Oak Chips

[Homercidal]

What type do I use? Can I just go to the store and buy smoking chips, or is there a particular brand that is used for beer?

I want to try my hand at bourbon oaking and would like to gather the stuff soon, so I can make it for winter.

 

[spriolo]

I just brewed an IPA (this weekend) from a box kit and it had 1 oz of heavy toasted oak chips in it distributed from Crosby & Baker.

The wood chips were 1/2 inch X 1/2 inch "chips" (only an 1/8 inch thick). These were brown from being roasted. I steamed them for 10 minutes and added to the primary right before I added my yeast.

Hope this helps (if you are a do it yourself brewer, you might find oak chips that are used in smokers -- you'd have to cut them down to size and limit the amount... sanitize with steam too).

 

[Homercidal]

I do have to find some smoking chips soon. I have a butt that I need to get on the smoker, if I can find the time. I might have to do it during the day on a weekday, since my weekends seem to be filling up quickly.

So these will work just fine? I can grab some of them and toast and soak in bourbon if nothing special is needed.

 

[SumnerH]

You want your oak toasted for best results. The degree of toast has an impact on the flavor, as does the type of oak. Most people start with french oak, medium toast.

I know there are some people on here who have toasted their own from BBQing chips, but I don't know the details.

Cubes give a better flavor than chips; chips work faster but with less complexity. Boil the chips for about 15 minutes beforehand to extract some of the harsher tannins (discard the water).

If you're using chips with a fairly standard beer (e.g. an IPA, normal porter, etc), start with about 1 oz in 5 gallons; sample after 2 weeks and until it's a little stronger oak flavor than you want. A big RIS or barleywine or something may warrant a bit more. It takes a fairly long time for oak to age out, so you don't want to overdo it.

If you're using cubes, use more like 2 oz for 2-3 months and then check periodically (boil and so forth as above).

You can get good results soaking the chips or cubes in bourbon or another spirit for a week or more--do this after boiling, use just enough to cover them (top off as needed), and add both the oak and the spirit to secondary.

 

[smokinghole]

I ordered a package of Stavin med toast hungarian oak from morebeer. I did basically everything listed above except the two week bourbon soak and I also never read about boiling them to extract some tannins. Would that apply to cubes also or just chips?

I have a ~10% lightly hopped english style barleywine with peat smoked malt that I threw 1.5oz of cubes into. I figure I'll let it go for 3 months or so and see how it's doing around the halfway mark.

 

[Yooper]

That oaked beer I gave you last fall was oaked on medium toast American chips, from morebeer. I've never tried any unusual chips, just the stuff from the homebrew store.

 

[Homercidal]

That oaked beer I gave you last fall was oaked on medium toast American chips, from morebeer. I've never tried any unusual chips, just the stuff from the homebrew store.

That was an awesome beer! How long did you let it sit?

I guess I may as well just order some from online or go to the LHBS. I'm not particularly picky at this point, since I don't know what I'm looking for.

Is it hard to toast your own? Does anyone do this, or do they just buy the chips already toasted?

 

[Revvy]

Many of us on here have used these in beers quite often. I've used the same bag for years, a little goes a long way.

Lately I've been steaming them in a small collander for 20 minutes, and then I soak them in a mason jar full of more jack for a week or two, then dump them bourbon and all into the secondary. And at 7 bucks for a huge bag, you get a lot of uses of them.

I got that trick from biermuncher.

 

[Revvy]

I've also been dry toasting them lately. I use one of my cast iron pans, get it hot, and then drop them in the pan and move them around for 5-15 minutes or so. They will darken, and toast up really nice. I've just been going by nose more than anything.

I do that, then steam and then soak in jack.

 

[Yooper]

I bought a pound of American medium oak chips from morebeer.com. They came in 16 1 ounce bags, which was perfect. I've never done it Revvy's way, but I'm sure that's great, too.

For that beer I gave you, I soaked the chips in bourbon, then put the chips in a carboy and racked the beer onto them. I let them sit about 10 days, and then bottled. That was in August, and even in October for the HBT comp, my comments received were that the oak was still too young. When mstev50 opened his later, like in November or December, he said it was about right.

 

[Homercidal]

I'd like to try those JD smoking chips, but I'd probably end up using them for smoking meat between batches of beer!

I didn't notice the oak or bourbon being too strong when I tasted that beer, Lorena, and it's really the first time I thought I might want to make something like it myself. After trying a couple more bourbon beers I really started liking them.

The Maple Bourbon IIPA at Founders this past weekend finally made me decide to put a recipe together and try to get it brewed for the coming Winter. The maple was subtle IMO, but the bourbon was very noticeable. I'm not much for strong likker, but the beers I've had have been very enjoyable. Some were more balanced than others, but all were tasty to me.

I still haven't decided which type of beer to make yet, but I'm thinking Bourbon Stout or Oak Barrel IIPA might be good choices.

I don't know Jack about liquor either, so does it really matter which brand, or just get something cheap, and what type?

 

[Homercidal]

Many of us on here have used these in beers quite often. I've used the same bag for years, a little goes a long way.

Lately I've been steaming them in a small collander for 20 minutes, and then I soak them in a mason jar full of more jack for a week or two, then dump them bourbon and all into the secondary. And at 7 bucks for a huge bag, you get a lot of uses of them.

I got that trick from biermuncher.

No luck at Lowes, Menards, or Walmart, but I decided to stop at Meijers and there they were! I would have settled for any plain oak chips, but I'm glad I couldn't find any, because these have such a nice aroma!

I wasn't sure what to buy for bourbon, so I just went to likker store and after himming and hawing over prices and brands, I just went with Old Crow, because if I make a bourbon stout, I can call it "Black Crow"

So I get home and weigh out 1 oz of chips in little mason jars, and pour the Crow over it and put the lids on, and stash in the closet. Then I realized I forgot to steam the chips first. Oh well.

 

[Revvy]

I've done it both ways, not steaming and steaming. If you are going to leave it for a few weeks, the alcohol will kill any critters. I will usually steam them and add them to bourbon if for example I suddenly decide on bottling day to rack half a batch into a 3 gallon carboy to oak, and I don't have a couple weeks to soak em. So I steam and while still hot add them to the bourbon, and let them sit for an hour or so. I figure that the pores will be open from the steaming and the bourbon will get into the wood really well.

But if you are soaking for a period of time, then I'm not sure if steaming is all that necessary.

 

[Homercidal]

I thought the steam was to release some tannins that might cause astringency in the beer.

I don't know when I'll get to brew this, but at any rate, if I brewed today, it would still be about 2 weeks of primary before I could even use them, so I thought I might as well get them soaking.

I'm a fan of the Maple Bourbon IIPA that Founders had at their party. But after just a little I was like... Whoa! I'm havin a good time! The Bourbon was not subtle in that beer either. It wasn't like you got a hint of bourbon, like I've had with some beers. If you can find it, I suggest giving it a try, it's different. The maple was subtle, but I could find it if I tried.

I don't know if they even offer it packaged. I think it's only on tap for limited time.

 

[Revvy]

I thin "removing tannins" is one of those brewers urban legends, like so many other things. I use steaming to sanitize them. I haven't really noticed that the ones I didn't steam were any more or less tanniny than those I did steam.

The only thing I've noticed is that dry toasting them a bit in a pan, definitely gives the oak more complexity after sitting in bourbon.

 

[SumnerH]

I thin "removing tannins" is one of those brewers urban legends, like so many other things. I use steaming to sanitize them. I haven't really noticed that the ones I didn't steam were any more or less tanniny than those I did steam.

Steaming wouldn't really do much to remove tannins. I've heard from people who've tried it both ways (e.g. OldSock) to boil them at a hard boil for 15 minutes to get rid of tannic flavor.

Having read that enough places, I've always done it that way so I can't say first-hand whether it does what is claimed--but judging by the color and smell of the water afterward, it definitely is pulling _something_ out of the oak.

 

[Homercidal]

Bump!

So exactly how much oak and bourbon would you recommend for a 5 gallon batch of stout?

I have 2 small mason jars with 1 ounce each of oak chips and filled up with bourbon. I'm just about ready to transfer to secondary!

 

[smokinghole]

I say for the oak amount about 1-2oz can't say for the amount of bourbon. I used 1.5 oz of cubes over three months.

 

[Homercidal]

I had originally planned on 1 ounce of oak, but I was really wondering how much Bourbon. I don't want to overdo it. I'd settle for a hint of bourbon, but I'd prefer it to be at least easily noticeable.

 

[Yooper]

For that Imperial amber (I think you had some last year?), I used an ounce of oak chips in three gallons. All I did was pour bourbon over them to cover in a cereal bowl- I didn't measure it or anything. Much of the bourbon was absorbed into the oak, and the rest I just poured in. I think the oak was pretty darn strong (took about 3-4 months to age nicely) and the bourbon was a hint. It turned out really good!

 

[sha0056]

recently made a bourbon barrel porter (northern brewer extract kit) that uses 2 oz medium toast american oak cubes soaked in 16 oz Maker's Mark. I increased to 24 oz Maker's Mark due to some reviews of the kit. added oak and bourbon (that had been combined in a jar for 1 week) to the secondary for 2 weeks and at about 2 months after bottling, the oak is starting to mellow and the bourbon is not overwhelming at all (and I am not a bourbon drinker)

hope this helps

 

[sha0056]

the 2 oz oak cubes and 24 oz bourbon was for a 5 gallon batch.

currently have an imperial stout (OG 1.082) in primary and intend to use the same 2 oz oak cubes and 24 oz MM bourbon, but may leave oak in secondary for 3-4 weeks, instead of 2

 

[edthedart]

Sha0056, thats the kind of info I was looking for. Based on all the comments, I think I would probably go for 1.5 oz of oak cubes, possibly toasted a little in a pan, then soaked in maybe 20-22 ounces of likker.....(hell I hardly know her)

 

[limulus]

Hey guys, I have the supplies to brew a bourbon barrel porter. I have oak cubes bought from BMW and wonder if I should toast them or burn them or something. I know a lot of guys steam them or toast them. But I think distillers actually burn the inside of their barrels before they use them. I wonder if I should do that or just dump in a pint of Makers Mark and let them soak for a fortnight.

 

[Yooper]

Hey guys, I have the supplies to brew a bourbon barrel porter. I have oak cubes bought from BMW and wonder if I should toast them or burn them or something. I know a lot of guys steam them or toast them. But I think distillers actually burn the inside of their barrels before they use them. I wonder if I should do that or just dump in a pint of Makers Mark and let them soak for a fortnight.

I don't steam or toast mine. I just soak them in the bourbon while the beer is in primary, then add them to the beer in secondary.

 

[limulus]

I don't steam or toast mine. I just soak them in the bourbon while the beer is in primary, then add them to the beer in secondary.

Thanks Yooper. A pre-soak will be the plan. I need to get this stuff started so I can drink it in fall/winter...or summer.

 

[hehawbrew]

Doing a one gallon barley wine this weekend in the hopes of it being ready by Christmas. I was going to soak some oak chips in makers mark, but am not sure how long they need to soak....