favorite charred wood and why

Aidas · Post by **Aidas** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 8:40 am

I just re-read your question and realize that you were talking about ONE more go. I read it first as a constant process...

My answer is yes -- as long as you're exposing "fresh" wood to charring, it's going to give you flavor. Less and less as you go along, but it's still going to work.

I would think that a thumb-thick chunk could go through at least two "refreshers", thus you would get a total of 4-6 soaks out of one chunk (if my math is correct = first scrape/char (two or three soaks) then another (two or three)). Then, if there's enough mass left, you could go again, but like I said above, you're getting thin...

Aidas

Safegyde · Post by **Safegyde** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 8:55 am

So still no one has tried orange??

We have hickory in the store for smoking chips. I might pick up some of that. There shouldn't be any chemicals if it is used for smoking right??

Post by **HookLine** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:05 am

Thanks again, Aidas.

I think that you'll be scraping the bottom of the barrel (God, another pun, also intended).

I have also saved the bottom of the barrel for sticks, so I will be scraping it at some point.

Yeah, I know the sticks won't last forever, they definitely get less effective after each use, and quite quickly. But even if I can get only one 'refresh' out of them, that is still saving a fair bit of oak. It is a bit of work, but I don't make huge amounts, so won't have to scrape real often.

There is definitely Old World and US oaks here, and some good barrel makers. But most of Australia is not really a suitable climate for growing them in large numbers, too hot and subject to long savage droughts, and generally crap soils too. Also, I am in the tropical part of Oz, a long way from oak country. I can buy oak chips no problem, just cost a bit. Half a 320 (?) litre wine barrel was very cheap compared to little bags of oak chips. (As long as there is no problem with mildicide.

Know anything about that?)

zymos · Post by **zymos** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:21 am

RE: the mildicide:
I checked the website of the place I thought we used to buy it from, and can't seem to find it. It penetrates the wood probably less than the wine does- since it is just brushed on like paint once or twice...

punkin · Post by **punkin** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:30 am

I reuse my sticks for smoking too. But i store them in an airtight jar when i take em outa the hooch, that way i don't have to soak em in water and the smell of the rum or bourbon flavour coming out in the smoke is divine.

Aidas · Post by **Aidas** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 11:29 am

Damn good idea. I'll have to start doing that.

Aidas

violentblue · Post by **violentblue** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:19 pm

made some applewood aging sticks up.
took a branch I salvaged from the tree trimmings
stripped the bark and the first "soft" layer of wood and let it sit on the barbecue burners on one side on low and the wood on the other side. left it like that for the better part of a day.

since it was a smaller branch (2 1/2" dia) I quartered it then sliced in 4" long sticks. took half and charred them on all surfaces, and put them all in an airtight jar for later use. the smell of the smoke coming off them, and on my hands is very nice.

I think a couple sticks of this and some premium oak chips will make my rum something special.

punkin · Post by **punkin** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:00 am

Made toasted oak sticks in the oven last night.
It's all you can smell in the house now, the smokey background. It's not bad, just strong.

Aidas · Post by **Aidas** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 12:22 pm

I know what you mean. I love that smell. SWMBO, on the other hand, thinks it's too strong... that's why I've been thinking about getting a mini-oven to put into the "lab" so I can toast there, instead of in the kitchen.

Aidas

punkin · Post by **punkin** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:06 pm

Aidas wrote:I know what you mean. I love that smell. SWMBO, on the other hand, thinks it's too strong... that's why I've been thinking about getting a mini-oven to put into the "lab" so I can toast there, instead of in the kitchen.

Aidas

My bourbon girl puts up with it

ForObviousReasonsPunkin

Dutchmancreek · Post by **Dutchmancreek** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 5:45 am

I bought my wife a new toaster oven and put the old one out in the shop where I can toast oak and apple without smoking up the kitchen. I got the oven, she got a present....win/win.

Aidas · Post by **Aidas** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:04 pm

Dutchmancreek wrote:I bought my wife a new toaster oven and put the old one out in the shop where I can toast oak and apple without smoking up the kitchen. I got the oven, she got a present....win/win.

Ah, you had an old toaster oven to do the deal with. All I've got is the integrated convection oven that was put in when we redid the kitchen.

SWMBO secretly thinks that this hobby is not worthy of the kitchen... as long as it stays in the lab, it's all good, but the kitchen is not where it should be

Aidas

violentblue · Post by **violentblue** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:27 pm

charred applewood turned my rum a peach color, thats only after 2 days, so we'll see what happens with more time.

violentblue · Post by **violentblue** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:53 pm

took 1 750ml bottle of hearts from my rum run to try out some of the apple wood, after about a week I gave it a try. the alcohol was much to strong, even diluted down 1:1 with water

mixed with a little coke, it definatly didn't taste like appletons, but it was very nice, let it sit for six months with a little charred oak and it will be something special.