Adding oak chips - A few questions

[FedoraDave]

I've read about oak chip additions, and assume it's a way to get some barrel-aged influence without using a barrel. I'm becoming intrigued about this technique, and want to try making a different type of beer than what I've been brewing; just to shake my own world up a bit. I have a style/recipe in mind, but I have some questions before I go too much further in this pursuit. Any help would be most welcome.

1) Since the style I'll be working with will be a rye APA, I'm wondering exactly what to expect from the oak chip addition. Mellowing? A rounder mouthfeel? What, exactly, do oak chips bring to the table?

2) When would the addition be made? At the same time as dry-hopping (i.e. about four or five days before bottling/kegging)?

3) Would it require additional conditioning time, which would then potentially influence the dry-hop/aroma/character of an APA?

4) I'm not looking for a bourbon-barrel influence, but can the chips be added dry, or should they be soaked in something, even if it's just water?

5) What would be a good amount for a 2.5 gallon batch?

6) Is an oak addition even a good idea for a rye APA? If so, why? If not, why not?

[Gymrat]

The whole point to oak chips is to simulate a beer that fermented in a used bourbon barrel. I don't know how they would taste in an IPA. When I do my Bourbon barrel stout once a year I soak 2 oz of oak chips in a pint of whiskey for a week before I brew. Then I dump it all in the fermenter the second week so primary fermentation is done. I suppose you could do the same thing with vodka for an IPA. Accept I would stick with maybe 8 oz of the vodka. That way you wouldn't taste the liquor only the oak. I use a pint of the whiskey because I want the flavor of the whiskey in my stout.

[mashani]

I agree with Gymrat.

OR I will just throw this out there as an "easy mode" answer to getting some oak character in your beer - one day you should try a batch just using WLP013 (London Ale) and ferment with it around 68-70 degrees. See what you think of that. The esters it makes when warm are very "oak" like.

OR another thing you might want to try one day is some of this stuff:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/weyermann ... wheat-malt

I hate smoked beers, but I've decided that I love that stuff in moderation.

Not saying you shouldn't do the oak chip thing too, just maybe that you should try those others and see which of them you like the best going forward.

[Beer-lord]

I've read on another forum, a few recipes that include oak chips in an IPA. I'm pretty sure they soaked them in vodka or gin first before adding them.
I bought some to try and never used them but I think I asked here or the Mr. Beer forums for advice. I know everything I said was to use less than more and for a short period of time.

[MrBandGuy]

I have also taken a gallon while kegging and racked it to secondary with an oak addition for about a week. Then bottled those.

I'd have to look at my notes, but I think it was 2 oz of chips to 1/2 or 1 oz of bourbon soaked for 5-7 days. I've done this with a stout, a porter, and a scotch ale. I always wanted the bourbon flavor, so don't know what oak alone will bring.

You could use vodka, and just enough to cover the chips. I think it's to sanitize them more than anything else.

[Gymrat]

I have also taken a gallon while kegging and racked it to secondary with an oak addition for about a week. Then bottled those.

I'd have to look at my notes, but I think it was 2 oz of chips to 1/2 or 1 oz of bourbon soaked for 5-7 days. I've done this with a stout, a porter, and a scotch ale. I always wanted the bourbon flavor, so don't know what oak alone will bring.

You could use vodka, and just enough to cover the chips. I think it's to sanitize them more than anything else.

It isn't to sanitize. It is to extract the oak flavor. Just like when you soak vanilla beans, orange peel, coriander, or anything else in Vodka. I am sure it sanitizes also, but so will the beer after primary fermentation is done.

[mashani]

I am sure it sanitizes also, but so will the beer after primary fermentation is done.

The beer will make it resistant to stuff, but it won't "sanitize". It's mostly a matter of what bugs get thrown in with the chips. IE if some types of Brett or a Sacc var. diastaticus strain happened to be on those chips, they would possibly get involved and ferment your beer a bit more. Acetobacter would be another potential bad thing because it eats alcohol. Beer levels of alcohol don't kill it.

So I'd vodka it to be safe - not just for the flavor extraction.

[The_Professor]

The few times I have used oak I steamed it.

[BigPapaG]

Great Divide makes an awesome Oak Aged IPA called: Rumble

It uses Northwest hops that provide a balance of Citrus and Pine against some caramel malt and notes of caramel, vanilla and bourbon from a blend of French and American oaks upon which it is aged in secondary.

It's a really good IPA and I suggest you all try to get ya some...

Not sure if I would use Rye in it as the added spice from the rye might not play nice within the overall balance... But who knows... It could work in small amounts.

[FedoraDave]

Great responses! Thanks large, everyone. I'm going to continue to mull this over in my mind before working up a recipe/process, and I'll be going over it with my LHBS guys, too. I may not like the resultant beer; who knows. But I like to brew a small experimental batch now and then, just to keep myself from sinking into a rut. I like my current recipes, and I keep them in the pipeline because they're tried and true and they make me happy. But having a hobby that allows me to shake things up a bit and go to the fringe is a neat thing.

[philm00x]

These are oak chips we soaked in bourbon for over a week and added to a stout today in the brite tank at work. It definitely mellowed the beer flavor out and provides some nice caramelly and vanilla notes.


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[MrBandGuy]

It isn't to sanitize. It is to extract the oak flavor.

See? That's why I said "I think". And know I know...I was wrong.

[HerbMeowing]

Here's my experience having oaked with chips multiple times in IPAs and Barleywines;

1) Since the style I'll be working with will be a rye APA, I'm wondering exactly what to expect from the oak chip addition. Mellowing? A rounder mouthfeel? What, exactly, do oak chips bring to the table?

Having never oaked the rye IPAs I've brewed ... I'd expect oak to sharpen what rye brings to the recipe.
May turn out to be too much of a good thing.

2) When would the addition be made? At the same time as dry-hopping (i.e. about four or five days before bottling/kegging)?

Two weeks in primary.
Rack to 2ndary ... add chips and d-hops.
Rest one week.

3) Would it require additional conditioning time, which would then potentially influence the dry-hop/aroma/character of an APA?

Additional conditioning time was not my experience.

4) I'm not looking for a bourbon-barrel influence, but can the chips be added dry, or should they be soaked in something, even if it's just water?

Soak the chips in bourbon or vodka for a week or steam 30 secs in a microwave to sanitize.
In either case ... pitch the chips along with the liquid as I do ... or not.

5) What would be a good amount for a 2.5 gallon batch?

One ounce ... bagged.

6) Is an oak addition even a good idea for a rye APA? If so, why? If not, why not?

Matter of taste.
Don't unless you're trying to super-charge what the rye has to offer.

[FedoraDave]

I like those responses, Herb. Good stuff to think about.

[RickBeer]

These are oak chips we soaked in bourbon for over a week and added to a stout today in the brite tank at work. It definitely mellowed the beer flavor out and provides some nice caramelly and vanilla notes.

Where is the picture of Phil drinking the bourbon that was leftover after the oak chips were removed?