Re-using Oak Chips

Stangas · Post by **Stangas** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 2:41 am

After oaking the whiskey.. can you re-use the oak in the next brew?

Just wondering..

Altho i scored like a 40L container full of oak chips the other day for $100 so it is out of interest only.

Cheers

Rocky_Creek · Post by **Rocky_Creek** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 4:22 am

Yes. May take a bit longer. Especially good for rum.

Post by **golden pond** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 4:27 am

You can reuse them but they'll be much weaker in strength, kind of like making another pot of coffee or tea using the old grounds.

DBM · Post by **DBM** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 2:08 pm

Oak chips are for smoking meat, put your whisky in oak barrels.

Post by **golden pond** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 2:59 pm

DBM where the are you from? We use hickory, sasafrass or apple to smoke our meat, nerver heard of using OAK

possum · Post by **possum** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 4:37 pm

Pap often used Black Locust on his ham, but Apple was prefered.

I use old char chips for longer agings, as they are less likely to over flavor the booze.

Stangas · Post by **Stangas** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 6:44 pm

kewl... cheers fellas

will use it for me rums then

Hootch · Post by **Hootch** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 8:14 pm

golden pond wrote:DBM where the are you from? We use hickory, sasafrass or apple to smoke our meat, nerver heard of using OAK

I've been smoking meat for many years, and any tree that bears nuts or fruit is fine for smoking!

Post by **Tater** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 9:10 pm

Watershed · Post by **Watershed** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 12:56 am

I reuse my pencil sized staves of oak - but I refire them first. It seems to have an effect a lot faster after refiring presumably because the wood's a lot more porous second time around.
After a second use they get stored wet until I've got enough to smoke something - usualy a goose.