Wood reuse

[Mr_Beer]

My current technique is glass ageing with appropriate sized wood sticks that are toasted or chared or left alone.

The question is whether those sticks should be discarded or can/should they be re-used when the jar is emptyed.

One thought is for BBQ smoking wood.

Any other notions?

[NZChris]

I've tried using them for smoking but was disappointed with the result.

I usually move them to a sister jar, or to a younger make. Whiskey wood might get moved to rum, but rum wood only gets moved to rum.

[subbrew]

I have used scraps from cutting up barrels for smoking meat with good results so I would think your sticks would work well. Other ideas, use used whiskey sticks to age a rum. Use used sticks of any type to flavor a stout. they make whiskey barrel stouts, why not a rum barrel stout.

[Twisted Brick]

Some members’ additional thoughts via this Google search here:

homedistiller reusing oak sticks for whiskey

[jonnys_spirit]

Don’t throw em out! Throw em in a jar with more likker!

I save and reuse all mine. Sometimes i re-char or re-toast. Sometimes not.

Cheers,
j

[shadylane]

The question is whether those sticks should be discarded or can/should they be re-used when the jar is emptyed.

The sticks could be reused, but I prefer to start fresh by spitting off pieces of white oak and toasting it.

[Saltbush Bill]

Mostly I prefer to use fresh sticks when aging on glass, sometimes I'll add used sticks to old barrels that have done a lot of work .

[shadylane]

Seems to me wood gets worn out, after alcohol leaches out all the good stuff.

[jonnys_spirit]

You can always add fresh oak and are more limited on how much so that you don’t over oak.

Whisky is made on used bourbon oak which seems to do a mighty good job in many cases…

Cheers!
-j

[NZChris]

If I have feints that are not going to be re-distilled any time soon, I put used, and/or new wood in the jars. Sometimes it's a couple of years before I've collected enough for a decent Queens Run and the feints collection has lost a lot of it's faults and is close to being a nice drink already. When I run it, the wood goes into the boiler and gets discarded after the run.

[Mr_Beer]

WOW!!

Lots of great ideas and opinions.
Thanks for the admonishment to go from whiskey to rum but not the other way if reused.

Of all the suggestions, the NZCris idea of dumping into the feints jar seemed the most interesting. And the idea of tossing them into the boiler is very intriguing.

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

[8Ball]

I age my Irish & Scotch style spirits & rums with used bourbon sticks on glass jars with loose lids & corks.

[Deplorable]

I reuse them a few times, then they'll get dried and turned into charcoal in the smoker. The charcoal is ground into powder. Powdered charcoal has a few uses around the house, including making black powder for my cannon.

[jonnys_spirit]

I reuse them a few times, then they'll get dried and turned into charcoal in the smoker. The charcoal is ground into powder. Powdered charcoal has a few uses around the house, including making black powder for my cannon.

That must be a very satisfying outcome to repurpose multi-use spirit aging wood

Cheers,
j

[subbrew]

I reuse them a few times, then they'll get dried and turned into charcoal in the smoker. The charcoal is ground into powder. Powdered charcoal has a few uses around the house, including making black powder for my cannon.

You continue to impress me. Please start an off topic thread and making black powder

[8Ball]

You continue to impress me. Please start an off topic thread and making black powder

While the idea of making your own black powder is very interesting, I’m not convinced that it is a good idea to post it publicly. My two cents.

[subbrew]

You continue to impress me. Please start an off topic thread and making black powder

While the idea of making your own black powder is very interesting, I’m not convinced that it is a good idea to post it publicly. My two cents.

we are posting daily about an activity that is not legal. Why would you object to posting about a legal activity?

[8Ball]

I didn’t object, I said I didn’t think it was a good idea. Go for it.

[Deplorable]

You continue to impress me. Please start an off topic thread and making black powder

While it is completely legal in the US, I'm not sure about other countries. There are only 3 ingredients in black powder, all of which are readily available on the open market, and preparing black powder how-to videos are bountiful on YouTube, along with Thermite, and binary explosives commonly referred to as Tannerite. Black powder is 75% potassium nitrate, 15% charcoal, and 10% Sulphur. (for my use in a golfball cannon, hard wood charcoal is fine, but softer woods like pine work a little better in some cases.)
I'd caution anyone to fully understand the laws in your jurisdiction before exploring the making of any of the above. Binary explosives are restricted in some jurisdictions, and they can be very dangerous when mis handled.
If you are not trained in the proper handling of ordinance, Id seriously advise against tinkering with things that can result in the loss of limbs.

[acfixer69]

You continue to impress me. Please start an off topic thread and making black powder

While the idea of making your own black powder is very interesting, I’m not convinced that it is a good idea to post it publicly. My two cents.

we are posting daily about an activity that is not legal. Why would you object to posting about a legal activity?

Read the rules it explains clearly why.

[Saltbush Bill]

While it is completely legal in the US, I'm not sure about other countries.

Exactly.......it sure ain't legal here.

[NZChris]

I just noticed that the brandy I proofed for sampling today was 2018, plus wood and leftovers from 2015 and 2016 makes.

Wood continues to break down and provide flavor components for years, so I'm reluctant throw out wood from my early makes. Those components react with other new and old components creating new components to react with each other, ad infinitum, which is why reading the tasting notes of different ages of the same product has a cascade of new flavors being noted in the reviews as the products get older.