Has Anybody Done the Oak Chip Routine?

[StatsandBrew]

I made my first attempt at this today. I racked a Strong Scotch Ale into secondary with 60 grams of oak chips. (OG 1.078, 1.016 going into secondary) The chips I bought were untoasted and I thought I would try to simulate the toasted temperature gradient of a real oak barrel by splitting my chips into 5 groups of 12 grams and toasting them at various temperatures. 12 grams were left untoasted while the other 4 groups of 12 grams were toasted. My scheme was to put all 4 toasted groups in the oven in their own little aluminum foil boat. I put all of them in for 1 hour at 250° F, removed one and raised the temp to 300° F and then removed another after 30 minutes, raised the temp to 350° F and removed another after 30 minutes and finally raised the temp to 400° F for 30 minutes for the last group.

My plan is to let things be for 14 days and then start tasting every few days to see how the flavor develops. Anybody "been there done that"? If so, am I on the right track here?

[FrozenInTime]

I've not tried them but have seen alot of ppl try it.

[BigPapaG]

Oak can come on pretty quickly and too much can overpower your beer (or wine)

I think your plan of using oak toasted to various degrees is novel and could bring a very interesting and complex result to the party.

Like all party guests though, there comes a time when they have to leave...

I would suggest not waiting until day 14 to try it.

In fact, I would probably add them at day 14 (racking first is optional).

Take a small sample every 3-5 days until you think it's right.

I'm thinking one to two weeks might be plenty.

I did two ounces of medium toast French oak in a pretty big Cabernet last September and left ot for two months... Whew... Very oakey!

And no worries about leaving the beer in the fermenter for an extra week or so.

Let us know how it comes out!

[Kealia]

I've not toasted my own, but I've used the cubes from MoreBeer a number of times. Chips are supposed to impart flavor even quicker so I second the notion of waiting only about 5 days before tasting. I found that after pulling it off the oak it still picked up a bit more flavor as it all melded together, too.

Good luck.

[StatsandBrew]

Thanks for the suggestions. My biggest concern was overdoing the oak so I cut the amount the recipe called for in half right off the bat. I will taste after 5 days or so and every couple of days after that. I'm hoping to stop when it has "a hint of oak".