Soaking Oak Chips in Bourbon for Secondary

[eddieg115]

I recently brewed an 8% Christmas Ale with some added spices and about 2 weeks into fermentation its tasting great. I've been pondering the idea of taking half of the 5 gallon batch and adding oak chips soaked in maple bourbon from a local distillery. I think that the oak chips soaked in bourbon will add a real complex flavor to the finished product. I was wondering if anyone has added oak chips soaked in bourbon to secondary and what their process was.

Some specific questions - How much bourbon you used to soak the wood chips in? How long did you soaked them in the bourbon for? Did you pour just the wood chips into secondary or did you pour the entire thing in? How long did you leave the wood chips in secondary? How did the beer turn out? or if you have any objections to adding them to secondary.

 

[Wagon_6]

I regularly make a bourbon porter during the winter months. I soak oak spirals in 16 oz of bourbon (5 gallon batch) for 2 weeks while it ferments. I then add all the bourbon and oak spirals in a stainless filter when I keg the beer. I leave it in there anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks then pull the oak. This time and amount gives a very balanced and drinkable beer.

You’ll have to experiment with it after this batch, add more/add less on the next one. On an 8% beer I think 8 ounces of bourbon is a good start.

 

[eddieg115]

I regularly make a bourbon porter during the winter months. I soak oak spirals in 16 oz of bourbon (5 gallon batch) for 2 weeks while it ferments. I then add all the bourbon and oak spirals in a stainless filter when I keg the beer. I leave it in there anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks then pull the oak. This time and amount gives a very balanced and drinkable beer.

You’ll have to experiment with it after this batch, add more/add less on the next one. On an 8% beer I think 8 ounces of bourbon is a good start.

Solid advice, I appreciate it. In your experience, what’s the best amount of wood chips to put in?

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

Check out this thread which has comprehensive info:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/tips-on-wood-aging.119445/

I've never used chips, but have had really good results with oak cubes.

Chips have more surface area and my understanding is that the the oak flavor is extracted much quicker. Use chips if you wanna quicker turnaround, but cubes if you want more complexity and are ok with a slower aging process.

Oak flavor can be extracted rather quickly with chips and it is easier to overdo it if you leave it too long. With cubes the aging process is slower so harder to overdo it.

10 weeks at cellar temperature worked great on a barley wine I did with 2oz medium toast oak cubes. If your leaving in warmer conditions maybe less time would be needed.

My process was to first let the cubes soak for a few weeks in a small mason jar filled to the top with bourbon. I discarded the bourbon and added the cubes only without the bourbon to a keg for aging. Some people have had success with adding the bourbon too. I found the oaked bourbon to taste very harsh and tannic which is why I opted against adding it. This batch yielded a very nice balance oak flavor reminiscent of creme brule, but didn't have much bourbon character. If I want more bourbon character next time I'll probably just add some fresh bourbon along with the soaked cubes.

I tasted from the keg every few weeks with a picnic tab and when it tasted good I bottled it.

If you are doing a secondary in a carboy chips might be better as extended aging might lead to too much oxidation in a carboy.

 

[Wagon_6]

^^ what he said is great about surface area and soak time. I wouldn’t use chips. I started with cubes years ago and have since converted to the spirals. They’re very convenient and you can break them in half or quarters to reduce the amount. I think the package says full extraction is after 6 to 8 weeks.

 

[Bigarcherynut]

I have done 2 batches of a Dragon's Milk clone and a Backwoods Bastard clone and used oak and bourbon. All three I soaked 2 oz. of medium toast oak chips with 8 oz. of bourbon. I placed the oak in a hop sack and placed it into a ball jar of bourbon for about 3 to 4 weeks. I then added the chips only to the secondary. I use a Fermzilla fermenter so I can add my chips with little to no oxygen exposer to the beer. I can draw samples from the fermenter with a picnic tapper. I found for a medium level of oak and bourbon it took 2-1/2 to 3 weeks. My Backwoods Bastard clone has been on tap since February of this year and has really come together changing every 3 to 4 weeks. My last Dragons milk seemed to be less bourbon tasting after 4 months so I injected 1 oz. of Makers Mark bourbon into the keg without opening it. It was terrible for a month after, but now is just right for me and is very smooth bourbon taste. If you taste the bourbon the chips were soaked in for a month, it's so bitter you can't stand it. I couldn't imagine adding that into the fermenter. My beers are about 11.4 to 11.8 % abv.

 

[jrgtr42]

I've used most of the options, and the only one I absolutely do not recommend is oak powder. it's a super harsh flavor and almost impossible to rack off of.
My method is to soak the chips or (usually) cubes in enough bourbon to cover them. I'll then add the cubes into the beer in secondary (one of the few times I actually do rack a beer to a secondary) and taste occasionally. Usually it's a couple months or so in there, depending on the base beer - some are less some are more. Depending on the results, I may add some or all of the bourbon in at packaging time.

 

[Knightshade]

I haven’t done bourbon but I’ll speak to oak chips as it might help round out your scenario/
?

I covered 3oz of light toasted French oak chips with 1 vanilla bean with a 92 proof rum for 2 weeks in a wide mouth mason jar. I had meant to put in fermenter, but..yeah whatever.

I filtered out the rum and put the chips and leftover bean into a hop filter and let it sit in the keg while it was carbonating for 2 weeks.

Fully carbonated, I can definitely taste the character of this particular rum (because I’ve consumed multiple bottles so I’m familiar with it) and it is meshing really nicely with this beer.

Assuming there is another run at this recipe, I might add another ounce of chips to capture a little more “barrel”

 

[estricklin]

I regularly make a bourbon porter during the winter months. I soak oak spirals in 16 oz of bourbon (5 gallon batch) for 2 weeks while it ferments. I then add all the bourbon and oak spirals in a stainless filter when I keg the beer. I leave it in there anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks then pull the oak. This time and amount gives a very balanced and drinkable beer.

You’ll have to experiment with it after this batch, add more/add less on the next one. On an 8% beer I think 8 ounces of bourbon is a good start.

This is almost my process to the T, though I usually add to the fermenter and let it hang out for 4-6 weeks before bottling or kegging. I've learned you have to use quite a bit of bourbon, at least 6-8 oz, and pour the oak and bourbon in. I use oak chips, I would say maybe 4-6 oz, a couple of handfuls.

 

[Nathan Graen]

Northern Brewers Dragon's Silk calls for:
"3 oz American Medium Plus Toast Oak Cubes - Soak overnight in 12 oz Bourbon...Add the Bourbon and oak cube mixture directly to the beer, do not drain off the Bourbon."

 

[beersk]

This is something I want to try: 2016 Mellow Midnight Update – Bertus Brewery

Here's another link that details how to char the oak: How to Prepare/Toast/Char Oak For Beer

Charring oak cubes, soaking them in bourbon for a month or so, then adding them to the keg for aging. I guess it needs to age for a good 10-12 months. But patience is a virtue and is rewarded.

 

[InspectorJon]

I made oak cubes from a wine barrel stave. It was older and dry. I put the oak pieces in a glass jar and covered with bourbon and let them soak for a few weeks. The oak swelled up and became so tight in the jar I could not get it out. I ended up pouring the liquid into the beer and putting the jar in boiling water for a few minutes, then from boiling water into ice water. That did the trick to break the jar so i could get the oak out. Be sure there is plenty of room in the jar for oak cubes to swell. Imperial stout came out nice in the end.

 

[CanAm]

I’ve had good results adding the two separately.

I add the oak cubes (after boiling them in water for a couple minutes) until it’s what I want. Then add the bourbon until that’s what I want. Breweries can’t add alcohol to beer. Home brewers can. Another advantage of home brewing.

 

[mcmeador]

I just recently did Northern Brewer’s bourbon barrel porter recipe. Soaked 3 ounces of oak cubes in 16 oz of Maker’s Mark for 2-3 weeks (started the soak before I even brewed). After primary was complete and I dumped trub, I poured all of the cubes and bourbon into the fermenter. I left them in there for right at 2 weeks and then kegged.

I was tasting it along the way and kegged once the oak flavor was at a point that I didn’t want it any stronger. Strangely, the bourbon flavor didn’t seem very prevalent, but I’m told it will come out more with carbonation. I plan to tap the keg this evening, so I’ll let you know how it is.

 

[mcmeador]

Drank a full glass tonight and found the same thing...can definitely taste the oak, which I like, but the bourbon seems to be hidden in there somewhere. Every now and then I’ll get a hint of it in the smell or aftertaste, but it’s definitely not readily apparent as others who have done the same recipe have found.

I have a few friends coming over tomorrow night, so I’ll let them give it a try and see what their thoughts are.

 

[bfarrish]

I have done 2 batches of a Dragon's Milk clone and a Backwoods Bastard clone and used oak and bourbon. All three I soaked 2 oz. of medium toast oak chips with 8 oz. of bourbon. I placed the oak in a hop sack and placed it into a ball jar of bourbon for about 3 to 4 weeks. I then added the chips only to the secondary. I use a Fermzilla fermenter so I can add my chips with little to no oxygen exposer to the beer. I can draw samples from the fermenter with a picnic tapper. I found for a medium level of oak and bourbon it took 2-1/2 to 3 weeks. My Backwoods Bastard clone has been on tap since February of this year and has really come together changing every 3 to 4 weeks. My last Dragons milk seemed to be less bourbon tasting after 4 months so I injected 1 oz. of Makers Mark bourbon into the keg without opening it. It was terrible for a month after, but now is just right for me and is very smooth bourbon taste. If you taste the bourbon the chips were soaked in for a month, it's so bitter you can't stand it. I couldn't imagine adding that into the fermenter. My beers are about 11.4 to 11.8 % abv.

do you add the chips to the bottom collection jar?