Home Distiller

Hi, excuse my question if it is maybe too naive, but I did not find any reference elsewhere.

My first batch of single grain scotch whisky ( http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 11&t=59474) is now aging at 50% (I know it is in the lowish side).
It's about 1.5 lt (0.4 gal), and I am aging it with two new toasted and charred oak sticks 5" x 3/4" x 3/4". Looking at T-pee post and others it seems like the right amount of oak. What I am seeing i that after only 4 days the color of my batch is a deep amber. I did not taste it yet, but smell is good and it is not "woody". Am I over-oaking it or is it common that color transfers quickly?

TIA

Why don't you try it? It is to ones taste whether it has just the right amount. I'm not an expert on aging but if it tastes right and you did the run correctly.... whats the harm?

Cug ,Ive never made whisky but what you have is pretty typical when I Oak my Rum .
Sure taste it if you want but I think all you have there is color...the nice flavours takes a while longer.

Thanks guys, I'm just worried that the color is transfering so quick. I expected it (actually on no bases) to take some weeks do develop, not some hours. It that's typical now I'll make myself taste try it, even if it's way early.

I find it depends on your wood/ likker ratio and your level of char as well.
I've had them dark within a day or so and light after months.
Don't sweat it and leave her alone, doubt you'll over oak in a few days.

That's normal. Color comes over first, sometimes within a few days. Then the other reactions start happening. The aging and flavor mellowing will still take time, even though it looks good. Go ahead and taste it now to compare it, but then give it some more time. You'll be rewarded for your patience.

ShineRunner wrote:That's normal. Color comes over first, sometimes within a few days. Then the other reactions start happening. The aging and flavor mellowing will still take time, even though it looks good. Go ahead and taste it now to compare it, but then give it some more time. You'll be rewarded for your patience.

Couldn't have said it better.

tp

color comes before flavor. using new or fresh restored oak will cause this all the time, as has been stated it is normal.
When we do new barrels they color in three to five days (depends on the depth of char for one thing) flavor starts to come on after 6 weeks in the small (10 gal.) barrels, full size barrels don't start to flavor profile until after a year of aging. 53 gal. takes a while to all move through the wood evening out the flavors takes a minimum of 6 years for these casks. I like the smaller ones now that I only make liquor for me, they can be finished in as little as a year or if I want the equivalent of a 12 year old or even a 25 year old, all I have to do is leave them in the casks a few years. (I get a 12 year flavor profile in two years for a 1o gal. casks) if I want a super nice 50 year profile I have to wait for 6 years.

I finally tried the sticks in a mason jar and woo hoo, I like that method.

Thank you for the valuable information! I tasted it and I confirm that almost nothing besides color has been transfered to the liquor, yet.

Less than a week on wood....the real goodness needs 4 to 6 months! Patience....you gotta' wait on it.

But in the meantime, start another ferment, or two. Soon enough you'll have your own product to consume. Building inventory seems to be the bain of the new distiller.
ss

I run batches on a two week schedule, that way I never run out or hit a wait period. I usually keep this schedule for at least 4 months.
But I also have the space in the barn for storing that much. When winter hits, I'm on drink down time with out having to worry about running out until harvest (traditional shiner time).
If you keep busy with mashing you don't notice the wait as much, and there is always the option of using one run as shine too.
I have a set of racks in the barn that go from floor to roof I can store everything I make in there (90 gal. of fresh fill).