Oaking: Before or after diluting?

[Uncle Jesse]

from the old message boards:

Tony Bones
(Unregistered)
07/29/04 12:12 AM
subject: Oaking: Before or after dilluting?

Sure this has been answered here many times, but I can't find the link.

Just built a batch of tequila and am wondering if I should oak it pre-cutting or post?

Gracias!


theholymackerel
(enthusiast)
07/29/04 12:09 PM
Re: Oaking: Before or after dilluting? [re: Tony Bones]

Booze is aged at "cask strength" (usually 60%abv). After agin' it's diluted and bottled.

Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody.
-Mark Twain


nzbourbonhead
(stranger)
09/11/04 02:50 PM
Re: Oaking: Before or after dilluting? [re: theholymackerel]

Ok they say to carbon filter after diluting so If you age with woodchips first then dilute and then carbon filter wont you loose most of flavour from woodchips?


theholymackerel
(addict)
09/11/04 03:07 PM
Re: Oaking: Before or after dilluting? [re: nzbourbonhead]

If yer carbon filterin' I assume yer makin' vodka... most vodka isn't aged on wood.

Wood agin' is mostly for the flavored alcohols that come outta a potstill.



nzbourbonhead
(stranger)
09/11/04 03:43 PM
Re: Oaking: Before or after dilluting? [re: theholymackerel]

At the moment I am using a pot still and I am double distilling neutral spirit. Dilute back to 37.5% and zfiltering it. Using a flavourings to flavour bourbon rum etc. Should have some molasses next week to try a rum mash. Just not sure using this system where I should age spirit with wood chips when I am going to flavour neutral spirit with rum or bourbon


Blanchy
(enthusiast)
09/11/04 03:57 PM
Re: Oaking: Before or after dilluting? [re: nzbourbonhead]


Finish your spirit to the point of adding the flavorings. If you like the flavor, you are done. If you want more oak flavor add it then. The extracted flavors will be a little different than oaking at cask strength. Since you're trying to use oak and flavorings, you're trying to beat a round peg into a square hole, a little bit at least.