Home Distiller

Aside from the various members of the oak family, are any other woods used much in the maturation of spirits? Anyone found other species that work particularly well?

Apple, maple.......They are both used quite often, but really...
I'd try to use anything that you thing might bring good flavor (except pine)

Only thing I've tried other than white oak is red oak....I wouldn't advise red oak to anyone.

Suppliers of distilling equipment over here sell barrels made of chestnut too.
Those are a lot cheaper than oak barrels, about 1/3 of the price. I've never used them (yet) so i don't know if they're any good. (suppose they are, otherwise they wouldn't be sold...)

KJH

Grayson_Stewart wrote:Only thing I've tried other than white oak is red oak....I wouldn't advise red oak to anyone.

Quercus robur? It's used extensively in Europe for brandies and also used for some malt scotch, it has a far higher level of extractables. I use nothing else at the moment.

I'm wondering if well seasoned cherry might have something to offer.

Charred Apple for me...BJJB

Anyone tried hazel or sycamore - I can get them in unlimited quantities.
I'm planning a batch from dried vine fruit soon, I'll try out a bit of cherry wood on it.

Watershed wrote:

Grayson_Stewart wrote:Only thing I've tried other than white oak is red oak....I wouldn't advise red oak to anyone.

Quercus robur? It's used extensively in Europe for brandies and also used for some malt scotch, it has a far higher level of extractables. I use nothing else at the moment.

I'm wondering if well seasoned cherry might have something to offer.

American red oak is Q. rubra (not good for whiskey), not the European Q. robur (good for wines, brandies, scotch, but probably not bourbon). Just depends which side of the pond you're on!

Grayson_Stewart wrote:Only thing I've tried other than white oak is red oak....I wouldn't advise red oak to anyone.

Why not?

I was cutting white oak up into 6"x1"x1/8" pieces and charring it with a torch then I'd put it down into my quart jars and let em' sit for a couple months. It helped to take quite a bit of the "edge" off of the whiskey and gave it a nice color too. Lots easier then having to make a barrel, but then if you're going to let it age for years the barrel might be the better way to go. JMHO, YMMV.

I've always used oak chips made with a lathe but for the first time yesterday I used 1"x1"x6" pieces of oak. I charred them on the bbq, they started on fire and let them burn for a bit. Then I smothered them between two backing pans. I dropped them into the rum and they want to float. Chips have always sunk to the bottom but the sticks float. After a day a few of them have sunk but some still float. Anyone dealt with this or do you just leave them float?

They won't all float for long, just let em do their thing and give the container a good shake everynow and then.

What Gray said.

charred apple works nice for me , but I have a suply that excedes my spirit production for recreational levels.

possum, I'd be happy to purchase some of your burden. That is if you would be interested.

problem is I need a chainsaw that works... or a troupe of hyperactive boy scouts with hand axes. Apple is standing dead wood right now but I'll see who I can persuade to loan me one. Colorado to the east coast probably would be too far to get you to travel to chop wood ehe transplant?

Whatever you do possum don't waste it. Apple wood is wonderful for smoking meat, sausage, fish or whatever...I've not yet tried it in liquor but I will one day.

I've got two good pieces of wood here - one's pear, the other laburnum. Shame I can't remember which is which - I don't much fancy using the laburnum....

well possum, depending on how far north of the Mason-Dixon line you are that might be possible some time in '06. Got a couple trips planned for The Mother Land. But only if your serious. Have Stihl (the saw kind) do travel. ?

possibly, I'm in PA, south central

possum, i'll send you a pm on this board and see what we can come up with

It was mentioned earlier in this thread but not answered. Has anyone tried hazel wood for ageing? Or does anyone know of a reason I shouldn't try it?

In Bulgaria where I live a common wood that casks are made from is Mulberry. It is rather porus though so it is often combined with oak and so the staves are both mulberry and oak, a great combination. It gives a wonderful colour and flavour though but very expensive to buy. Mulberry sticks are also available which I often use to add to my collection of aging glass jars along with the burnt/charred oak sticks, but by far the best agining is in casks which I keep in my cellar which is dark and very cool, I leave the casks there for about a year before bringing them upstairs and putting them in a cupboard in the laundry where it is significantly warmer and gets a lot more fluctuations in temperatures which benifits the extraction of the flavours etc from the wood. I also add a small amount of maple syrup to the cask as I intially fill it and this seems to help with flavouring.
Cheers