Overpowered my pumpkin ale with oak and rum

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by dcloeren, Oct 28, 2013.

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  1. dcloeren

    dcloeren Initiate (0) Sep 15, 2010 Texas

    I recently brewed a Pumking clone and added spiced rum soaked oak chips during secondary fermentation. This sounded like a great idea at the time but now my beer is completely overpowered by the oak and rum taste. Is there anything I can do or should I just rechristen it a spicy holiday ale?
     
  2. barfdiggs

    barfdiggs Initiate (0) Mar 22, 2011 California
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    Rechristen holiday ale.... or rebrew the pumking clone and blend the two together to taste, as that will cut the rum spice and oak.

    Is the beer over oaked or just overly spiced from the rum? Oak from chips can fade into something pleasant with time or turn into a 2x4 depending on how much was used.
     
    inchrisin likes this.
  3. dcloeren

    dcloeren Initiate (0) Sep 15, 2010 Texas

    Their is definitely an oak presence but the spiced rum is more prevalent. I wouldn't know this was a pumpkin ale if I tasted it blindly.
     
  4. barfdiggs

    barfdiggs Initiate (0) Mar 22, 2011 California
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    Spirits do fade, so you might be ok four, five, six months down the road, although even just blending a little with an unaltered batch may cut it to the point of making it more well rounded.
     
  5. dcloeren

    dcloeren Initiate (0) Sep 15, 2010 Texas

    I guess I forgot to mention that it is kegged.... this is looking like it's going to just have to do until I have something else ready to replace it.
     
  6. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    Throw some coconut in that thing! : ) ...or...maybe blend by pushing to another keg of session something in a month or so.
     
    dcloeren likes this.
  7. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    I was going to recommend adding more spice and letting it hang out until Oct. 2014. Nothing wrong with holiday merriment either.
     
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  8. barfdiggs

    barfdiggs Initiate (0) Mar 22, 2011 California
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    If push comes to shove and you have a spare keg, you can always sanitize and purge it with CO2, then using the out line connect a tap line with two liquid out connects, connecting the second connect to the out line on the empty keg, then depressurize empty keg (You'll have to do this every min or two) and wait till its half full (weigh full keg and empty keg, then will know half full when each weighs about same). Can then rack in fresh, unspiced beer.

    I've done this before with hoppy beers to get them off of keg hops before transport to an event (prevent sediment kick up) and to blend beers.

    Then again, to forgo the pain in the ass, you can always just sit on it.
     
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  9. dcloeren

    dcloeren Initiate (0) Sep 15, 2010 Texas

    While that does sound like a pain in the ass, I like where your heads at! Might have to give this a shot
     
  10. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,326) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Well, if it had been anything but rum, you'd have possibly had some hope. But while for many people, their first real encounter with the nasty side of alcohol was with tequila*, not me. I can drink tequila all night long, bring on the margaritas! Rum, however... I rate rum right up there with ipecac syrup, varnish remover, paint thinner, non-gin martinis**, and pepsi products***. :rolling_eyes:

    *:grimacing:
    **which should be banned, of course :sunglasses:
    ***apologies for using the p-word on the forum, but the point had to be made, for the betterment of humanity. Where I see a need, I cannot resist the irresistible call to altruism
     
    randal likes this.
  11. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,176) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Lesson: when adding oak chips, start by adding less than you think you need. Maybe half as much? A third as much? Taste after some time passes and evaluate whether you need more. Easier to add oak in stages than it is to remove it.
     
  12. dcloeren

    dcloeren Initiate (0) Sep 15, 2010 Texas

    Learned that lesson the hard way (is there any other way?). I used the same amount of booze and oak chips as I did for an imperial stout earlier this year. I didn't think about it until after the fact that the stout was obviously a heartier beer and could handle it.
     
  13. MrOH

    MrOH Grand Pooh-Bah (3,331) Jul 5, 2010 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Seriously, pepsi sucks. I'll drink RC over pepsi if coke isn't available and I'm in a cola mood.
     
    AlCaponeJunior likes this.
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