Sanitizing Oak Cubes

[RLinNH]

The recipe that I am working off of for my Flanders Red Calls fro some Oak Cubes added in when I add the Brett and the beer to the secondary. It calls for immersing the oak cubes into almost boiling water for 10 minutes. Couldn't I forgo all that and just put the cubes in a little bit of Star Sans for 3 minutes and call it done?

 

[JonK331]

I've heard you can get the cubes wet in a small amount of water and then nuke 'em. Think I heard that on the BN, should work just fine. You can use the same method to sanitize a sponge, just nuke for 1 minute. Not sure if oak cubes would take longer. Seems like boiling for ten minutes would force a lot of flavor out of the cubes. I'm not sure if I'd put them in the acid but it would probably work.

 

[DaveZ]

Reasonably clean will prob do fine as well. It's been hard for me to get any kind of infection going in secondary after primary has finished. The alcohol already there should be enough to keep baddies at bay.
Cheers,
Dave

 

[machinelf]

We just opened the package and dumped into the secondary carboy. No problems at all.

 

[RLinNH]

I wound up giving the Cubes a 60 second bath in Star Sans for good Measure. Not the 12-18 Month Aging period...

 

[JByer323]

I've heard you can get the cubes wet in a small amount of water and then nuke 'em. Think I heard that on the BN, should work just fine.

Just relistened to the episode on oaking, and yeah, the general consensus seamed to be just toss 'em in the microwave, standing in a bit of water.

Jamil also suggested a pressure cooker.

 

[bwible]

The recipe that I am working off of for my Flanders Red Calls fro some Oak Cubes added in when I add the Brett and the beer to the secondary. It calls for immersing the oak cubes into almost boiling water for 10 minutes. Couldn't I forgo all that and just put the cubes in a little bit of Star Sans for 3 minutes and call it done?

If you’re going to add Brett then why are you worried about sanitizing oak cubes?

 

[DBhomebrew]

They're probably not going to reply. In my case, I like to inoculate with Brett and only Brett. Not lacto, not aceto, etc.

If you're going to add sacc, why bother with sanitation, eh?

 

[TheMadKing]

Soak them in a little bit of bourbon or vodka

 

[mac_1103]

They're probably not going to reply.

Just because the thread is twelve years old? Come on. Brewing takes patience.

 

[MicroMickey]

If you’re going to add Brett then why are you worried about sanitizing oak cubes?

You really need to consider the primordial ooze that surrounds and coats everything in your world, my world, that guy's world, etc.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

Oven bake 250F, 15 minutes. Might even add more flavor.