18 replies to this topic

[MakeMeHoppy]

I'm looking for a special beer to serve for a party in September. I have a porter that is already finished and kegged and I'm thinking it might be good with some whiskey or bourbon soaked oak chips. I've never used the oak chips and don't want to wait 3 months to be disappointed.Does anyone have any advice on using oak chips with or without liquor? Can I put the chips in a sanitized mesh bag and remove them after say a month or two? Any advice/suggestions are welcome.

[BarelyBrews]

I tried a bourbon porter last summer once, i had the 8 ounces of Oak Chips in cheap whiskey for two weeks. Then drained all the whiskey off and put them in a carboy (sanitized) and transferred my finished porter on top .I left it there for a week or two, Most of the chips stayed on the bottom some did float. I found the bourbon came threw more than the Oak did early on . And then the Oak came in a few weeks . I did not like it at all at first , and only tolerable near the end. That is why i have not used the other eight ounces of Oak chips yet, However. I think i shall sanitize them ( the Oak chips ) and use them in an IPA for a cask type Ale possibly. I am not crazy about the Vanilla taste myself, and not sure how much the Oak adds of that. I Did learn you don't need eight ounces of chips either. I have seen many recipes where they use an ounce or two , and a sanitized bag might keep them together also. Just my personal thoughts on this subject, per some experiences i have had. Good luck.

[MakeMeHoppy]

I tried a bourbon porter last summer once, i had the 8 ounces of Oak Chips in cheap whiskey for two weeks. Then drained all the whiskey off and put them in a carboy (sanitized) and transferred my finished porter on top .I left it there for a week or two, Most of the chips stayed on the bottom some did float. I found the bourbon came threw more than the Oak did early on . And then the Oak came in a few weeks . I did not like it at all at first , and only tolerable near the end. That is why i have not used the other eight ounces of Oak chips yet, However. I think i shall sanitize them ( the Oak chips ) and use them in an IPA for a cask type Ale possibly. I am not crazy about the Vanilla taste myself, and not sure how much the Oak adds of that. I Did learn you don't need eight ounces of chips either. I have seen many recipes where they use an ounce or two , and a sanitized bag might keep them together also. Just my personal thoughts on this subject, per some experiences i have had. Good luck.

Thanks for the input, that is why I posted. Can't find much on the subject such as how much to use and for how long. I don't want to ruin a perfectly good batch of beer.

[DubbelEntendre]

Thanks for the input, that is why I posted. Can't find much on the subject such as how much to use and for how long. I don't want to ruin a perfectly good batch of beer.

https://thebrewingne...l-Show-07-30-07

[ANUSTART]

A method I've used several times is to put a couple sanitized marbles with the oak chips in a sanitized nylon mesh bag and suspend it about 1/2 way down a corny using unwaxed unflavored dental floss. For chips 1 oz (dry weight) for 30 days will get you a strong oak flavor in 5 gals. 0.5 oz for 30 days will give you a noticeable, but not strong oak flavor. Right now I have a porter in secondary with an oak spiral. I've never used the spirals before. Maybe I should go taste it.

[harryfrog]

I bourbon soaked oak chipped an oatmeal stout (is oak chipped a verb?) and was advised by the guys at the LHBS to take the oak chips out from the bourbon, spread them on a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, and light the chips until the alcohol came out. Not sure why, but the finished result was damn tasty. I used 4 oz of oak chips in secondary for 10 days for a nice mild vanilla flavor - racked the beer onto the chips then racked off into a keg.

[Deerslyr]

I soaked the chips in bourbon and then started adding the bourbon to the beer instead. It was more like adding oak infused bourbon instead of bourbon soaked oak. In the end, probably six and one half dozen, yadda yadda yadda. Came out with the flavor I was looking for in the end.

[harryfrog]

I soaked the chips in bourbon and then started adding the bourbon to the beer instead. It was more like adding oak infused bourbon instead of bourbon soaked oak. In the end, probably six and one half dozen, yadda yadda yadda. Came out with the flavor I was looking for in the end.

That way would be more consistent with some of the other flavoring options I've read about where you soak the flavoring enhancement in vodka and add it to the beer.If nothing else, I like the solution for the ease, not to mention it's easy for the OP to do, as his problem was how to handle it in a kegged situation.

[Deerslyr]

...If nothing else, I like the solution for the ease, not to mention it's easy for the OP to do, as his problem was how to handle it in a kegged situation.

Originally, the intent was to add the chips... but since the bourbon was nice and oaky, it just seemed, well easier to do it this way.

[MakeMeHoppy]

Originally, the intent was to add the chips... but since the bourbon was nice and oaky, it just seemed, well easier to do it this way.

I was all set to try an ounce of chips soaked in boubon for 3 weeks and now here is another great idea. What I like about adding the oak infused bourbon is that I an pull a sample of the beer say 1 qt and add small measured amount of the bourbon until I get the level I want. Also if it doesn't work out I lost 1 qt of beer instead of 5 gallons!

[jayb151]

I've made bourbon soaked oak beer twice. Both were russian imperial stouts. I love the way they both turned out, but I did notice the character change with aging. Thats why if you are making this for a party, i would suggest not doing it. If I did it I would want to taste the beer at different points in the aging process. At a party, everyone is going to drink it and not realize that they are drinking very good beer! I've had this happen to me before. I love a good oaked beer, but I would not serve one at a party. Hope this helps.

[ANUSTART]

I bourbon soaked oak chipped an oatmeal stout (is oak chipped a verb?) and was advised by the guys at the LHBS to take the oak chips out from the bourbon, spread them on a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, and light the chips until the alcohol came out. Not sure why, but the finished result was damn tasty. I used 4 oz of oak chips in secondary for 10 days for a nice mild vanilla flavor - racked the beer onto the chips then racked off into a keg.

4 oz?! Is that in a 5 gallon batch? That's a lot of chips! I think it'd still be a lot even for a 10 gal batch.

[Deerslyr]

I've made bourbon soaked oak beer twice. Both were russian imperial stouts. I love the way they both turned out, but I did notice the character change with aging. Thats why if you are making this for a party, i would suggest not doing it. If I did it I would want to taste the beer at different points in the aging process. At a party, everyone is going to drink it and not realize that they are drinking very good beer! I've had this happen to me before. I love a good oaked beer, but I would not serve one at a party. Hope this helps.

In other words... your going to save the good stuff for your "private reserve"?

[jayb151]

In other words... your going to save the good stuff for your "private reserve"?

That's right! My friends and family drink beer, but would never appreciate such a good beer. They would drink it, tell me it's "good" and throw another down the hatch! In reality, I've just wasted the time and money of making it. For a party i threw I made some hoppy rye beer that was great, but it was only two weeks from grain to glass. And that was in bottles!Back to the OP, If you know the people at the party are actually going to taste the beer then do it. If not...

[MakeMeHoppy]

I would have a couple that would be really interesting in drinking a beer like this and a number of others that would just want a small taste (good or bad). I'm thinking of getting some chips this weekend and soaking them in makers mark. I think then I'll split by 5 gallon batch and leave 1/2 as is and the other half add the oak infused bourbon to taste. I'll report back in a few weeks with the intermin results.

[harryfrog]

4 oz?! Is that in a 5 gallon batch? That's a lot of chips! I think it'd still be a lot even for a 10 gal batch.

Yes, but the beer only sat on them for 7 days. I have a round of oak chips sitting in bourbon (have been there for 2 weeks) and i'm running out of time in the secondary (want to enter this in a fair coming up), so I think I'm going to try adding the oaked bourbon route and taste until I'm happy. And am hoping that i'll only need a couple ounces of oaked bourbon so I can save some for future batches. I must admit, I didn't use bourbon for soaking that I'd typically ever drink - so maybe that wasn't such a good idea...

[Deerslyr]

I must admit, I didn't use bourbon for soaking that I'd typically ever drink - so maybe that wasn't such a good idea...

Don't sell yourself short on this... most times a low quality bourbon is precisely that because of a lack of aging in the barrell (or at least I seem to recall this to be the case)... so your good dose of "oak" may be just the thing it needs. Who knows. Maybe you should taste the bourbon first...

[harryfrog]

Maybe you should taste the bourbon first...

I think I might. Too bad my fellow bourbon fan neighbor is on call until Friday, otherwise we'd have a good blind taste test going. Crappy bourbon soaked on way too much oak until it's brown for 2 weeks (old age - is that a brand?) vs. Mechters vs. Basil Hayden vs. Bookers vs. Bakers. Should be an interesting taste test.

[Deerslyr]

I think I might. Too bad my fellow bourbon fan neighbor is on call until Friday, otherwise we'd have a good blind taste test going. Crappy bourbon soaked on way too much oak until it's brown for 2 weeks (old age - is that a brand?) vs. Mechters vs. Basil Hayden vs. Bookers vs. Bakers. Should be an interesting taste test.

There should be plenty left to at least run the test with him. If he thinks its "passable" then you know you can "cure" cheap bourbon. If he doesn't like it, then buy a fifth of the good stuff to have on hand to occassionally soak chips in. Definitely use him though!