Char vs Toast

[seamusm53]

I have used various degrees of toasted wood sticks or chips to flavor shine. And I have done it in my kitchen oven much to the ire of SWMBO. I don't have a torch and charring otherwise would be cumbersome. A recent post talks about char vs toast and seemed to suggest doing both. But what's the point of toasting if you're going to char it???

[HDNB]

YMMV, but char tends to bring out the color, toast brings out the different flavours. there is a great experiment thread by boisblancboy on this subject, and a graph showing toast temperature characteristics abounds in many threads.

[MichiganCornhusker]

Toasting will develop flavors in the oak all the way through.
Charring mainly affects only the outside layer if done fairly quickly, as when using a torch.

I found charring without toasting to be too ashy or acrid for my taste.

Of course if you sit there with a torch and slowly char the wood, over say 15 min or half hr, you will develop some toasting character deeper into the wood. But it would be less predictable than toasting in an oven.

[der wo]

IMO you need both for the best result. But not much of both. If you don't have a torch I would simply use a candle. It's not the same, but much better than nothing.

[bitter]

If no torch a propane bbq could char, just hold over burner directly without any flame protectors or lava rock.

B

[Pikey]

If no torch a propane bbq could char, just hold over burner directly without any flame protectors or lava rock.

B

One of those gas lighters used for lighting gas cookers would do it and wouldn't give the soot you might get from a candle - or you must know somebody who has a camping cooker ?

Or you could just Get a torch - look at is as the first piece of kit towards making your new still.

I think I read that thread too. - Made a mental note to try different styles, as it seems less char = more colour extraction and that is something I'm conscious of.

[Saltbush Bill]

And I have done it in my kitchen oven much to the ire of SWMBO.

The smell of slowly toasting American Oak is a beautiful thing, I would ignore any complaints and just keep using the kitchen oven.

[Appalachia-Shiner]

And I have done it in my kitchen oven much to the ire of SWMBO.

The smell of slowly toasting American Oak is a beautiful thing, I would ignore any complaints and just keep using the kitchen oven.

My wife thinks it makes the house smell great.....and she likes the yeast bread smell of my mash barrel in the corner of the living room. Dam, I'm lucky..

[papapro]

IMO you need both for the best result. But not much of both. If you don't have a torch I would simply use a candle. It's not the same, but much better than nothing.

Candles will give black ashm I would make a candle like and use you foreshots to start fire, any metal container would do.

[GrassHopper]

Haven't tried this, but I think it might work. Just build a big ole campfire and when it dies down and only coals are left, throw on your toasted oak and let it burn enough to char, turn it over a couple times and then douse it with water when the alligator shows up. Of course that's not the way I do it. I just lay em' all out (outside of course), and then zap em' with a big ole weed/blower torch in rocket mode.
Of course if you wanna sit there all day with DerWo's method, go fer it. Sorry, DerWo, couldn't resist havin' a little go at ya. All in fun. I do agree with the consensus though....both toasted and charred are preferable.
Carry on gents