Tips on Wood Aging.

[Veng]

Eschatz,
LOL as I type, the house still smells oaky even with an ionizer running since the experiment.
My buddy gave me two split sections of dried American Oak, maybe 18 inches long.
I Used an Axe and a sledge hammer to make remotely thumb sized staves as the Ehow article suggested. One site suggested that chips would release too many tannins. Anyway, these filled a 5 gallon bucket completely standing on end.
I kept them at 425' F for 1.5 hours, which was when the smoke in my home was really heavy. This seemed not terrible for the sections I cut as one was already starting to burn.
Next time, I'll maybe set up an outside oven.
I really thought hard about using the kamado BBQ
or maybe modding a keggle but I couldn't regulate the temp well enough.
I tried to post a before pic on here, hopefully it worked.
The after image isn't too impressive, I will try and post that as well.
Any thoughts on using these things?

My Dad lives in Carmel, Ind is that close to Terre Haute?

 

[eschatz]

Eschatz,
LOL as I type, the house still smells oaky even with an ionizer running since the experiment.
My buddy gave me two split sections of dried American Oak, maybe 18 inches long.
I Used an Axe and a sledge hammer to make remotely thumb sized staves as the Ehow article suggested. One site suggested that chips would release too many tannins. Anyway, these filled a 5 gallon bucket completely standing on end.
I kept them at 425' F for 1.5 hours, which was when the smoke in my home was really heavy. This seemed not terrible for the sections I cut as one was already starting to burn.
Next time, I'll maybe set up an outside oven.
I really thought hard about using the kamado BBQ
or maybe modding a keggle but I couldn't regulate the temp well enough.
I tried to post a before pic on here, hopefully it worked.
The after image isn't too impressive, I will try and post that as well.
Any thoughts on using these things?

My Dad lives in Carmel, Ind is that close to Terre Haute?

As I said previously I have no experience with toasting my own oak. I've toasted grain but that's another story (and a tasty one at that ). I just cant believe that you did this in your house! I bet the smoke was killer. You're lucky SWMBO didn't castrate you.

What I would do is work with a small amount, maybe 2 oz and put them in a pretty harmless beer like a pale ale. Something that if you screwed it up you wouldn't be out a pile of cash. If you could I would do a smaller batch, 1 oz of oak to 2.5 gal or something like that. The mantra with oaking is KEEP TASTING. It's really the only way to know how your beer is coming along. I would love to know how your beer turns out so keep us informed.

 

[Veng]

OK, before and after pics posted. Amazing how much "dried" oak shrank in the oven
and a subsequent two day trip through the Kamado. This looks pretty dark to me

Prost

 

[Veng]

lol that came across wrong, she's actually got a sense of humor about my experiments, luckily.
I am hoping to use this in secondary in a Barley wine
~Veng

 

[yellowthere]

Great, great post. I have a question that was briefly eluded to on the BS episode. What effect does temp have on aging with cubes? Obviously you will get more if you are aging at 70F, but is there any point to oak aging at 35F?

I would like to "lager" my 11.86ABV ale for a few months, why not oak age at the same time? It's in a glass carboy in secondary now. I added 2 OZ of french medium toast cubes.

Thanks again.

 

[magnj]

Soaking 1oz of light American Oak chips in 4 oz of Bourbon to age a half gallon of barleywine in, gonna drain the bourbon off and let it sit a week or so...

 

[Veng]

Great, great post. I have a question that was briefly eluded to on the BS episode. What effect does temp have on aging with cubes? Obviously you will get more if you are aging at 70F, but is there any point to oak aging at 35F?

I would like to "lager" my 11.86ABV ale for a few months, why not oak age at the same time? It's in a glass carboy in secondary now. I added 2 OZ of french medium toast cubes.

Thanks again.

Thanks! I am unsure what BS and F are.
Here is the link I found with a graphic representation of flavors by temperature;
http://www.ehow.com/how_4519773_toast-oak-wood.html
Looks like oak goes through a whole range of flavors before becoming acrid.
If I really like these, I really might use the Kamado BBq for the next batch and save the domestic discord. http://www.kamado.com/
The temps are far from accurate but it's worth a shot.

 

[yellowthere]

Thanks! I am unsure what BS and F are.
Here is the link I found with a graphic representation of flavors by temperature;
http://www.ehow.com/how_4519773_toast-oak-wood.html
Looks like oak goes through a whole range of flavors before becoming acrid.
If I really like these, I really might use the Kamado BBq for the next batch and save the domestic discord. http://www.kamado.com/
The temps are far from accurate but it's worth a shot.

Hey man, I'm a little confused by your reply. I'm talking about good ole, regular oak cubes in beer. That link looked like it was some oak infused liquor thing. I'm really asking about temperature putting oak cubes in a beer in secondary. Should I should even bother "oaking" a beer at 35 degrees Fahrenheit (F=Fahrenheit)? BS= brew strong, that's the show on the brewing network that basically inspired the whole thread (I could be wrong). Thanks for any advice. Hopefully I can follow it. https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

I'm not talking about toasting oak here.

 

[magnj]

I'm just following up here. Below are a few pictures of a barleywine I am aging. 1oz oak chips soaked in bourbon, then drained. Beer had been on oak for about 2 weeks, tastes really nice.

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

I just bottled my oaked arrogant bastard "clone" and it is awesome! I aged it on 1.5 oz of house toast french oak for 2 months. The oak comes through but is not overpowering. I taste no "wood" popsicle stick flavor like I feared, just nice toasted coconut and vanilla notes. My wife really liked it and she is not a big fan of american oaked beers but this was much different.

I'm making all kinds of stuff with french oak now!

I just put 1/2 gal of brown ale in a growler with a tiny bit of light toast american oak, we'll see how it turns out. My mocha porter I oaked this way is great but the oak is very in your face, this time I used even less.

 

[gingerdawg]

Nice thread. It's got me thinking.
What beer styles are best to oak?

 

[SevenFields]

Stouts and Porters work best with Oak!

 

[gingerdawg]

Stouts and Porters work best with Oak!

Those would be the obvious ones, any other styles that would be good candidates?

 

[SevenFields]

Some brewers have oaked IPAs but I really havent found one that I really like.

 

[eschatz]

I'm not sure that there's a style that I wouldn't oak really. I have had great experiences with oaking a saison, barleywine, pale ale, IPA, and american brown. It all depends on the recipe and the intention. I even think that you could oak an american light lager and it would be nice. Given the right recipe.

 

[Veng]

My thought is that earlier styles were all oaked.
Early man must have had some wild variables in his beer

I'm not sure that there's a style that I wouldn't oak really. I have had great experiences with oaking a saison, barleywine, pale ale, IPA, and american brown. It all depends on the recipe and the intention. I even think that you could oak an american light lager and it would be nice. Given the right recipe.

 

[HalfPint]

Thanks a lot man.

 

[mgo737]

Just wanted to say thanks to the OP. Very helpful!

 

[HalfPint]

Nice thread. It's got me thinking.
What beer styles are best to oak?

I've heard of people oaking ciders and I know I've read about people oaking Brandon O's graff.

 

[PiMaxC]

mmm oaked saison sounds amazing as does a good cider....

I'm off to the home brew store be back later.

 

[MilwaukeeBrewGuy]

thanks for posting this. I find it very helpful. I may barrel age an old ale or barley wine soon. The only thing that seems to be a bummer is the life of these barrels.

 

[magnj]

Just more input, I oaked a half gallon of pale ale along with a second round of dry hops. The oak took over quickly, I let it sit a week. Didn't measure the oak, just a pinch. It was a nice change of pace but I'll probably continue to oak in small batches just for fun...not sure I'd like a whole batch of something oaked.

 

[xeerohour]

This thread was really helpful. I actually used the information in this to oak age a russian imperial stout. I aged about 3 gallons on approximately 2 oz. of american light toast chips for ten days, and it made a HUGE difference. Really mellowed out the brew. It was so good I poured myself a glass at bottling time and drank it warm and flat.

 

[BARBrewer]

That looks like red oak. Is that a problem? Barrels are made of white oak. I have some California coast live oak (quercus agrifolia) and California black oak (quercus kellogi) that I intend to toast and try.

The main reason they use white oak for barrels is due to lower porosity than red oak, meaning the barrels leak less, but putting the oak into an already sealed keg opens up more room to experiment.

 

[Marko73]

Just found this thread.

Thank you very much eschatz. It is great to have just about all my questions answered in one post.

 

[BARBrewer]

Got the toasted live oak beer done. Oak flavor is great, used 2oz in 5 gallons, heavy toast. Burnt Oak Amber Ale will be in SD county fair homebrew comp so I can see what they think.

I've been thinking of a walnut wood stout and a torrey pine brown. Anyone here gone down the alt wood route? Only thing i could find was a dogfish head extreem ale fest mentioning a walnut wood aged beer, with no mention of how it came out.

Brett

 

[FrozenFloridian]

I think DFH has another beer aged on wood. Palo Santo Marron, a good beer.

 

[lewybrewing]

Great thread on wood aging. Thanks..I will be adding Oak cubes to my Russian Imperial Stout that I am brewing this weekend.

 

[kaz4121]

great post

 

[GySgtLynn]

Wished I would have read this in Feb. I brewed up a Imperial Stout before I left on deployment and left oak chips on it. By the time I get home they will have been sitting in the beer for 6 months... Hopefully it will be drinkable.