when you over oak.....

[ledyard]

Over oaking. My first two runs were a BW and sweet feed. I finally bought some med toast French oak chips. I took a couple pints and two quarts of likker (both runs) and proofed down to 60%. I put various amounts of chips in each container. Some pure vanilla extract in one. A partial vanilla bean in another. Now I can see by the color, smell and taste after only two days that I over oaked. I figured I was when I did it anyways.

So what I'm wondering is should I just let it sit a month or two and Proof it down to 45-50% or so and then dilute it further with more 45-50% clear? Or add more 60% to it now so it can all age together?

I notice when I smell it right now that the sweet feed has a much nicer aroma than the neutral.

Another question....I have about 5 gallons of stripped sweet feed left to do a spirit run. I plan on taking a gallon of 60% and putting it on oak and forgetting about it until summer. What I was wondering is, I'm going to put a piece of vanilla bean in it. How big of a piece of vanilla bean would you guys recommend?

[Fastill]

Over oaking. My first two runs were a BW and sweet feed. I finally bought some med toast French oak chips. I took a couple pints and two quarts of likker (both runs) and proofed down to 60%. I put various amounts of chips in each container. Some pure vanilla extract in one. A partial vanilla bean in another. Now I can see by the color, smell and taste after only two days that I over oaked. I figured I was when I did it anyways.
Two days is not enough time to even guess that you overoaked. With oak it takes months for all of the complex flavors to extract and blend, let it sit.
So what I'm wondering is should I just let it sit a month or two and Proof it down to 45-50% or so and then dilute it further with more 45-50% clear? Or add more 60% to it now so it can all age together?
Let it sit, you might not need to add anything else to dilute besides water.

I notice when I smell it right now that the sweet feed has a much nicer aroma than the neutral.
Neutral doesn't lend itself to oaking very well. It is suposed to be flavorless alcohol.
Another question....I have about 5 gallons of stripped sweet feed left to do a spirit run. I plan on taking a gallon of 60% and putting it on oak and forgetting about it until summer. What I was wondering is, I'm going to put a piece of vanilla bean in it. How big of a piece of vanilla bean would you guys recommend?

I wouldn't add vanilla if you are aging on oak, you might get all the vanilla you want from the wood. I use used whisky barrel staves and get more vanilla then I need just from the staves.

[DAD300]

I agree you can't really tell if it's over oaked until you're ready to drink it. If you're already tasting it, did you cut it to say 30% with water for tasting? That makes a big difference.

I oak neutral to make a "young" whiskey. But I finish oaking it before I add any other adjuncts, like vanilla, raisins, a dried cherry, a few drops of sherry,... To my taste, a whole vanilla bean will do a gallon in a week or two. Add these things sparingly, let them set, water to taste and add if needed.

[ledyard]

Yeah I tasted it just to see what flavor had happened already. Just tiny sips that didn't even hit my throat. Because the color changed dramatically I just wanted to see if the flavor followed. I know it takes a while it just seemed really really strong in oak flavor.

[scout]

Yeah I tasted it just to see what flavor had happened already. Just tiny sips that didn't even hit my throat. Because the color changed dramatically I just wanted to see if the flavor followed. I know it takes a while it just seemed really really strong in oak flavor.

The first flavonoids that come out of wood are the tannins and other harsher tasting flavors, this tends to dissipate the longer on the wood. I was given a tour at GD once and got to taste from several different years in the wood. 1st year barrel, nasty tasting at best. The 2nd year barrel a bit better, 3rd year barrel the first hint of vanilla showing up, by the 5th year barrel it was tasting like GD. These were our standard 53 gal barrels. I use 3 gal barrels which age much faster.