Question on Oak Wood Chips

[HOP-HEAD]

I recently did an English IPA with french oak chips... 1oz for 5 days. After 4 weeks in the bottle, it still tastes WAY too oaky for me. My wife likes it, and a buddy thought it was good, but if I do it again, I'm going to cut it back even further... maybe just 2 or 3 days to give it a hint of flavor. As it is now, it tastes like oak chips, not IPA.

Hoping a few more weeks will help it mellow.

 

[imaguitargod]

I've got the oak spirals (French Oak) and it says to use 1 spiral per 3 gallons so I'm using 1.5 spirals. I was thinking 2 weeks in the secondary but I'm going to keep tasting the beer as it sits to make sure it doesn't get tooooo oak filled.

 

[Coastarine]

I just needed to post somewhere that I just racked my porter onto 2oz of light toast american oak chips soaked in bourbon for 2 weeks Also, being bourbon-logged, the oak sank.

 

[baseballstar4]

I just needed to post somewhere that I just racked my porter onto 2oz of light toast american oak chips soaked in bourbon for 2 weeks Also, being bourbon-logged, the oak sank.

How long are you planning on leaving it on the oak?

 

[Coastarine]

Tentatively planning on a week but I'll taste it at 3 days and reevaluate as necessary.

 

[baseballstar4]

Keep me updated if you dont mind.
THanks

 

[imaguitargod]

My oak spirals sank as well b/c they were soaked in boubon too! I just tried it yesturday after having them soak for 5 days and there was a suble bourbon/oak taste to it. I too will be tasting every 3 days but I'm thinking it needs a total of two weeks.

 

[Coastarine]

Tasted a sample today (tuesday, after racking on to the wood on sat).

When I was soaking the 2oz oak chips I had them in just enough makers mark to cover them (6oz). When I added the chips, I added all of the bourbon too. At this point the bourbon flavor is a little stronger than I would have liked. Even still, I absolutely LOVE it. At this point I am going to leave it longer because I don't think the bourbon flavor will get stronger (any bourbon that is in there should already be integrated) but I do hope the oak shines through a bit more, and I expect it will, but I can taste it and it is gooood.

An interesting note is that when I racked/added the oak, the chips had become softer, almost spongy and pliable, so I think the bourbon really worked on them. They had soaked for something like 18 days, and next time I would probably reduce that to 7 days. Also, at this point I'd say next time I would drain off the excess bourbon (into a glass ) and just add the chips. On the other hand, I may find that serving this beer at 50 (as opposed to 72) may tone down the bourbon. Time will tell.

 

[Revvy]

Tasted a sample today (tuesday, after racking on to the wood on sat).

When I was soaking the 2oz oak chips I had them in just enough makers mark to cover them (6oz). When I added the chips, I added all of the bourbon too. At this point the bourbon flavor is a little stronger than I would have liked. Even still, I absolutely LOVE it. At this point I am going to leave it longer because I don't think the bourbon flavor will get stronger (any bourbon that is in there should already be integrated) but I do hope the oak shines through a bit more, and I expect it will, but I can taste it and it is gooood.

An interesting note is that when I racked/added the oak, the chips had become softer, almost spongy and pliable, so I think the bourbon really worked on them. They had soaked for something like 18 days, and next time I would probably reduce that to 7 days. Also, at this point I'd say next time I would drain off the excess bourbon (into a glass ) and just add the chips. On the other hand, I may find that serving this beer at 50 (as opposed to 72) may tone down the bourbon. Time will tell.

Don't get too cocky with the time on the oak...the bourbon will fade right away, and then the oak will come through Uber strong for awhile...The good thing is that if you get it too oaky, it too will fade with time...

 

[imaguitargod]

Well, after being on the oak for two weeks bottled my beer and I must say this was the perfect amount of time on the spirals. It's oaky but not overly so and will probably balance out in a few weeks.

 

[Coastarine]

Mine got kegged after one week. The oak was stronger, and it was delicious. Time should help it blend and fade a little.

 

[Coastarine]

Notes from today:

Tasted on 4/6/09 from keg: Deelicious. Oak has come through nicely, I still wish the bourbon would fade. The beer is very much in a back seat role to the bourbon and oak. Not very carbonated yet. This one is fantastic and will only get better.

 

[HOP-HEAD]

Somewhat of a side note, but still oak chip related.... has anyone else noticed that their oaked brew is a lot more cloudy than their other brews? It could be a lot of other things, I guess that's why I ask, but my beer has always come out amazingly clear... except the one I oaked.... it's cloudy as hell....

 

[Revvy]

Somewhat of a side note, but still oak chip related.... has anyone else noticed that their oaked brew is a lot more cloudy than their other brews? It could be a lot of other things, I guess that's why I ask, but my beer has always come out amazingly clear... except the one I oaked.... it's cloudy as hell....

Nope....mine was nice and clear.

 

[Coastarine]

Even my porter is clear.

 

[imaguitargod]

Somewhat of a side note, but still oak chip related.... has anyone else noticed that their oaked brew is a lot more cloudy than their other brews? It could be a lot of other things, I guess that's why I ask, but my beer has always come out amazingly clear... except the one I oaked.... it's cloudy as hell....

Mine came out clear...but that's probably b/c I used Irish Moss.

 

[baseballstar4]

Notes from today:

Tasted on 4/6/09 from keg: Deelicious. Oak has come through nicely, I still wish the bourbon would fade. The beer is very much in a back seat role to the bourbon and oak. Not very carbonated yet. This one is fantastic and will only get better.

Just transfered my Imperial Stout to secondary. Added the Bourbon soaked oak chips. Prior to secondary, this brew tasted pretty good. Great molasses hint on the finish with great hop characteristics. Very drinkable for not being carbonated and aged on the bourbon oak chips.

 

[Coastarine]

Did you decide to add the chips along with the bourbon they soaked in, or just the chips?

 

[baseballstar4]

Did you decide to add the chips along with the bourbon they soaked in, or just the chips?

I just added the chips. They soaked for 2 weeks and smelled very strong of the bourbon. I saved the bourbon just in case I feel like maybe adding some at bottling time.

 

[imaguitargod]

Well, just opened one of mine that's was bottled on 3/24/09. Now the bourbon is starting to show through and the oak presence is showing up alot more now as well. Fantastic as is, but can't wait to see what it's like in three weeks.

 

[Coastarine]

5/2/09: It is finally time for my BBP to be tapped. I'm sipping the first pint right now, and it is fantastic. The oak/bourbon flavor has faded to an ideal level. Next time I would still try to shift the balance less toward the bourbon and more toward the oak, but the total flavor contribution of the two is currently at a perfect level for me. Strong flavors of vanilla and caramel added by the oak and the bourbon. I'm in love.

 

[baseballstar4]

Tomorrow is bottling day. I ended up transferring off the oak chips at 2 weeks and added and 1.5 oz of bourbon to tertiary. Will see how it tastes before bottling and maybe adding some more bourbon. Glad you liked yours.

 

[baseballstar4]

Bottled today. All I can say is WOW!!!!!! If it tastes as good as it does now in six months at the end of aging period, this one hit it right on. I'm excited and can't wait to try it. Did not end up adding more bourbon at bottling time. The oak was mellow and bourbon shined through.

 

[imaguitargod]

So you drank the bourbon right?

 

[baseballstar4]

Absolutely....How else would I have gotten through the tedious task of bottling?

 

[imaguitargod]

Absolutely....How else would I have gotten through the tedious task of bottling?

In the words of the great Zefram Cochrane, "That'll do, Pig, that'll do."

 

[baseballstar4]

5-21-09
Tried first bottle today. Very minimal carbonation. Possible because of such a high gravity, big beer, this is going to need a lot longer to carb than 18 days. For semi-flat beer it tastes great. Nice bourbon after taste, continuous hop infusion worked its magic, oak is subtle a little stronger than anticipated but will mellow with age.

 

[imaguitargod]

Well, the results are in, as of July 9, the oak was PERFECT. That means, 3 months and a few weeks aging in the bottle made the beer perfectly balance.

 

[NAUGHTYDOGBREWING]

I just bottled an IPA that I used toasted oak in. I boiled 2oz oak in a cup or two of water then added the oak and water to my ipa. I put them in the primary for 3 weeks then went to secondary and dry hopped for a week with .5 of cascade (its all I had). When I sampled today it was WAY too oaky and was over powering. I hope after a month in the bottle it will be okay to drink. If not then I will just have to keep sampling every couple weeks till I like it.

 

[imaguitargod]

I just bottled an IPA that I used toasted oak in. I boiled 2oz oak in a cup or two of water then added the oak and water to my ipa. I put them in the primary for 3 weeks then went to secondary and dry hopped for a week with .5 of cascade (its all I had). When I sampled today it was WAY too oaky and was over powering. I hope after a month in the bottle it will be okay to drink. If not then I will just have to keep sampling every couple weeks till I like it.

That's what I did, took about 4 months to be just right.