Oak flavoured beer?

[Brian Hunt]

I'm a volunteer on the project to build a replica of the Saxon Ship found at the 625AD burial place of King Raedwald in Sutton Hoo in 1939. We're building this using axes and freshly felled oak which creates a lot of waste oak chips and bark. Does anyone have a recipe for oak flavored beer?

 

[Graz]

I've made a kit beer before now (Young's American Oak Rum Ale) that comes with a large sachet of oak dust that I'm guessing would have been from a rum cask.

Most things that are oaked tend to take that flavour from the oak casks they are matured in (wine, beer, whisky etc.) and those oak casks are obviously made from seasoned wood and I think they may char the insides before adding whatever.

As your oak is freshly felled I'm not sure how that might work in a beer, if at all. I guess you could probably dry the chips in an oven or even in the sun over a few weeks and then they could be added to a brew to impart some flavour.

 

[MashBag]

It with need toasting.

Please don't do it in the house. Apart from the smell, which will get you into trouble. YOU RISK BURNING SETTING FIRE TO YOUR HOUSE.

I know. I have. Oak toasting releases explosive fumes, with a low flash point. "I just said blow the bleddy doors off" does apply to the oven. Flames spewing out of the oven requires a calm head and experience.

 

[MashBag]

If you want to know the toasting temps and grades shout up and I will dig it out.

 

[Sadfield]

You can use raw woods, but toasting replicates the processes used in coopering.

No recipes, just brew something that you feel oak would compliment. Rich and malty is good place to start.

Another option for those chips, is to use them to smoke your own malt.

http://www.homebrewfinds.com/2015/03/guest-post-toasting-your-own-wood-chips-by-matt-del-fiacco.html

 

[Brian Hunt]

Thanks for the replies all, I've got an outside wood pellet pizza oven and will try toasting the chips in that following the link posted by Sadfield.

 

[Sadfield]

It with need toasting.

Please don't do it in the house. Apart from the smell, which will get you into trouble. YOU RISK BURNING SETTING FIRE TO YOUR HOUSE.

I know. I have. Oak toasting releases explosive fumes, with a low flash point. "I just said blow the bleddy doors off" does apply to the oven. Flames spewing out of the oven requires a calm head and experience.

What temperature? Gas or electric? Did you preheat the oven?

From the research I did, the flash point (with ignition) of wood is higher than most domestic ovens. The top temperature being around that of what would introduce acrid flavours in the oak.

 

[MashBag]

Quite frankly I find your questions mildy offensive. I had a fire toasting oak in the kitchen. Even without the fire your house will stink. I can't remember the precise details it happened years ago in an electric oven.

Please heed the warning. Do it outside!

 

[Sadfield]

I was merely curious as to how this happened, and what set of parameters to avoid in order to stop this happening to anyone who doesn't have the outside option. I would not want this to happen to someone following the link I posted above (or the multiple others on the internet), despite having success with it myself, so some extra info would have been helpful. Sorry for asking.

 

[MashBag]

If someone has no absolutely outside space, they should consider buying oak.

Long before the door blowing open and the flames, the smell of roasting wood (smoke smell effectively) spreads quickly through the house.

There really is not a set of parameters.

DON'T TOAST OAK INDOORS.

 

[MashBag]

I would also like to add be careful where you buy it. The quality of the wood matters and all wood is not suitable for smoking. Softwood is carcinogenic. I buy my oak, by the sack directly from a tonnelier.

Smoking food is fine, dissolving it in alcohol is a different matter.

 

[Sadfield]

Or just close a kitchen door and ventilate the kitchen as you would with any other aromatic process like cooking kippers, curry or boiling wort.

 

[MashBag]

Let me know how that goes.

 

[Sadfield]

It must have worked for those that inspired and informed you on how to try it yourself.
Went fine for me. Three levels of toast, plus some charred in a pan. One hour at 230, 320 and 420F sequentially. All wood put in a cold oven, heated to temp, wood removed and then up to the next temperature.

 

[MashBag]

It must have worked for those that inspired and informed you on how to try it yourself.

That was not how I got there. It was after lessons from a French tonnelier, part of my winemaking journey/education. Just thought.. I know.. I have some oak..let's try this.
That and toasted oak for wine making is VERY (eye-wateringly) expensive & I already had some oak

All oak is not the same.