Maple chips instead of oak

[RyboFlav]

So I was challenged by my family at a recent gathering to make a beer called "Beaver Piss" after they tried some Moose Drool. The want to be able to make puns about it being "Dam good"

I know that isn't very original and that another beer already has something similar (I don't remember which off the top of my head) but I digress...

Being from Canada I thought a maple beer would be good... then it hit me... WOOD! In a beaver themed beer! The marketing writes itself

So the question is, has anyone used maple chips in place of oak chips while aging? I have some organic sugar maple chips used for smoking meats and whatnot and I want to know if this will work if I put them in the secondary.

 

[mrfocus]

My first recommendation before trying this in a full batch: try to extract the flavor using Vodka. Leave it to soak for a week or two, then after that add a bit to a beer you have that's already finished. It will give you somewhat of and idea if it will work by adding it directly to the fermenting beer.

 

[RyboFlav]

Good idea, I'll throw some in some vodka tonight.

My other plan was to take a litre or so of a buddy's brew before he bottles it next week and do my own maple aging in a growler bottle with daily tastings.

 

[Brutus Brewer]

did soaking the maple work?

 

[RyboFlav]

Soaking the maple in vodka definitely extracted some wood flavour, but I didn't really get any maple flavour. Although to be fair I didn't end up adding the tincture to the brew, I just put about 2oz of boiled maple chips in the secondary and let it sit for 2 weeks. The effect was subtle to say the least. I don't think you would notice them if you weren't looking for it.

I'm actually going to be brewing this again in a few weeks, but I will be toasting the maple chips for 1-1.5 hours at 400F first, and I'm going to let it sit on the woodchips longer.

 

[Beezer94]

So were the maple chips toasted when you did your test? The flavors come from the wood being toasted.

 

[RyboFlav]

No, my first attempt was just some "raw" chips. I expect that my next attempt will go better

 

[SouthBay]

Keep in mind there are several types of maple, with varying sugar contents. A lot of the flavor of the wood comes from toasting it, which caramelizes the sap. If you can, get some sugar maple, since it's got a lot richer sap.

Jack Daniels filters their whiskey through a 10ft layer of charred maple, so it should work fine. If you've ever had whiskey soaked in oak and whiskey soaked in maple, there is a distinct flavor difference. Oak has more vanillin, to be sure, and the maple provides an almost 'bacon-like' flavor. Rich and smokey, and sweet.

Id love to hear how this turns out, especially if you're able to find sugar maple.

 

[RyboFlav]

Sugar maple is what I have already

 

[MedicMike]

Definitely a cool idea. The label is awesome.

 

[SouthBay]

Where did you get the chips?

 

[WilliamWS]

I'm actually going to be brewing this again in a few weeks, but I will be toasting the maple chips for 1-1.5 hours at 400F first, and I'm going to let it sit on the woodchips longer.

You're going to end up with black, black chips at that time and temp. Maple actually scorches fairly easily.

 

[RyboFlav]

What roasting procedure would you recommend?

 

[TyTanium]

Check this out:

 

[WilliamWS]

I can't really recommend a procedure since I've never toasted maple.

However I do have some experience working with maple as a luthier (guitar maker). When bending the sides for a guitar, if you get maple much over 300F you'll get scorching and that's only keeping it at that temperature for a couple of minutes, not over an hour.

Also, re the chart above, two things: 1. It looks to me like the chart is probably referring to the MAX temperature that you let the surface of the wood reach, not a temperature to leave it for an extended time (charcoal is produced between 390F-530F).
2. It also a looks like the chart is referring to oak which will produce different flavors from maple and also doesn't scorch as easily at the lower temps.

I think your best bet is experimentation. Luckily maple is cheap and readily available.

 

[RyboFlav]

Where did you get the chips?

I got them from Walmart. They are organic maple chips for smoking meats. I think it was like $6 for a fairly large bag

 

[RyboFlav]

Well, I tried wrapping 2oz in some tin foil and roasted at 350. I did one pouch for 30 mins and one pouch for an hour. Neither of them were scorched, but none were really toasted either.

I figured not letting the moisure escape as easily might keep it from scorching, which I guess worked...

 

[SouthBay]

I've toasted sticks that way (wrapped in foil in the oven) and it worked pretty well. I then blasted them with a torch to char the outside. Definitely imparts a smokey, vanilla taste.

And, never had a problem with scorching (aside from what was intentional with the torch)

 

[RyboFlav]

I've toasted sticks that way (wrapped in foil in the oven) and it worked pretty well. I then blasted them with a torch to char the outside. Definitely imparts a smokey, vanilla taste.

And, never had a problem with scorching (aside from what was intentional with the torch)

How long and what temp did you have them in the oven for?

 

[SouthBay]

How long and what temp did you have them in the oven for?

I actually used the chart referenced before, showing the flavors that Oak imparts at different toasting temps. I've tried at 350 - 500, in 50 degree increments, at various times (for aging whiskey on). I found that 400 was about my favorite. I would check on them once an hour until they were a color i was happy with (not very scientific, sorry). Typically, i'd pull them after about 3-5 hours.

Something to keep in mind: different woods will do different flavors (french oak tastes more vanilla like than american, which has more coconut. both have elements of each, though)

If you're ever curious about the flavor profiles, grab either some grain neutral alcohol (i think Everclear is), or one of those bottles of White Whiskey from the Woodinville Whiskey Distillery, and soak some sticks/cubes/chips in it for a few weeks. The Oak should sink after 2-3 weeks, and thats when the fun begins. 3 weeks after they sink (ie, become fully saturated with booze) is considered the absolute minimum for flavor development, and most people recommend at least 3 months though. Its also interesting to take a good whiskey like Elijah Craig or Makers Mark and add add'l oak to it for some time. It'll give it a unique, and for the most part better, taste. Better yet, if you're in New Zealand, just distill your own likker!

Edit: if you're going to try it, i suggest using a stronger alcohol than 40%. The % alcohol does influence which flavors are extracted. 50-60% is typical aging strength for many commercial distilleries. Less than that starts to give the booze a wood flavor, in my experience.

Back to the OP: I'm def going to head to walmart and see if i can find some sugar maple. The maple here in Western WA isnt very sap-heavy, and I've been pondering it for some time about getting some!

 

[cm02WS6]

I know your focusing on the maple chips, but what about adding maple syrup?

 

[RyboFlav]

I know your focusing on the maple chips, but what about adding maple syrup?

I added maple syrup the first time, and I liked the way it added a dryness to the beer, I didn't get any maple flavour. I added it to the boil though and I hear that washes out a lot of the maple character. I'm going to try carbonating my keg with syrup this time.

SouthBay, thanks for the tips! I'm going to try your method for roasting and toasting and see what happens! I'm going to keep working on this beer and make it a house brew.

I already have the tap handle for it.

 

[SouthBay]

Definitely post results!

 

[RyboFlav]

Well, here is the original recipe. It was good, but not mapley, or woody enough for what I was going for. The maple gave it a nice dry finish though.

Beaver Piss, V1

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size (fermenter): 20.00 l
Boil Size: 25.44 l
Bottling Volume: 20.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.052 SG
Estimated Color: 20.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 23.8 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 60.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
3.64 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 66.5 %
0.25 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 4.5 %
0.20 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.6 %
0.20 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.6 %
0.20 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 5 3.6 %
0.11 kg Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 6 2.0 %
13.55 g Target [11.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 8 22.4 IBUs
6.78 g Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 15.0 Hop 9 1.4 IBUs
0.88 kg Maple Syrup (35.0 SRM) Sugar 7 16.0 %

Deviations from above:
I added 1L of maple syrup instead of weighing it out, so I don't know the mass of the syrup.

I also added 2oz of "raw" sugar maple chips that were boiled for 10mins to the secondary and let it sit for a month.


For the next version, I think I am going to do more of a nut brown. I'll post the recipe when I come up with one

 

[Dairpo]

Hi Rybo, did you end up trying the nut brown? After reading the forums I'm prepping some roasted (350 uncovered for 45 minutes) and boiled maple chips for a Scottish Maple Ale. Hope to transfer to secondary on Friday.
Cheers!

 

[RyboFlav]

I have the beer brewed, but I haven't added the maple chips yet. I have just been swamped all summer. I think the recipe I made also wasn't very brown... seemed a little more red/orangy than I would have liked, but it will still serve as a good test for the maple chip aging.

The test I did with the maple chips in the tin foil for an hour make me think that 45 minutes won't be enough to really get the colour you probably want from the chips... I would suggest to keep an eye on them and stop them when they look visibly darker (as long as they don't smell burnt or anything). I think this is something I'm going to have to do a number of times before I find a procedure that gives me what I'm looking for.

 

[RyboFlav]

I decided to not add Maple chips to the latest brown ale I brewed... I'll post back when I decide to make a maple brown again