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I would like to pass on an Idea from pour god friend Pigroaster. I get e-mails from him regularly even though he doesn't post much anymore.

Toaster oven Pigroaster Custom Toasted Oak shapes I used 5/8 inch thick air dried white oak 2 7/8 or 4 3/8 or 5 7/8 inches wide and set table saw fence at 1/8 inch and saw cut ¼ inch deep. Make first cut on all sides top and bottom (4 cuts) Move fence ¼ inch to right and do 4 more cuts. Eventually you will end up in the middle. Make the cut board into 5/8 or 11/16 strips by using band saw and cut down between two cuts. This gives one side of the oak stick 11/16 inches in size if you do not wander when you cut. The surface area of all that is left is almost the same. 1/8 inch thick! Toast in toaster oven in middle rack spot covered tightly in aluminum foil.
First batch: 400F for 1 ¾ hours and 450F for 15 minutes. Result medium toast. I cut 6 ½ to 6 ¾ in length so the oak will not get wedged in a gallon glass jug. Second batch: Used foil from first batch and added second layer due to a few holes in first layer from batch 1. 400F for 1 ½ hours and 450 for 35 minutes. Smoke coming from toasting oven (outside) Results are darker. Now to test them!

Surface area of stick 5/8 x 5/8 x 6 1/2inches long including two ends = 5/8 x 5/8 x 6 ½ x 4 sides plus 5/8 x 5/8 x 2 (ends) = 11.34375 inches

Surface area for new model. 8 areas x ¼ x 6 ½ = 13 plus surface area ends (.78125) (2 ends) minus 8 surface areas (2 ends with 4 in each end) x ¼ x 1/8 =1/4 inch of removed area = .53125. New surface area of Pigroaster shapes = 13.53125 plus old surface area not counting ends 10.15625 = grand total surface area: 23.68875 of surface area in square inches.
The results of this exercise is to create a new surface area over twice the original plus having an even toasting depth on all surfaces exposed to the toasting process! This uses all the good qualities in each oak stick and allows only 1/16 inch penetration from each surface for the liquid to meet in the middle. Wow what a creation.

Very nice.

I can grind a knife and run threw molder , how many thousand feet you want?

I am not sure I get it.

What is the advantage of doing it this way, compared to just splitting the wood into 1/8" thick flat sticks to start with? Just splitting has the advantage of not wasting any wood in cutting/routing out the channels used in Pigroaster's version (or the spiral cut version).

Have I missed something obvious?

Every cut wastes wood. Now, if you have a super fine band saw (say 1/32"), if you cut that 5/8" into 8ths, you would get get 4 slats from it.

That would be 5/8" x 2 + 1/8" or 11/8" * 4.

However, most people will cut wood with a blade that is closer to 1/8 (or even 3/16").

So you will end up with much more waste.

I think the pattern shown, is pretty wood friendly, in relationship to amount of final wood, and finished surface area. With a 1/8" blade, you will lose half the wood. I think there is more than half the wood left when cut into this pattern.

H.

Edit, I now re-read you post, and you talk splitting. If you do split, then that might be more "friendly". Doing it like they talk about in Foxfire (oak splits).

I have tried the 1/8 inch splits years ago. The problem I encountered using very straight splits was that the small planks tended to clump together and prohibit fluid contact. The spirals and the pigroaster molding pattern keep the pieces from stacking up that way. I have even had a bit of problem using square pieces of oak. I have to shake the pieces regularly because the realign with each other when they sink to the bottom.
When the spirals sink, the openings are aligned nearly vertical. If there is a heat difference in the jug, convection keeps the fluid moving through them. These rectangular ones would be better in a tall thin bottle where the wood would stay more vertical.

Same idea as Infusion Spirals from http://www.thebarrelmill.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
More wood surface area in contact with hooch.

It would be great if this sort of thing could be better adapted to use more end grain surface area rather than edge grain. I saw somewhere on here that you get 8x the infusion with end grain over edge grain. The point of the spirals is not only to maximize overall surface area, but also to maximize the end grain area, IIRC.

If you wanted more end grain, you could use a 1x6 and cross-cut it for the same profile. It would be a lot more fragile and may require more filtering.

pintoshine wrote:I have tried the 1/8 inch splits years ago. The problem I encountered using very straight splits was that the small planks tended to clump together and prohibit fluid contact. The spirals and the pigroaster molding pattern keep the pieces from stacking up that way.

Good point.

I have found something out that no-one has published on the forum. When toasting oak you need a small pin prick or two in foil to get proper toast. Last night's dark toast experiment was double foil wrapped. One package came out dark toasted and the other looked as if it had not been toasted at all. Neat eh!

I've noticed that too. You need some way to let the expanding air and pyrolysis gases to escape.

Is there a large nationwide store that sells a form of oak that I can do this to? As of now I don't know anyone that is selling oak logs and I want to try this out if possible.

I have done this with material from barrel staves. Not the "exact" pattern, but close.

H.

Pinto , have you tried pigroasters profile with your charring method ? If so did you like the results . I would think that if combining the two methods you would get alot more contact area( from the extra square inches in the profile and the micro cracks from the high heat toast ) which should speed up aging time?

No honestly I haven't yet. When i got these pics from pigroaster I had already put my stuff on oak using my method and had nothing else left to age.
I'll try it as soon as I get my new corn masher.

I wonder if the starting moisture content has an effect on finished product and what level would be best after toasting. I have some white oak air drying at different stages. Also wonder if a quick toast, such as using a torch would be better for retaining the favor in oak, after all the toast is mostly for color. Might have to do some research on this.

You want it air dried so that no mold would form before it hits your spirit. You want the wood exposed to weather for a year or so before you start this journey. Do not use kiln dried oak. I prefer white oak because it is not as porous as red oak. Use heart wood. Our growth rings are closer together in Canada making a better oak to expose to spirits(sometimes 10 growth rings per inch). Think 8 % moisture! A mapp torch gives good crocodile finish and opens up the oak for the exchange of goodies. If you use my profiles remember a little oak over a longer time is better than overdoing it! I am using 4 profiled sticks per gallon on scotch. Most saw mills cutting hardwood have cover boards of oak that protect their piles that have the potential of becomming good spirit aging sticks. Some could be ash so watch the grain!!

Hi all,

I'm new to distilling and have bought a small packet (100g) of Essencia Bourbon Chunks. They are about 3/4" x 1"

pieces. The instructions say to add to 2 litres of 40% ABV and soak for 14 days.

Now I've read this forum and find that it is better to charcoal them.

Is it best to use them as they come, or slice them into thinner pieces.

Can they be re-used?

Thanks in advance.

reuse, i think would be along the same concept as the way barrels are reused for scotch. you will get a more mellow result the second time around

I found a handfull of white oak pieces I had left over from making a dresser for my daughter just last month. They have been laying around for at least two years out of the weather.
My experiment with them is I boiled them in a sugar syrup for about thirty minutes. Then I took them to the grill and stood there turning them like they were a piece of chicken over hot flames.
Now they are soaking in quart jars of some tasty corn mash. They were about 3/4 X 3/4 X 5 inches. I put two in each quart jar. After about two weeks they have already started changing the color really nice. I haven't tired to sample any yet.
I've been told that the three P's of making wine are Patience, Patience, Patience!
I guess the same applies to good drinking whiskey.

pigroaster wrote:... saw mills cutting hardwood have cover boards of oak that protect their piles that have the potential of becomming good spirit aging sticks. Some could be ash so watch the grain!!

Whats wrong with using Ash? I read somewhere that Wild Turkey uses Ash barrels... WD

Edit: I went to their website and it says they use White Oak.

Does anyone currently use Ash for aging?

Ash if toasted or charred would likely give some color, but would not likely give the flavors you want (vanillin, and the wonderful-super complex stuff that oak does).

I have heard people doing it with Maple, and again, you get color, but not the wonderful flavors / bouquet of oak.

H.

Iv tryed ash ,not much flavor to it,but a ash barrel whould be nice for rum/brandy or other you wanted to age with out the oak profile.

Pigroaster... you say "Do not use kiln dried oak." How come? Our local lumber store had some white oak for about $2.00 a bf. Quite a deal...

The wood needs to release some of the cell materials that only come from natural weathering. The sun and rain will allow this to happen. Barrel makers need natural air drying to allow for steaming to bend the staves for barrels. It will make a difference. Try to get heart wood.

pitch&play wrote:Also wonder if a quick toast, such as using a torch would be better for retaining the favor in oak, after all the toast is mostly for color. Might have to do some research on this.

All due respect but the slow toast is better - raises the whole stick to that right temp and caramelises the wood sugars as opposed to simply buring the outside; this is how it has been explained to me anywho. This said, at time you may wnat some actual char or some lightly toasted wood for a different, more complex flavour profile; then bring on the MAPP!

New update twist. I now cut sticks 1/2 or 9/16 x 9/16 x 6-7 inches long and charr. Use them in a batch. (at least 3 months at 63% ABV, 2 months at 53% ABV and remaining time {13 months} at 43% ABV.) I taste as process starts 12 months total to check taste profile. Mouth feel increases with time!!! Angels share from airing = 1-2 % so end product is about 40-41% ABV. After batch number one, I take the used sticks, set table saw at 1/8 inch deep and use small push stick and cut a slot 1/8 x 1/8 in the middle of each face. Charr the sticks and get another use from them. At least two great uses per batch plus after using them, you can use them to smoke with in your BBQ or smoker! I store in deep freeze between uses. I feel this uses all the wood more efficiently than my first post!

Be careful on the table saw. Clamp a small piece of wood on the fence to protect you from the blade throwing any wood pieces back at you! A router could also be used.

pigroaster wrote:New update twist. I now cut sticks 1/2 or 9/16 x 9/16 x 6-7 inches long and charr

How does the charr process differ to your instructions of toasting from your first post?

As i don't have a torch, I was going to toast to your initial instructions and then charr two sides over my wok burner on the BBQ as suggested in another thread.

I now use the Mapp torch rather than toaster oven as i feel it is more like the barrel guys do when they char the inside of real barrels. The major difference is I now use charred sticks once in a batch. After done 19 months later, I cut profile 1/8 inch deep in centre of each side on table saw. Char again and use again in another batch or two, The third time I use 2 sticks used and 4 new sticks charred per imperial gallon or 5 per USA gallon,, Then I use them for smoking meat. Use what you have but go for a char with depths of toasting. If I had your set up I would toast oak sticks first, then char so all the taste profiles are present to the spirits when you start aging at 63 % ABV, Then 53 %ABV and finally 43% ABV.