Adding oak spirals to a stout

[Clanchief]

So next weekend I'm planning on brewing a stout with my brother-in-law who is just starting to get into brewing. He's done a couple of batches with me before and he has enjoyed it and now wants to get more adventurous. He's a big stout fan, and mentioned that he had picked up some oak spirals which he is using in a wine he's making. He has extras. I was thinking I might use them in the stout we're making, possibly soaking them in some bourbon before. How much is too much on that? I don't want an overpowering flavor, just something subtle.

 

[nimboden]

Oak in a stout is a great combo, even better when they are soaked in whiskey. Be careful with the oak spirals as they have a lot of surface area and I've overoaked a few batches leaving them in to long, 1" diameter and 6" long are the ones I use. What I do is either use oak chips or tie a string around the spiral and then taste daily till I get the amount of flavor I want, usually 4-5 days if its a fresh spiral. Good luck let us know how it goes!
Cheers!