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Author Topic: Oak Chips in a Farmhouse?  (Read 6159 times)

Offline gmac

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Oak Chips in a Farmhouse?
« on: August 09, 2012, 06:02:03 pm »
I bought some oak chips (1 oz I think) and I was going to add them to a sour beer I'm making but I just had a thought.  What would the do in a farmhouse (WLP670) for a week?  This beer has been a problem for me (blew the airlock out over night so who knows how many fruit flies got in it) so I sort of think, why not?

Offline smkranz

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Re: Oak Chips in a Farmhouse?
« Reply #1 on: August 09, 2012, 07:32:34 pm »
I'd split the batch if I were you.  Oak half of it.  If you don't like how it turns out you can blend the non-oaked half back in.  If you do like it, then oak the other half and put them together. 
Steve K.
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Offline nateo

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Re: Oak Chips in a Farmhouse?
« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2012, 08:10:24 pm »
I put oak in nearly all of my beers. If you go subtle (<1/2oz per 5gallon) you can't necessarily taste the oak. You can use it to add some subtle texture/flavor in the background on most beers, without being obnoxious. Just use a light touch.
In der Kürze liegt die Würze.

Offline ukolowiczd

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Re: Oak Chips in a Farmhouse?
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2012, 09:43:13 pm »
I have yet to oak anything and have it come out bad. I agree with the split batch. Then you'll know what you like.

Offline beer_crafter

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Re: Oak Chips in a Farmhouse?
« Reply #4 on: September 04, 2012, 11:13:44 am »
Oak is a very common treatment for sour beers. Not big bourbon-barrel oak but more subtle. 

Offline kylekohlmorgen

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Re: Oak Chips in a Farmhouse?
« Reply #5 on: September 05, 2012, 11:29:10 am »
There was an old BYO article with Summer beer recipes from commercial breweries. One was from Firestone Walker, that called for pitching saison yeast and recommended a bit of light/medium toast oak soaked in chardonnay.

Sounded pretty good to me.

Also, Jolly Pumpkin's Bam Biere is aged on oak, but with wild yeast. The tiny hint of vanilla rounds out the spicy/tart flavor from the yeast/bacteria.
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