If you're in a time crunch...?

[BlastOffBeers]

...What would you do?

Add toasted oak cubes to the primary after most but not all of the fermentation is finished?
Or
Transfer the beer to the secondary after most but not all of the fermentation is finished, and then add the oak cubes to the secondary?

 

[day_trippr]

If oak cubes float (I've never used them) I don't see much added value to racking before adding them to the beer...

Cheers!

 

[DBhomebrew]

In a time crunch? I don't know if oak is what you want to get into. Skipping the racking will save some time today, but the oak needs 1-3 months to do their work.

If you're looking at no more than two or so months, I'd skip the racking.

If you're looking at much longer than two or so months, I'd rack.

Wood floats.

 

[mashpaddled]

There's no meaningful difference between the two suggestions. Neither the oak or beer cares in which vessel they meet.

I agree with @DBhomebrew I wouldn't oak unless you can give it the time it needs. A lot of oak quickly usually produces a lumber-y wood taste rather than the vanilla/coconut/spice/caramel you probably want. It takes time for the right compounds to extract from the wood and those lumber-y wood flavors to break down in the beer.

If this is for a competition where you need to rebrew a beer, you may need to consider other shortcuts.

 

[BlastOffBeers]

Thanks you guys. The time crunch is to get the oak on the beer (or vice versa), before it's stored away. I thought it was generally accepted that oak is better for a secondary. In my case, I hope 90% or more of the fermentation is finished.

One of the answers suggests that it doesn't matter whether it's in the primary or secondary. For some reason, I was worried about all the extra trub and yeast in primary interacting with the oak. Yeast autolysis issues aside, I've heard stories of people preferring to age on oak in the secondary for the flavor. If it doesn't matter much, I can ignore this as a factor.

I'll go ahead and age the oak in the primary then. I also want to make sure the beer is fully attenuated (another factor I'm thinking about) by the time it's time to bottle condition it. I had doubts a secondary can do this without producing off flavors.

 

[DBhomebrew]

When I brew my annual Traquair House Approximation, I put oak in primary as a nod to Traquair's oak fermenters. Some yeasts can/will metabolize some wood components, especially the vanilla-like compounds.

When I brew my annual Stock Ale or Imperial Stout I rack onto oak, hops, and brett for its 6-9month long secondary fermentation in replication of the trade vats of the time.

 

[BlastOffBeers]

As usual, there are so many factors to consider. I like the example of the trade vats, where a crucial factor is at the whim of the era and the situations back then. Very cool.

I guess, you prepare to do the best given what you've got and, as always...RDWHAHB. Last time I aged on the same oak cubes in the secondary. I really enjoyed those vanilla compounds. This time, I'll have to check the other side of things.

 

[day_trippr]

Thanks you guys. The time crunch is to get the oak on the beer (or vice versa), before it's stored away.

In that case I would like to change my vote: rack first then oak...

Cheers!

 

[danielthemaniel]

Short answer to the question is ALWAYS let fermentation finish completely.

Also, how long will you keep it in secondary for?

 

[DBhomebrew]

Short answer to the question is ALWAYS let fermentation finish completely.

Rephrase: Why must racking to secondary and/or adding oak wait for fermentation to be complete?

 

[BrewerofBeers]

nice!