Time you get beans/cubes/staves/rods

[distiller_dresden]

Hey all!

So I was wondering what kind of results re time you get from your oak barrel alternatives? I got come cubes and they say three months, but I am nearly certain that is for beer or wine and not 120 proof spirits. On the staves/rods (the spiral cut things) it says a month, which I'm more wont to believe is probably in line pretty well with what is expected, maybe 3 weeks max for them.

On the cubes I don't see how they can get past 3-4 weeks. They are thicker than the spirals, technically, even at the spiral's thickest point, since the cube is just a solid little 1/2" x 1/2" bean.

I've been aging my spirits in a north-facing sliding glass door which gives a nice temperature fluxuation from day to night and seem to get most all the color I think I'm going to get out of the wood I'm putting in, aging in these 1 gallon glass barrels I pick up at Kroger and shaking once or twice per day. Seems after about 2 weeks the color is very strong, at least, and flavor is there.

I'm wondering how do you really have an idea when a cube/bean is used up? I'm sure if a cube is fully used a spiral would be since the cubes are thicker. It's not changed in color, the wood, but the liquors aren't getting any darker, and I don't sense any additional oakiness or subtler other oak flavors after an additional week. Looking for some thoughts, experience, and even expertise...

[6 Row Joe]

I used chips with good results. A 1/4 cup per quart and color and taste in 2-3 weeks. You can taste test and when it gets just right, filter/pull out the oak. It will get smoother as it sets without oak. Mine was good enough it didn't last long. I will need to try some long term aging (if I can ever get far enough ahead) LOL

[badflash]

A local pro distiller tells me it is all about surface area. Chips would have the most, small cubes, then rods, then corkscrews I'm guessing. Temperature changes move the fluid in and out of the wood.

I'm thinking that if you set up a closed system that could recirculate fluid over the chips it would go very quickly.

[distiller_dresden]

I've had good results in the past with this nuclear method - see here
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=38991

But my question is when do you know when the oak you have in your spirit, as I tend to measure my oak additions to the gram for the amount of liquid, when are they leeched out; is there a way to know, or is there any standard awareness (cubes, chips, spirals) for spirits when the oak is used up? Like I said on the cubes it says 3 months and there's absolutely no way that is for 120 proof spirits, that's for beer or wine.

[distiller_dresden]

I've been distilling since January and saving all my cubes/spirals/chips/chunks that I've used since then, they have a wonderful bouquet smell since they've soaked in corn whisky, rums, pseudo-brandies... I'm fermenting an apple brandy now, and I'm doing a 'juicy fruit' kitchen sink brandy after that - recipe first draft in my apple brandy thread - and I plan on using these 'used' woods for aging off my brandies, true brandies with zero cane sugar. Because I'm going on a Calvados model, where they will put the fresh distillate into a new barrel for a few weeks to a couple months, then it goes into a series of old used barrels, some decades old. Trying to avoid the over oaking they want a real unique and aged oak flavor to impart into the brandy.

Just wondered here if anyone has ever 'used up' or reused wood cubes/chips/chunks and noticed they lose flavor density/effectiveness or vigor after a certain time. That's what I'm looking for, when the product of wood in question gets 'mild'...