 9 days. I transferred to my secondary for 4 days. Gravity remained stable.
As for the oak cubes, they're a cute novelty but I would stick with tried and true oak aging instead of the cubes. I really like that I can utilize them due to their size but they did not impart as much oak/dry chardonnay character as I thought they might. Not even after steaming AND soaking them in wine.
I am quite pleased with how this came out, but I usually brew pretty solid (and not too wacky) beer. My biggest concern was making sure I didn't accidentally sour my beer with the oak cubes. Other than that, it's going to be beer. And I can accept that. Good luck, in case any of you guys want to try it. I'm more than happy to ship some of those oak cubes so you can try your hand and this. It was fun, and I learned something. Brewing beer is definitely a good hobby. Cheers!
OP
OP
Bumping this thread. Brewing this on Thursday 8.24-17. This will be the 8th time I've brewed this beer. Anybody interested in a not so complicated saison, this is a solid beer to keep bottled or on tap. It's drinkable and shareable...most people are happy to have it. Enjoy.
Similar threads
