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I got some white oak that I want to toast and char and add to my whisky. My question is: to char, do I hold a torch to the wood until it gets really hot and sufficiently charred? Or do I just light the surfaces of the wood on fire and let it burn on its own for a bit before extinguishing the flames?

I do mine on a charcoal grill, but I've heard of people using a propane torch. Hope it helps!

Any method that sufficiently chars the outside. Ive done both. Dont forget to soak in water afterwards for a few hours or overnight. It leaches some tannins, cleans up the worst of the loose black charcoal dust and 'prepares' the wood for better exchange of the alcohol in and out of the pores.

Heck a while back I even wrapped some in foil
toasted on the bbq and THEN went after it with
the propane weed burner until it was burning
pretty well on its own

Then water soaked over 24 hours

Coyote

Nutmegmooner wrote:I do mine on a charcoal grill, but I've heard of people using a propane torch. Hope it helps!

Does the oak catch fire when you char it on the grill?

How long do you cook it?

Do you feel this method produces the same quality of charred oak as can be expected when using a propane torch?

I charred my oak cubes yesterday. Toasted at 400F, then charred it, some alligator chars, some light chars. Soaked in water for a bit to take off the extra flaky charcoal and then threw it in my white lightning. I put it in the freezer in the afternoon around 4F, and after it was there for a while, I put it in my boiler room which is around 80F. Left it in my boiler room overnight and already found it taking on a very nice, light brown colour after only 18 hours. I had to transfer it all into one big glass jug which I covered, but unfortunately does not fit in my freezer or in my large, but stupidly shelved fridge.

So...if I leave it outside at night in around 41F and in my boiler room during the day at 80F, is that sufficient temperature difference to get some good distress ageing in? I tend to age it as long as I possibly can keep my hands off it but would nonetheless like to distress age it as often as possible.

Yeah, that's what I do. I have also found that when you are warming it back up, to push some air into it(fish tank pump) not only will it help it warm up faster(not by much but it is a plus) but it will help get some VOC's outa it. think of what happens in a barrel, it breaths and does this on its own, those of us who glass age don't usually let it breath too much. Just my thoughts on it.

I've used both torch and BBQ. Some folks have used the oven but beware you will stink up the house. When BBQ depending on length of time and temp you can either toast or char as with enough temp it starts to smoke and can catch fire. I also use aluminum foil as the methods are well documented here on HD. Also I like to do the bbq while cooking fish so that I get multiple use from the propane and fish doesn't carry over the flavor that a red meat would.

I toast in a foil-covered aluminum pan at 400° for two hours then hit it with a propane torch for an "alligator skin" char.
Fortunately, the wife likes the smell of toasted oak. Fermenting UJSSM not so much but I'm working on that.

tp

T-Pee wrote:Fortunately, the wife likes the smell of toasted oak. Fermenting UJSSM not so much but I'm working on that.

tp

Lucky. I love the smell of oak toasting in the oven. And beer boiling. Wife not so much Both smell like heaven to me, they should come up with a perfume that combines the scents.

I once heard hops are a mosquito repellent. So I made a spray out of boiled hops. It didnt work, skeeters still chewed the shit out of me. But I smelled damned delightful, like an IPA.

Jimbo wrote:I once heard hops are a mosquito repellent. So I made a spray out of boiled hops. It didnt work, skeeters still chewed the shit out of me. But I smelled damned delightful, like an IPA.

Might wanna avoid biker bars smellin' like that.

tp

Most searches says put in the oven for 2-4 hrs at a temp (i like 400) to bring out diff tastes in the wood. 400 is vanilla. The chart is on this site but have not seen it for a long time. I am sure that my pallet is refined enough to know if it helps or not. I have toasted with a propane torch. It takes to long and cost to much. I have not done the grill but it is a good idea, quicker and easier. I like the outside fire pit. Put a grill grate over it so the wood don't get mixed up. Burn it real good and drop it in a 5 gal bucket of water over night. When i get it out I rub it with my hands real good to get the loose stuff off.

halfbaked wrote:I have toasted with a propane torch. It takes to long and cost to much. I have not done the grill but it is a good idea, quicker and easier. I like the outside fire pit. Put a grill grate over it so the wood don't get mixed up. Burn it real good and drop it in a 5 gal bucket of water over night.

Are you saying you don't bother at all with a propane torch to, for example, char the wood for an alligator skin char?

Not at all. Propane torch is not the method I like. It works and I have done it. I like the outside fire pit better. Its the lazier method.

Charring oak is the only attention my propane burner gets now that Ive switched to electrons.