Splitting a batch in half

[LeglessDog]

I'm brewing a second rendition of an American Nut Brown I entered in a local contest last year. I brew all-grain 5 gallon batches, and use a single infusion mash with a batch sparge. I recently started kegging beer, but continue to bottle as well.

I have a two-part question:

1) I want to split the batch in half so that the first half is the revised version of last years batch (added some dextrin malt and upped the hop bill to fit the style better). I want to take the second half of the batch and add oak chips and bourbon in modest amounts to create a "bourbon barrel" effect. I figured I would add the oak chips (0.5 - 1 oz) in the secondary stage, then add bourbon straight to the beer prior to bottling/kegging. I'm worried that if I secondary 2.5 gallons in a 5gal carboy, I may risk oxidization. I prefer to bottle the "Bourbon Brown" but don't have a preference between btl/keg for the standard nut brown portion of the batch. Any recommendations on how to pull this off?

2) If I were to decide to bottle-condition half of my 5 gallon batch, and force carb the other half--what would be the easiest way to do so while avoiding contamination/oxidization?


//Feel free to point me to any existing threads that might address this, I couldn't find any!

Cheers!

 

[LeglessDog]

any suggestions on how to taste test the bourbon flavor addition would be appreciated as well . . .

 

[gregpio85]

1 & 2 - When you're kegging, just take half out of your carboy or bucket and then leave the rest to age. Oxidation occurs when your beer splashes and then sits. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

2 - When you're looking to get your bourbon additions right. Take a sample. Say 100 ml, 50 ml, whatever. Add a small, known addition (1/2 shot, 1/4 shot, whatever) of bourbon to your sample and taste it. Make sure you can recreate your additions. Keep doing this until you get to your desired taste. If you're not falling on the floor at that point. Do the math and add the same proportion of bourbon to your batch as was in the sample.