When to Add Oak/Vanilla/Whiskey to RIS

[wobrien]

I'm ten days into primary on a big RIS and I have a mason jar of 1.5oz oak chips with two vanilla beans and ~4oz of whiskey in the fridge. I think I only want the beer to sit on the oak/vanilla/whiskey for about two weeks but I'm not sure about how/when to do it. I want to let primary go for 3-4 weeks and secondary for about three months. So here are the three courses of action I'm considering:

1. Add the combo to the primary after two weeks of fermentation, then rack it off the oak into secondary for three months of bulk aging (this risks oxidation due to splashing into carboy)

2. Add the combo to the secondary 2weeks prior to bottling (this risks oxidation due to splashing into carboy)

3. After the month in primary add the combo to the secondary and rack beer on top of it and age it for two weeks then bottle. (Bottle aging rather than bulk aging)

What would you all recommend?

 

[ivegot2legs]

How big is the beer? Which speciality grains? Final gravity? Temperature? What kind of whiskey? What kind of oak?

That could be a lot of vanilla. Depending on the recipe, this could be a long aged beer to begin with.

Bulk aging is probably the best idea, but it depends on the initial flavours.

 

[wobrien]

Grain bill:
18# British 2-row
1.5# roasted barley
1# special b
.75# chocolate
.5# cara-pils

OG = 1.095 (down to 1.025 after 5 days)
Fermented in chamber at 65* (beer temp) with WLP007 then raised temp up to about 70* after active fermentation was done
1.5 oz Medium toasted American oak chips
2 Madagascar whole vanilla beans, split and cut up
4oz 12 year old Jameson

 

[ivegot2legs]

That seems low enough ABV, and high enough FG to hold up to something like Jameson. Will you just add all the whiskey into the beer?

I would recommend doing all three items in the primary, then continuing to bulk age. All of the items should mellow and age well, except-

The vanilla is still worrisome. I haven't use it, and I don't know if vanilla will ever age out, if it proves to be too much. It could provide a cloying taste, instead of the roasted or slight caramel taste.

 

[peterj]

I would go with option 3. Or you could cut the secondary altogether and drop the combo into the primary after 3 or 4 weeks, then go straight to bottling 2 weeks later. I don't think bulk aging is that much better than bottle aging. I heard on a recent Jamil show that Old Rasputin is bottled and sold about 2 weeks from when it's brewed.

 

[wobrien]

The vanilla is still worrisome. I haven't use it, and I don't know if vanilla will ever age out, if it proves to be too much. It could provide a cloying taste, instead of the roasted or slight caramel taste.

I'm thinking that the whiskey is pulling flavor out of the beans and oak as well as vice-versa. So maybe I'll pour off the whiskey before adding to secondary and the vanilla won't be overpowering. Then I could add whiskey at bottling to taste.

 

[wobrien]

I would go with option 3. Or you could cut the secondary altogether and drop the combo into the primary after 3 or 4 weeks, then go straight to bottling 2 weeks later. I don't think bulk aging is that much better than bottle aging. I heard on a recent Jamil show that Old Rasputin is bottled and sold about 2 weeks from when it's brewed.

I'm leaning towards option three as well. I think I'll take your advice and bottle condition after a short secondary. I'm going to use mostly corked 750ml bottles.