I am going to put oak in secondary in my beer but I was curious if I can leave it in for lets say six months? They are oak chips and I am just concerned after six months in a liquid they might decompose or something along those lines.
How long can you leave oak in?
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runningweird
Well-Known Member
if you look on the bag they come in it should have an extraction time chart - at least the spirals I use do. you can absolutely leave them in for 6 months, nothing bad will happen and you will surely get 100% flavor/aroma extraction from them.
they won't decompose
they won't decompose
Wood chips give up their flavor relatively quickly, but the amount of oak they impart can be intense.
Even when I oak wines, I taste after a week or two, and remove the wine off of the chips at just the first hint of "too much", as it will fade with age. Leaving it on the chips for 6 months may mean that your beer tastes like an oak tree for a very long time.
Even when I oak wines, I taste after a week or two, and remove the wine off of the chips at just the first hint of "too much", as it will fade with age. Leaving it on the chips for 6 months may mean that your beer tastes like an oak tree for a very long time.
d3track
Are you sure about that?
To piggy back on Yoopers response, if you want to age that long I'd go for cubes over the chips, especially if you're like me and know you won't be doing as frequent taste tests as you should.
Or better, but more expensive, are those oak spirals. They have less surface area than chips or cubes, and release the flavor slowly and some say it's a deeper more complex flavor.
+1 on Spirals, I did a Cherry Quad and the med. oak for 2 weeks, came out incredible.
Are you sure you want to leave them in that long?
I did 2 ounces of oak cubes, soaking for 42 days in 10 ounces of Bourbon, then added that to 5 gallons. The oak was too strong and it took a year to mellow.
If using just 1 ounce maybe it wont be so strong.
You might want t take small samples every 2 weeks.
TNGabe
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Spirals have less surface are than cubes? I thought the point of spirals was that they have more surface area. The company that manufacturers them even touts 'extraction as fast as chips' as a selling point.
OP
OP
I was thinking of boiling the chips for a little while then adding them, and only .25 of an oz. It is a brett beer so I didn't wanna open and close my fer mentor to much.
In my experience, yes. But chips sometimes are like sawdust, or at least very fine, and the extract is fast.
The spirals I've used have been more like oak barrels, in that they give up much oakiness right away, but not nearly as much as the chips.
The spirals I"ve used haven't maybe been the same brand you're discussing? They were spiral, but not rough on the edges or big, more like a stick.
kagythings
Well-Known Member
I used about 1.5oz of medium oak chips in 2.5 gallons of a tripel for 12 days. I had my first bottle 2 weeks ago and although not fully carbed and ready to drink I thought it was delicious. It is on the strong side of what I consider acceptable oak in my beer and figure it will mellow a bit too.
I'm using spirals soaked in port for a stout now but won't be able to give you an opinion on them for a few more months.
I recently listened to a brewing network podcast on wood aging that was very informative. I recommend listening to it prior to making a final selection of wood for your first experiment with chips, cubes or spirals.
Hope it turns out delicious for you. Enjoy!
I'm using spirals soaked in port for a stout now but won't be able to give you an opinion on them for a few more months.
I recently listened to a brewing network podcast on wood aging that was very informative. I recommend listening to it prior to making a final selection of wood for your first experiment with chips, cubes or spirals.
Hope it turns out delicious for you. Enjoy!
>>I recently listened to a brewing network podcast on wood aging that was very informative. I recommend listening to it prior to making a final selection of wood for your first experiment with chips, cubes or spirals.
Link please?
Link please?
This months BYO has a bit about oaking.
kagythings
Well-Known Member
ArcLight said:
I believe this was the show but will double-check tomorrow since the podcast is on a different device.
http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/Brew-Strong/Brew-Strong-09-15-08-Wood-Aging
BHowe
Well-Known Member
I to am planning to add some oak (and coffee beans) to a bigger chocolaty stout that I'm doing.
Was planning on soaking the chips, coffee beans, and possibly cacao and ancho chilies in Makers for a week or so and then adding everything in a few days before racking off into a keg. I want all the elements present, but not overpowering.
I hated to piggy back on to this one, but thought it belonged.
Was planning on soaking the chips, coffee beans, and possibly cacao and ancho chilies in Makers for a week or so and then adding everything in a few days before racking off into a keg. I want all the elements present, but not overpowering.
I hated to piggy back on to this one, but thought it belonged.
I soak oak chips in bourbon for the entire primary fermentation, then add that too the the secondary.
The breakfast Stout I made had 1qt of concentrated cold steeped coffee, 4 Mexican vanilla beans and 12oz of cocoa nibs added to the secondary. The beans were split and scrapped and added to vodka for sterilization, I also added the nibs to that mixture as well, all this went into the secondary, turned out amazing.
The breakfast Stout I made had 1qt of concentrated cold steeped coffee, 4 Mexican vanilla beans and 12oz of cocoa nibs added to the secondary. The beans were split and scrapped and added to vodka for sterilization, I also added the nibs to that mixture as well, all this went into the secondary, turned out amazing.
