How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

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Virandell
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How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by Virandell »

Hi I added two oak sticks (around 5cmx2cmx2cm) yesterday to my 1 gallon of bourbon they are medium toasted after sherry barrel, only after 48h I can taste smoky woody flavour and some vanilla in the background but not much color I am abit worried as its already the woody flavour overpowering the spirit, did I messed up procces of toasting? Or is it normal as it freshly toasted and its been used first time ?
Maybe next time I should soak oak for 24h after toasting or maybe boil it for few minutes to remove the oaky/smoky flavour ?
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Toasted for how long @ what temp?
Any char or just toast?
Proof of bourbon?

You normally want to leave these in for closer to a year..

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Virandell
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by Virandell »

380f for 2h on medium shelf in the oven they been wrapped with aluminium foil with poked holes
Just toast I am scared to char it, I am alittle but worried it will ruin the flavour :D
118 proof
I have no problem to leave it for a year but I am worried about that woody flavour it's came up very quick, maybe i messed up toasting ?
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by stillanoob »

From what you are saying I think you should just let it sit. I find some of the more woody flavors come out first and then the caramel/vanilla flavors later. And don't worry, you'll drink it no matter what! :lol:
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Bourbon barrels are normally charred new white oak where wine barrels are normally toasted -not charred. Charring does toast the underlying layers as well of course...

When I put toasted oak fingers in it takes some time for the color to even start to develop...

The amount should be good to start with for a gallon of 118 proof but you may or may not like it... Give it some weeks and keep testing it or stick it in the pantry and forget about it for several months?

Cheers!
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Virandell
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by Virandell »

Righty thanks alot guys I will take sticks out and I will give a light char and I will forggot about it for a while :)
It's my first bourbon so I don't want to mess it up :D
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by NormandieStill »

Bear in mind that your sticks will have picked up a little high-proof alcohol and will flame up nicely when you apply your torch. Consider doing this outside. :wink:
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by Virandell »

NormandieStill wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 11:52 am Bear in mind that your sticks will have picked up a little high-proof alcohol and will flame up nicely when you apply your torch. Consider doing this outside. :wink:
Already charred them, I wiped them with a dry cloth they still flamed everywhere but probably not as much if I would not wipe them at all :D
Thanks guys for tips
Edit: I forgot to ask before charring them 1 side is enough, or should I do all of them ?
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by jonnys_spirit »

It's whatever you want it to be...

I think barrel char is all over the inside. 10sec for #1, 20sec for #2, etc...

Prolly where you're at is as good a place as any to start and go from there..

I don't think there's a standard so have fun with it.. The Master Distillers at the various bourbon producers make the big bucks to use all the tools they have available and barrel aging is one of those powerful tools..

Cheers!
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by still_stirrin »

Don’t worry so much. An alligator char on one side should be enough. Your biggest problem, however, is IMPATIENCE. You need to just forget about your jar for 6 months, at least. Then, come check it. You didn’t use too much wood, so don’t worry. And, it will color over time, so sit back and relax.

At 118 proof cask entry, your product will be a little more on the sweet side, favoring the caramel notes (and sherry from the cask’s 1st use).
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by Saltbush Bill »

How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks?
Put less in for a shorter time.
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by The Baker »

wine barrels are normally toasted -not charred.

I have seen pictures of a cooper making wine barrels.
They fire the inside with a really fierce gas flame and that has two effects;
it makes the wood easier to bend into a barrel shape, and it conditions the wood ready for the wine or whatever.

Seeing the process and seeing the old barrel I got (looks like a crocodile skin),
I would describe this as CHARRING.
I don't want my breakfast toast to look like that!

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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by Demy »

I generally do a normal toasting ... a good option is to use a little wood and long periods, it will be less rich in aromas and less colored ... I also experimented with a lot of wood and a short time, then I removed the wood and let it age .... experimentation is fun but unfortunately requires patience ....
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by BrewinBrian44 »

In a couple of my ujssm jars I used some medium toast oak sticks from the homebrew shop that I charred with a torch. Opened the jar after a month and it literally smelled and tasted like sawdust. After much reading on here, I stuffed the jars in the attic and forgot about them. A year later I remembered they were up there. I pulled them out and tasted them again. The sawdust turned to caramel, vanilla and some fruity flavors. Delicious! Patience is key!

Just make so much product that it’s easy to forget what you’ve got stuffed away!
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by rubberduck71 »

BrewinBrian44 wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 6:32 pm In a couple of my ujssm jars I used some medium toast oak sticks from the homebrew shop that I charred with a torch. Opened the jar after a month and it literally smelled and tasted like sawdust. After much reading on here, I stuffed the jars in the attic and forgot about them. A year later I remembered they were up there. I pulled them out and tasted them again. The sawdust turned to caramel, vanilla and some fruity flavors. Delicious! Patience is key!

Just make so much product that it’s easy to forget what you’ve got stuffed away!
+1 to above recommendations.

Patience is the hardest thing to put in a jar (as has been said many times, by many smart people on this site).

I'm def living in a glass house with that statement, because sometimes I can't keep my paws off stuff that's 3 months old if it tastes good...

Another piece of advice I've read here many times: keep some of your A/G make in white. You can add it back into oaked spirit you "think" is over-oaked. Also, utilize sugarheads made from your A/G's to help keep from dipping into the A/G's.

Good luck & have fun,

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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by BrewinBrian44 »

I agree on the sugar heads! Gives you all grain flavor for free. Sugar is super cheap.
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by jonnys_spirit »

The Baker wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 3:16 pm wine barrels are normally toasted -not charred.

I have seen pictures of a cooper making wine barrels.
They fire the inside with a really fierce gas flame and that has two effects;
it makes the wood easier to bend into a barrel shape, and it conditions the wood ready for the wine or whatever.

Seeing the process and seeing the old barrel I got (looks like a crocodile skin),
I would describe this as CHARRING.
I don't want my breakfast toast to look like that!

Geoff
I used to work with a guy that ordered his toast charred! He’d tell that to the waitress and she’d think he was joking but he wasn’t. Then he’d tell her yes please. And once they think it’s charred enough run it through again and char it more - black and crunchy…

Pretty sure the intensity of the fire or flame is different for a wine barrel toasting than a bourbon barrel charring. Think mild oak fire to toast and direct/focused gas flames on high for char.

We can treat cut up staves differently to toast and char and they can and do for barrels too depending on what and how many the customer orders?

Cheers!
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Virandell
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by Virandell »

BrewinBrian44 wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 6:32 pm In a couple of my ujssm jars I used some medium toast oak sticks from the homebrew shop that I charred with a torch. Opened the jar after a month and it literally smelled and tasted like sawdust. After much reading on here, I stuffed the jars in the attic and forgot about them. A year later I remembered they were up there. I pulled them out and tasted them again. The sawdust turned to caramel, vanilla and some fruity flavors. Delicious! Patience is key!

Just make so much product that it’s easy to forget what you’ve got stuffed away!
Did you took out the sticks when you put them in the attic or you left them inside the jars ?
Thanks alot guys for all tips :)
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by BrewinBrian44 »

I left them in there. It was a small stick in each though
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by Bradster68 »

BrewinBrian44 wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 6:32 pm In a couple of my ujssm jars I used some medium toast oak sticks from the homebrew shop that I charred with a torch. Opened the jar after a month and it literally smelled and tasted like sawdust. After much reading on here, I stuffed the jars in the attic and forgot about them. A year later I remembered they were up there. I pulled them out and tasted them again. The sawdust turned to caramel, vanilla and some fruity flavors. Delicious! Patience is key!

Just make so much product that it’s easy to forget what you’ve got stuffed away!

Curious if you left the wood in or take out before the atti
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Re: How to reduce wood flavour of oak sticks

Post by Stonecutter »

48 hours brotha. That ain’t shit in the aging world. I’ve got a gallon of grape brandy sitting in an alligator Charred oak Barrel for the last 2 months and it’ll probably sit there for another 4 months and that still ain’t shit and I guarantee there’s more wood there than them two sticks you’ve got. +1 on what’s been said above. Just forget about that jar and move on. Sample it in 3 months, 6 months and a year (if you can wait that long) like the above post stated those oak notes will turn into something beautiful. By the time you get back to that jar you’ll probably have improved your methods anyway and it won’t be so special. Just my two cents worth.
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