different woods

[Uncle Jesse]

from the old message boards:

Gazza
01/15/04 03:05 AM
subject: Different woods

Has anyone used different types of wood chips in spirit beside oak?
Was thinking about trying some western red cedar for it's sweet smell.
Is this wood a danger as far as poisoning or too much resin in the wood or anything else that I should know.
Gazza


Peter
01/15/04 08:55 AM
Re: Different woods [re: Gazza]

people have reported good results with wood from fruit trees like pear or apple, dont know about cedar


Blanchy
01/15/04 09:16 AM
Re: Different woods [re: Peter]

There are old American beverages spruce beer and birch beer, and of course there are the retsina wines from Greece. Even so, the cedar seems "out there". I don't think it is toxic, although cedar is a known allergen and the oil is hard on the eyes, but the concentration in your product will be low. I would try it. If you didn't like it, just add more cedar and use it to clean the house.

Chuck


theholymackerel
01/15/04 10:10 AM
Re: Different woods [re: Gazza]

Please don't tease me for showin' my klutzy side...

While visitin' California back in my early 20's, I fell out of a tree. In the process of fallin' out of that tree I got a blob of cedar resin stuck to my upper lip and mustache.

The cedar smelt very nice, but the taste 'bout killed me. It also made me sick. I was throwin' up and weak and shaky for hours after shavin'/scrubbin'. This might just be how I reacted...it might not be indicative of how others would be affected.

I would suggest nickin' a cedar tree and seein' how the resin (sap) affects you before usin' it in booze.

I have used pear, cherry, maple, red and white oak, rose hips, and radishes. They all worked well.

I wish ya luck.


Blanchy
01/15/04 10:18 AM
Re: Different woods [re: theholymackerel]

Radishes?


Fourway
01/15/04 11:30 AM
Re: Different woods [re: Gazza]

I think cedar is a little toxic.
people do use it for plank grilling though.

At this time there are two commercial whiskeys being produced using woods other than oak for flavoring.

McKendrick Western Style Whiskey is comodity kentuckey whiskey which is steeped with mesquite chips before being bottled in minnesoda and shipped to texas.

Copper Fox Whiskey is distilled in virginia and soaked over blocks of apple wood before being aged in charred oak barrels briefly.

I'll stick with gin. Champagne is just ginger ale that knows somebody.~Hawkeye Pierce


theholymackerel
01/15/04 02:34 PM
Re: Different woods [re: Blanchy]

When this year's flush of raspberies came in I attempted to make a wine that didn't come out right... so I ran it through the still and tried to turn it into a schnapps. That didn't taste right either... so it sat for a few weeks whilest I thought on it.

It was a bitter/sweet drink with the bitter side tastin' better so I added radishes on a whim.

It worked.

No-one wanted to just sit and drink my raspbery/radish liquor, but most everyone wanted a shot or two of it when they first showed up at my place. It was a sad day when the last of it was gone.

:-(


Gazza
01/16/04 12:33 AM
Re: Different woods [re: Blanchy]

Thanks Blanchy,
Will give it a try.
Gazza

The devil made me do it, now he's my best mate.


Gazza
01/16/04 12:36 AM
Re: Different woods [re: theholymackerel]

Thnks to all who replied,
Will give it a try, but will check on possible affects of the resin with the university.
Thanks Gazza

The devil made me do it, now he's my best mate.


Tex
02/15/04 07:04 PM
Re: Different woods [re: Gazza]

Being in texas I have aged mesquite and native live oak. I wonder how the live oak would vary taste vs white oak?

[blanikdog]

Rose hips sound interesting. I have them growing along all the roads. What quantities?

[hornedrhodent]

Any Aussies out there tried australian wood? - Oak is a bit hard to come by at a reasonable price here.
I'd imagine eucalypts would taste terrible if not poisonous.
Casuarinas would also be a bit suss.
Black bean seeds are poisonous to cattle.
Wattle seeds and gum are bush tucker so might be worth a try.
Lillypillys?

[Home Distiller]

I'd imagine eucalypts would taste terrible if not poisonous.

Can't be too poisonus (at least in small doses) since most of the cough and cold/flu stuff has some type of eucaliptus in it.

There is plenty of people posting on here about using wood from fruit trees, they were at one stage ripping out and burning large amounts of trees in orchards due to low prices etc.

[phanmo]

for you aussies out there.... what about grasstree (or blackboy as it used to be called politically incorrectly)? I know it's not a "wood" per say but it might be interesting to try. It sure as hell make a nice "wood" for carving. For the non-aussies, the interesting thing about grasstree is that in order to have "wood" instead of a handful of dry grass, you have to wait until the tree dies naturally. It's like self-fufilling environmental protection!!
On a different note, I've used watercress in a jerusalem artichoke based booze.... gave a boost to the interesting veggie flavour. Add it to tomato juice and you've got instant hard V8.

[SpiritOf76]

Hi,
I noticed that there was no follow up on the possible negative affects of cedar wood.

I do know that they make a very powerful chemical for chemotherapy from the bark of certain cedar trees. That chemical is a major, major toxin for the heart. A cancer patient has a lifetime limit of how much of this stuff they can take. I wish I could remember the name of the drug (because that would let us find out what tree species).

Even though your concentration per batch might be low, over the years you might ingest some nasty stuff. I think the heart muscle can only take so much. I don't think the toxins build up and get stored there. It's more like a fighter going to the body of an opponent. After a while, the opponent gets exhausted.

Know about the chemo from my mom, she should rest in peace. The body punches from Rocky I and II.

I'd avoid cedar. Or at least, definitely ask someone in legit pharmaceutical field...

[stillcyco]

Hi. Been lurking in this forum for a long time, first post though.

Regarding cedar wood, certain Japanese sake's are aged in cedar barrels, namely Tarusake, translation "sake with cedar taste." Also, certain soy sauce's are aged in cedar barrels as well.

Anyway, just thought I'd add this bit of info to the thread, I have no idea about the toxicity of cedar-wood aged booze. Cedar foliage contains a toxic oil, however I don't know about the wood.

(edit) Just looked up some info on the wood used for japanese aging, it appears the wood is unrelated to "cedar".

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Anyway, hope this helps!

[schnell]

considering that all these woods have been around for awhile, some have been tested, tried and true, and others are a bit odd sounding. the fruit woods and hard woods are apparently ok. the soft woods and resinous woods, not so good.

If people barbecue with it, it's probably good for booze. I actually buy different packs of chipped woods to play with. They are marketed for bbq and convenient. My all time favorite is apple, for bbq and for spirits.

I'd probably avoid the cedar though, some folks are extremely sensitive to it.

Apparently juniper is used in some of the special balsamic vinegar barrels and give a little something extra to the flavor. Don't know if this is relevant to our discussion though.

[meangene]

Spiritof76 I believe the tree you are thinking of is the Pacific Yew who's bark contains Taxol used in chemo.

[seeken]

I noticed that there was no follow up on the possible negative affects of cedar wood.
I do know that they make a very powerful chemical for chemotherapy from the bark of certain cedar trees.

I dont know. This is kind of like saying you shouldn't use Willow because Willow contains aspirin (some people are allergic to aspirin). Drug company make synthetic aspirin now without using willow and this chemo medication is probably synthetic as well. But he makes a good point: Be careful!

[seeken]

The first wood i thought of was Birch. I doubt there are many cityslicker here but if there are, birch is a very good burning and nice smelling wood. Has anyone expiremented with Birch?

If no one has, i imagine that a Birch barrel would be roasted for less time because it burns easier than Oak.

[Beerswimmer]

I'm surrounded by alder, and I smoke my salmon with it. I could give it a try. Also the only 2 trees on my island are Sitka spruce and cottonwood. Any thoughts?

[The Baker]

Any Aussies out there tried australian wood? - Oak is a bit hard to come by at a reasonable price here.
I'd imagine eucalypts would taste terrible if not poisonous.

snip

Properly dried wood from eucalypts, some varieties perhaps more than others, doesn't have anything like the strong smell you get from the leaves,
which actually carry the oil.

A most unreliable memory tells me that some of the older wineries used to use eucalypt wood in some of their huge storage barrels; maybe red gum.
Chateau Tahbilk, perhaps.
I hope to go to their party day on Sunday so if I get there I will ask, if I remember....

But if you are looking for wood to put in glass with your spirits, not wanting to make your own barrels (!),
I would ask at a winery for a few staves from a broken barrel; or ask at a fruit orchard for some offcut branches of apple wood or something else that may be suitable.
I have kept the bigger bits I cut off my own two apple trees.

[0re0]

I currently have 1 quart of double ran hooch knocked down to 80 proof aging with lighly charred hickory.
Its been a few days and here are the results so far

• Slightly golden/amber color
• No woodsy aroma yet
• Nice hickory/bourbon flavor in the throat & back of the toungue

I plan on sampling a shot twice a week.
If I'm not happy with results after 1 week I will let it rest an additional week until I am satisfied
But so far I am happy with the short term results!