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Re: Photo of propane charred stick - feedback welcomed
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 8:03 am
by sounder_4
Brendan wrote:If anyone knows more about this than me I'd appreciate the input, but I wonder if the use of propane could have any negative effects...obviously the gas burns up in the flame, but does it completely burn up? Or does some liquid propane seep into the oak? I have heard of people having funny tasting spirit and they had used propane so I was suspicious (there are obviously 100 other possible variables at fault). I tend to light a little fire with paper to char my sticks only because I am unsure whether I should be comfortable with propane on them...
Countless meals are cooked daily using propane fueled BBQ grills with no ill effects/off flavors. I've searched the web and have found zero evidence that propane will leave an off taste.
Re: Photo of propane charred stick - feedback welcomed
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 8:11 am
by Jimbo
sounder_4 wrote: I don't buy the argument that small holes would cause noticeable product loss. I'll be doing it this way and will report back in a couple months.
Excellent, try it and let us know how it goes. Experimenting is usually good.
I once had a jar of pear brandy I forgot to screw the lid down on. It sat for over a year forgotten in my bottom cupboard, When I grabbed it again it had lost 1/3 of its contents, but the flavor was awesome, condensed. Again Im not a chemist, but maybe ethanol evaporates and flavors dont, or at least not as fast. Just speculation. If so, that would only be good if your flavors were good to begin with. Kinda like cocaine, folks say it amplifies your personality. Thats only good if youre not an asshole.
Re: Photo of propane charred stick - feedback welcomed
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 8:14 am
by T-Pee
Jimbo wrote:...that would only be good if your flavors were good to begin with. Kinda like cocaine, folks say it amplifies your personality. Thats only good if youre not an asshole.
Truth for the day!
tp
Re: Photo of propane charred stick - feedback welcomed
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 8:24 am
by sounder_4
Jimbo wrote: Kinda like cocaine, folks say it amplifies your personality. Thats only good if youre not an asshole.
I knew there was a reason I should not use cocaine.
Re: R: Photo of propane charred stick - feedback welcomed
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 12:35 pm
by Domiz
Jimbo wrote:Hi Domiz,
Some species of European oka make very fine aging barrels. Do you know if your oak stumps are one of these?
Quercus Petraea, “Sessile Oak” (Europe). Found across Europe, notably in France. Most commonly used for wine cooperage. Slow growth, fine tannins and more vanilla (compared to Pedunculate) Most common species in Tronçais forest
Quercus Robur, “Pedunculate Oak” (Europe). Found across Europe. Spanish Oak generates more raisin, prune-like flavors. Most commonly used for cognac and sherry cooperage. Fast growth, more tannins, thus more oxidative characteristics in the matured products (compared to Sessile). Most common species in Limousin forest
Note for whiskey youll want to toast the wood first, cut into sticks, I use 2.5cm x 2.5cm x 13cm. Toast in your oven at 205C for 3 hours. This caramelizes the wood sugars. Then, char the sticks all around, I use a light to mediium char. Use 1 stick per liter, aged around 60% ABV.
Thanks jimbo for the perfect explaination but i don't know what type of oak is, i could post a photo of the tree and the stump but i think you could not ricognize the specie.
Re: Photo of propane charred stick - feedback welcomed
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 12:40 pm
by Domiz
i read in wikipedia that the first specie of oak is common in all Italy, maybe i have a bit of luck!
Re: Photo of propane charred stick - feedback welcomed
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 12:45 pm
by Jimbo
nice. cut it up, bake it, and char it. Make sure you only use heartwood, not the lighter colored sapwood thats close to the bark.
Re: Photo of propane charred stick - feedback welcomed
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 12:53 pm
by Domiz
Jimbo wrote:nice. cut it up, bake it, and char it. Make sure you only use heartwood, not the lighter colored sapwood thats close to the bark.
I will try but i think it more simply to cut the wood of branch insted of the heartwood of the trunk!
Re: Photo of propane charred stick - feedback welcomed
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 1:03 pm
by Jimbo
Domiz, this is what I mean by heartwood. The darker wood int he middle
- heartwood.jpg (6.28 KiB) Viewed 744 times
Re: Photo of propane charred stick - feedback welcomed
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 1:06 pm
by Domiz
yes i understood what do you mean with heartwood, i find the meaning on internet! XD
2 years ago i cut the tree because it was falling down so the wood is very dry, i only have to save some pieces of them from the fire of my fireplace and cut off the sapwood.
When i'll do i would post some photos.
thanks for the advices!
Re: Photo of propane charred stick - feedback welcomed
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 1:20 pm
by Bushman
When I used the heartwood from a plum tree I found it easiest to split then cut the the sizes I wanted using a bandsaw before toasting. I wrapped my sticks in aluminum foil and did it over the BBQ.
Re: Photo of propane charred stick - feedback welcomed
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 2:01 pm
by Domiz
but in this way you don't char the wood, isn't right?
Re: Photo of propane charred stick - feedback welcomed
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 2:11 pm
by Tater
no that toasts it. read over this for better understanding.
http://homedistiller.org/aging/aging/wood" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Re: Photo of propane charred stick - feedback welcomed
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 5:12 pm
by corene1
Sounder , yes maybe making oak lids is a little overboard but what the heck it is a fun project and it works well. Yes those are toasted red oak. I have a piece of white oak on order as none of the wood supply places here didn't have any solid white oak. And don't forget the cool factor . that is why nothing on these pages looks the same, we all want something a little different to call our own idea. I am betting you could make a lid cap out of any safe slightly porous material and it would work.
Re: Photo of propane charred stick - feedback welcomed
Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2014 4:59 am
by Domiz
Thanks a lot i have understood the meaning of the two processes.