Bourbon chips

[bizit524]

So I am about to start another beer. This time a lager. It is one of those kits where i add sugar myself. While Yes I realize they are not the best in the world I live in an apartment as a student and will be possible leaving in a few months so i can't invest in proper equipment.

HOWEVER i live in Edinbugh Scotland and Scotland is King of Scotch/Whisky. I have grown a massive liking to many of them now I want to meld scotch and beer together

My favorite beer of all times is Innis and Gunn original which is a lager matured in whisky casks and its brewed right here in Edinburgh. My goal is to replicate something similar. I know it wont be exact but hey a man can try?
Unfortunately all my local brew shop has was burbon chips so I bought some

I am curious on how much to add to my lager? from the thread I found here:
http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/bourbon-soaked-oak-chips.64015/

the general consensus is; more than 2 oz of cubes are a little too much for a brew. However I couldn't tell how much they were brewing. Is it the standard 5 gallon?


I want to know /have feed back from you guys.
Have you tried it? with what type of beer? how many gallons or litres? and how many oz of cubes or chips. and what type of chips burbon, whiskey? anybody try wine casks? that would be interesting

The current chips/cubes I have are 500g bag of essencia burbon barrel chunks

 

[thegreatmaibockaddict]

I have used 2 oz oak chips soaked in Scotch Whiskey before. You need to let them soak for a month to remove tannins from the oak, but adds a nice character to the beer. The soaking in whiskey also acts as a sanitizer. It was a free ancient bottle of The Glenlivit that must have been 40 years old (it was open, so a little oxidized).

I have used straight oak chips before, but they imparted astringency that took forever to abate.

 

[DromJohn]

For me, 4 ounces chips (not chunk/cubes) two weeks in primary is about perfect for my Innis & Gunn Original clone. My second version is in the primary now.
Chunks should take longer. I'd even consider breaking them into chips.

Drom John's Innis & Gunn Original clone

 

[bizit524]

For me, 4 ounces chips (not chunk/cubes) two weeks in primary is about perfect for my Innis & Gunn Original clone. My second version is in the primary now.
Chunks should take longer. I'd even consider breaking them into chips.

Drom John's Innis & Gunn Original clone

hmm well i don't have anyway to break them up into chips lol student life.
Thanks to both of you.
And i have been searching for a clone of that for a while I shall try this when I get into full grain brewing!

I shall start soaking them tomorrow. Glenlivit very good one in my top 10

Should I put the chips in one of those bags that you normally put fruit in?

 

[bizit524]

also, i have brandy here... what if i use brandy instead? would that be weird? the brand is withener goldkrone

 

[DromJohn]

Weird, yes. But then there's Innis & Gunn Oloroso Cask. Brandy is less weird than sherry. Besides weird means different in an interesting way.

 

[Homercidal]

Good project. I like that Innis and Gunn stuff. Many homebrewers use wood chips as a substitute for barrel aging. 2 ounces or 4 ounces, it doesn't matter as long as you monitor the time the beer is actually on the chips. You might take a taste after 1 week and then a taste every other day until it's where you like it.

At the hoembrew stores around here you can buy oak chips or cube, and I've also used some Jack Daniels Smoking chips for bourbon stouts. They take their used barrels and chip them up for guys to smoke meats with. I can't say they are better or worse than regular chips, but I have a small bag on hand just for brewing. Or at least until that day when I find I'm out of smoking chips and the stores are closed!