My next brew is going to be a barleywine. I have these Barrel mill oak spirals I would like to use. American white oak light toast. I did not find much online except product info. @MrOH had some comments in various threads here but I did not find much else. Any input on amount, time and flavors imparted by these babies is appreciated. There are two 8inch spirals. Pack weighs 3.5oz so almost 2 oz per spiral. I am leaning toward a set it and forget it approach. I usually keg but will bottle these for winter, at some point. Thanks.
The oak spirals have more surface area than a stave and will impart it's flavor quicker too. Something in between cubes and chips. The light toast oak retains more more woody tannins and coconut than a higher level of toast. I've personally only used cubes like 2 oz in 5 gallons for a 6% abv Flemish Red ale and let them ride the full time (6 months). It gave a nice background oakiness but nothing crazy. People who use chips say not to go past a few weeks. I'd throw just one spiral in and let it sit for the ride in a big barleywine if I wanted a noticeable oak flavor. If you can give it a taste now and again than you can judge the flavor over a few months at a time and take it out or rack off. It takes a lot of flavor to dominate a big barleywine in my opinion.
good stuff from bukowskiliver...so you don't want plywood tasting beer…my guess is that you'd want to cut one down to 4" to let it ride, and if it gets to the point where you don't want it to go any further, you can always rack it off. I've used staves before although have one of those spirals…just haven't used it yet. But a 4" stave was pretty good when I added the stave with the yeast pitch in a robust porter…then racked it off into the keg.
I stand by my story in previous posts! Give them a good soak in your spirit of choice, ~1/2 spiral per 5gal, let it ride! I break mine by hand, wear work gloves to prevent splinters. They give up a good amount of flavor quickly, then level out for a bit, and then give off very little. Like anything else, taste regularly to figure out where you like the flavor, but I pretty much throw it all in secondary and then bottle whenever I have the time after two months. I read somewhere that they more or less give up all they have to give at six weeks.
Thanks for the replies. I am going to go with half a spiral and let it ride. @MrOH It says 6 week extraction on this pack I am looking at. I guess I will have to brew a RIS for the other half of the sprial.
The barleywine I brewed is here and gone. I let it sit on 1/2 spiral for 6 weeks then kegged. I got alot of cocoanut but not much vanilla. Brewed a RIS in mid May and transfered to secondary beginning of June with whole oak spiral where it still sits. Guess I should bottle it up. I have 1/2 spiral left and I think I am going to throw it in during fermentation on a pale ale or something. Why not?
