oak chips, how long?

[white_likker1]

From parent site:

"To round out or smooth the flavour of your liqueur or commercially flavoured drinks, it often pays to artifically age your drinks."

" Start by using one teaspoon of oak per litre of alcohol, and let it soak for a week. Taste test frequently to find the level of flavour intensity that suits you - eg maybe a little more oak, or longer, or different % alcohol, or different levels of oak toasting. "

Does that mean that the longer you leave it the smoother it gets or the stronger tasting it gets?

Also this is a little confusing "Oaking - Several different flavors can come from a single type of oak if alcohol strength is adjusted during maturation. 55%-53% will give vanillins, 40%-50% will give a mix of vanillins and sugars, 40%-49% will give sugars."

Does that mean to adjust you percentage before adding the chips or adjust it over time while chips are in?

I have
Dark Toasted American White Oak.

[Tater]

Look over this part parent site and see if it clears any of this up .http://homedistiller.org/aging/aging/wood" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[white_likker1]

Look over this part parent site and see if it clears any of this up .http://homedistiller.org/aging/aging/wood" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Tater I read that and it confuses me. Does the intensity if the flavor increase over time with wood or decrease?

[forrestgump]

I don't have anything that can really help with your question.

However, I just put down 2l of 40% over Whisky chips and 2l of 40% over Bourbon chips today and I am just working on the theory that there is no golden rule - it is gonna be try and taste all the way.

My current plan is to let it "age" on the chips for around ten days. Then I will have a sipping session where I add a commercial essence bit by bit till I get something that is hopefully acceptable. The Bourbon is for me and the Whisky is for SWMBO.

It was interesting to note that it has started to pick up nice color from the chips already and is even starting to smell right (8 hrs).

I am hoping that doing it this way is going to produce a better result than I have had with just the essence. The essence only product is acceptable in Coke but it doesn't have any depth and is perhaps a bit too "vanillery". I also note a slight after taste (a bit like that taste from aspartame poisoned soft drinks). I'm hoping that the "chip + essence" technique will be an improvement.

[Titus-a-fishus]

Depends on your taste.
How many chips/chunks you add.
What type of chips/chunks you add.
How good the neutral is.

And probably a heap of other things as well.

Currently experimenting with few chunks over longer time ( a year) as well as lots over a short time. (three months)

Start with a few jars of a litre or two and give it a go.

Can also add raisins (colour and taste)
Vanilla beans ..... not too long as they will dominate the flavour.
Citrus peel, whole pepper corns,...... and heaps of other herbs etc.

Lots of choices.

TAF

[Kiwikeg]

I used to use oak chips & chunks to flavour neutral.
Chunks are better for mellowing out the liqour than the chips. I soak about 100grams of chunks to 1 gallon of 50-55% abv neutral for about 2-3 weeks testing often then strain off liquor to age a while, then I toss the used chunks into a big tank of used chunks that i keep filling and draining of neutral as the taste comes right, eventually you end up with a few gallon jars of differant bourbon tasting spirits that you can blend to suit your own tastes. If its a bit harsh you can add a LITTLE essence to mellow it or give it longer on oak.
This is how I used to flavour my spirits - it got me started and produced a drinkable flavoured spirit but I hope I have evolved from there and am now trying chunks with UJSSM but the corn flavours seem to overpower the oak...
save the spent chunks for using in your smoker or Hangi keg.
dont overthink it- when it tastes good its ready!

[dakotasnake]

for me after much xperementing i put a charred white oak chunk about 1/2 the size of a pk.of smokes in a qt. jar of 60% corn likker or ujssm for 2 months. it may be a little much for some and not enuff for others.give'em a shake when ever ya think of it and open the lid for a few minutes to 1/2 hr. makes a fine bourbon that my freinds are always trying to talk me outa. and as stated the used wood is good on the grill.

[Tater]

Look over this part parent site and see if it clears any of this up .http://homedistiller.org/aging/aging/wood" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Tater I read that and it confuses me. Does the intensity if the flavor increase over time with wood or decrease?

To my taste it mellows over time if it int over oaked.

[Washashore]

Does that mean that the longer you leave it the smoother it gets or the stronger tasting it gets?

+1 on Tater. The longer it ages, the more mellow the spirit gets...provided it's not over-oaked. Personally, I don't prefer a drink that tastes like a tree, or a fireplace. Age will also add complexity and depth. I like to put mine in the barrel at no more than 65% ABV. I've also used chips and homemade charred sticks. I prefer barrel aging (obviously) but would take charred sticks over chips any day.

[WalkingWolf]

Does that mean to adjust you percentage before adding the chips or adjust it over time while chips are in?

Yes.

You do all of the above and then some. As you can already tell this question is similar to how big is big enough? You take bits and pieces from everyones advice and you make it your own. Starting out, I'd recommend you try a few different combinations. I have tried deep toasted and charred. My preference is the charred. I use charred sticks ~3/4 X 6 inches. I put two in a 1 liter jar. At three months it's tasty but at 9 months + it is smoother with a more complex tasste.

[rtalbigr]

As you can see from all the posts there is a tremendous variety in what people do with oak. Like washashore I much prefer barrel aging. When I do sticks I use a 1/2 x 1/2 x 6 inch heavy toast and chard in 65% for 6-8 weeks/qt. Then I'll cut it down to 50% and leave the stick in for, well, however long. Had some SM bourbon last night that had the stick in for a year, very smooth wonderful drink.

Big R

[TonyHibbett]

I have an old barrel which no longer imparts colour or flavour. It may even be doing the reverse. I have heard you can get Jack Daniels oak chips which do actually taste of the stuff, which confirms my suspicion. A canny Scotsman bought some old barrels from a sherry maker for storing whiskey because they were cheap. He later sold the barrels back to the sherry maker who liked the whiskey flavour in his sherry.
Now I add oak chips to the brew inside the barrel!
I added a few grams of French oak chips to a bottle of my brandy and noticed something like a fermentation taking place. After a week, no noticable colour change took place, so I strained the brandy which tasted somewhat smoother and had the 'right' colour, but that colour is more easily achieved with caramel, which also adds a touch of sweetness. I examined a bottle of cheap French brandy, contents: Grape alcohol, caramel, sugar. It's quite possible that it never had contact with oak!
As for how long, the very fine, almost sawdust stuff is fast acting, so no more than a week, I'd say, whereas the bigger stuff, 'beans', can be left up to 3 months. The thing to avoid is imparting wet wood flavour!

[white_likker1]

All very good answers. I know alot more now than I did. I just have to make my decision during experimentation and keep notes so I know what I did.