• Brewing with wood chips other than oak

    From jimbeaux@evansjimothy@gmail.com to alt.beer.home-brewing on Sun Mar 15 14:48:02 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    A friend recently commented favorably on a single-barrel malt whiskey
    that was not only aged in oak barrels, but also was aged on cherry and
    apple wood chips. That got me wondering - I've been using oak chips in
    some of my brews for several years. Can anyone tell me what different characteristics using cherry, apple, pecan, or other wood would impart
    to a beer? Not for smoking - for adding in the secondary or the keg.

    TIA

    Jim
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  • From Bryon Lape@noone@yahoo.com to alt.beer.home-brewing on Mon Mar 16 23:31:59 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    jimbeaux <evansjimothy@gmail.com> wrote in news:92a41deb-0bac-41f1-a52a- 651ef21beef9@v15g2000yqn.googlegroups.com:

    A friend recently commented favorably on a single-barrel malt whiskey
    that was not only aged in oak barrels, but also was aged on cherry and
    apple wood chips. That got me wondering - I've been using oak chips in
    some of my brews for several years. Can anyone tell me what different characteristics using cherry, apple, pecan, or other wood would impart
    to a beer? Not for smoking - for adding in the secondary or the keg.

    TIA

    Jim


    I've been thinking of doing something similar. How are you sanitiving the chips?
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  • From jimbeaux@evansjimothy@gmail.com to alt.beer.home-brewing on Mon Mar 23 06:30:41 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    When I've used oak chips, I sometimes steam them in the microwave for
    about five minutes, but have been told that soaking them in pure-
    grain, vodka, or bourbon would do the same. I actually ruined one
    microwave when the water evaporated and the oak chips started
    charring. From now on I'll use the alcohol soak method.

    Jim
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  • From Bryon Lape@noone@yahoo.com to alt.beer.home-brewing on Tue Mar 24 23:18:55 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    jimbeaux <evansjimothy@gmail.com> wrote in news:971052cc-f67f-4728-add2- 4239591df1d5@c9g2000yqm.googlegroups.com:

    When I've used oak chips, I sometimes steam them in the microwave for
    about five minutes, but have been told that soaking them in pure-
    grain, vodka, or bourbon would do the same. I actually ruined one
    microwave when the water evaporated and the oak chips started
    charring. From now on I'll use the alcohol soak method.

    Jim


    Ah...a bourbon bath....interesting. How much bourbon flavor would that
    impart on the beer?
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