Hey, so thinking about things. Use beans not chips, much better.
1) The barrels used by brewers are typically sold "wet" so there's still a ton of spirit in the barrel and in the wood itself, so drying the chips/beans wouldn't be a fair replication of what's going on in the brewery.
2) Scotch, Rum and on hte non-spiritous side port, chardonnay and pinot noir. The spirits have all been aging for about 3 years. The wines are about 2.
3) Sure, but as with anything where you're going softer and subtler on your style, you'll need a much finer hand with your oak. I've done plenty of lower gravity beers with the oak and where you can usually pull a strong beer after a few weeks, you need to stay on it and check every few days since it's not a thick line between "interestingly oaky" and "I'm chewing on a 2x4"