Question about adding Oak chips to home brew!

I wouldn't use chips, as their high surface ratio would impart too much wood in a short amount of time. I'd use cubes: Hungarian or French are the softest, American is more aggressive. Boil them for 10 mins or so before you throw them in secondary; this sterilizes them and knocks down some of the rawer tannins.

Amount is up to you. I've had the best luck with small amounts (0.5 oz) over a long period of time (months). Just taste as you go . . .

Soaking the cubes in things has never made a huge flavor difference between unsoaked cubes. If you want, you could always soak the cubes in a spirit. Rye would be good in a RIS.

 

I second the, "don't use chips".

Use some cubes, boil them shortly to sanitize it some and remove some of the harsh tannins. If ya want to soak in something, I'd suggest a spirit like bourbon, rum, tequila, scotch, anything..

Wine in a stout doesn't sound good, especially with chips.

But it's your beer. If you do use chips, I'd use 1oz, and taste it every couple of days.

 

I used chips before I knew better. You can have success, but you have to be careful. Two years ago I did an RIS that I split across a couple different "treatments". One gallon got 2oz of oak chips and another got 2oz of oak chips that had been soaked in 2oz of bourbon. I got distracted with life and left the beer on the chips for 3 weeks. The bourbon oak version was undrinkable at 6 months, I think the bourbon extracted a lot of tannins. The regular oak was fine at the 6 month point (I even noted that it seemed pretty mellow). At 12 months, the bourbon oak was drinkable and ended up pretty good.

My take away, go light on chips and don't go longer than a week or be prepared to let it sit for a while.

I can't wrap my head around red wine and stout, but maybe it would work.

How big of a stout are you talking about?

 

Port is brandy and red wine mixed. I used Jack Daniels chips in an imperial that at the moment tastes mostly of Jack, I don't mind too much but I would also not mind it fading. I don't remember a lot of tannins from them. to sterilize I scorched and star-saned, maybe don't do it this way

 

Why all the hatin' on oak chips?
Guess haters just gonna hate.
Like beer...chips deserve respect.

Chips act fast.
Why wait months when a week or three takes you to the same place?

What matters most is periodic tasting and moderation.
Nothing worse than too much oak b/c...unlike the Stones...it don't fade away.

I've oaked using 2 oz / 5G for one week with good results.
Maybe could go longer but haven't tried it.

For sanitizing...some put the chips in water enough to cover and nuke for 60 secs.
I sanitize my chips with enough Makers Mark to cover...rest a few days...then pitch it all.

 

Because people don't think chips offer the same complexity as cubes.

 

http://www.blackswanbarrels.com/honey-comb-barrel-alternative/

I just used the white oak and soft maple honeycombs in a split batch I just bottled - still too young to try the bottled version, though out of secondary, both had distinct wood notes to them, though more complementary than overpowering.

I can't believe that in these years that I've been on BA, I haven't been involved in the Homebrew forum at all - especially since I've been brewing for 10+ years.

 

I've heard rumors, that if one toasts oak slats with a torch, and pours white alcohol over them, it makes a fairly good whiskey analog. I've never heard of using the process for beer, because there's not as much time.