Oak aging methods

Smaller amount of chips, longer period of time.

 

Get some spirals.

http://www.infusionspiral.com/infusion-spirals.html

 

Makes sense that the chips would impart the oak faster working better for Ipa's. I only brew stouts and porters so I tend to let them go for 4-6 months. Try adding an eye dropper or two of bourbon to each bottle before filling and capping.

 

This will be an eyePA?

 

Mi process...su process.

The bourbon's flavor character fades over a few month's time if you pitch both chips and the bourbon soak (IOW...boozy when young - not that there's anything wrong with that). Probably a tad over-the-top for an IPA but still tasty.

 

It's your first so live and learn. Make adjustments based upon what your looking for. If your this far already there will be plenty more batches in the future.

 

I can't speak for chips as I use cubes but I have always boiled the cubes for a little bit, then soak them for a few days in whatever you are doing: bourbon, rum, wine, ect.

I think that gets rid of some of the harsh tannins and sharp flavors, but that's just me.

Have to do what works for you.

 

I have read about every technique one can think of and they all seem to have similar results. The one time I oaked I used cubes. I think the main factor to look into is amount and contact time. I got pretty decent oak flavor in about a week but the oak faded fairly quick overall.

For whatever that's worth.

 

I have a RIS sitting on oak cubes that is just now ready to take off the oak after 3 months. I pre-soaked them in vodka for 10 days, drained, then soaked in Bookers for 10 days. Then dumped the whole thing in bourbon and all. Really liking the early results. I've never used the chips but others have said that the cubes impart a "smoother" oak character.

 

I have soaked oak chips in bourbon for 6-8 weeks, and then strain the bourbon off the chips and add it into the bottling bucket with a scotch ale. I don't notice much oak flavor in the finished beer, but the bourbon infusion works okay to give a nice extra flavor.

I loosely fill a pint glass with the chips and then add the bourbon to fill the voids around the chips and cover it with plastic wrap to reduce evaporation. The first couple of times that I did this I added the liquid into the full 5 gallons. However, the last time that I made this beer I bottled half of the scotch ale before adding the bourbon to the bottling bucket, so the result was a greater flavor from the bourbon, but I only got half as many bottles with the bourbon infusion.

 

In my experience, generally the faster the extraction rate, the faster the oak fades. Oak chips impart flavor quickly (a few weeks) due to a high amount of surface area and the flavor is generally 1 dimensional. The flavor from chips ags out quickly as well. Oak cubes impart flavor more slowly (1-3 months). Now, in a week, you'll have noticable flavor, but the oak will really shine with more time. More contact time takes advantage of the complex flavors due to varying degrees of toast on the cubes. Furthermore, the oak flavor takes longer to age out - keep this in mind because if you over oak by a large margin, youll probably have to blend.

I oaked a coffee imperial stout with cocoa and after 2 months, I ended up with a prominent but balanced oak flavor. I used medium toast hungarian oak cubes.

 

Just out of curiosity, wouldnt leaving the oak in an IPA for 3 months not work so well? The flavor and aroma of the hops would surely fade by then. Unless you dry hop late I guess.

 

You wouldnt want to age an IPA. But obviously, it can be done. If you were to do it, I'd definitely dry hop before bottling.

Maybe oak chips instead.

 

If I were going to oak an IPA I would add the oak cubes at the start of primary. This would give you a head start on the process and give you close to a month of oak. I can't imagine you would want to go much longer on an IPA.

 

I age my British IPAs. I really want to do that, as they are very harsh when young. Dry hop after aging.

 

Soak'em about a week to ten days.

The fact the chips have absorbed enough liquid during the initial soak time, where a top-off is needed, suggests they are fully sanitized and ready-to-go.

 

I'm going to get flamed, but there are some commercial IPAs that I prefer aged. I just wrote it that way because thats the consensus and more characteristic of the style, if you're into that kind of thing.