How To Age Moonshine With Wood Chips?

Using Oak Chips & Whisky Profile Kits! I love scotchscotch scotch scotch.rum too, oh and bourbon as well. Actually I’m partial to the entirety of the brown spirit family. On the rocks, mixed with coke, mixed with ginger beer, its all good to me. Actually my love for the dark spirit has pushed me at times, no I’m not talking about borderline alcoholism or constant partying.

1. No I much prefer a quite one or two at home, where I can really begin to appreciate the merits and uhh, demerits of my fine brews.
2. This fun little past time however has made me wonder, made me think, almost forced me at times to seek out the best spirit I can, forced me to tinker and play with my spirits, developing and re-developing my favorite drink.

It is a never ending cycle but one that I love and I feel it is almost my duty to pass on the things I have learnt. Let me first start by saying don’t feel pressured reading this article, most people find that just using an essence is fine, so do I, its just on special occasions its nice to know you have something truly fantastic in the cabinet.

I have come across many a skeptic in my time, the snobby nosed ‘high class’ citizen who hear’s home brew and goes yuck! Its just nice to know you have something really capable of changing opinions. Apart from creating your own essence, there is basically two ways of modifying your spirit. Either oaking or tailoring with an assortment of extracts (profiling).

Lets start with the most simple and better known of the two, oaking. Oaking: Oaking is a relatively simple concept. It involves soaking your neutral filtered spirit on wood. But not just any wood, most oak chips come from old whisky or bourbon barrels, used by breweries for centuries to soak there own spirits on.

In turn the barrels have absorbed the flavor from the spirit, this is what you are trying to obtain from them (except in the case of “American Oak” chips, which are simply from an American oak tree). Oaking you spirit will not only receive the flavor and receive the colour from the chips, but as you might have guessed, that woody and sometimes smoky flavor that is so prized in some of the top quality spirits.

The method is simple but varies slightly depending on the type of chip and the brand. In general it involves soaking 10gms-50gms of oak chips for every litre of spirit for about 1-3 weeks (dependant on taste). The longer you leave it the more flavor and woodiness it will impart.

You can often reuse the same chips once or twice after, just soak it for longer. Some people use the flavour just from the oak chips itself whilst others use it in conjunction with an essence, in an attempt to add an build on the flavour profile already present in the essence. If, and it will probably happen eventually, you leave it for to long and you find its like drinking bark, you can use more neutral spirit (unflavoured) and an essence to dim it down and smoothen it out.

Using Extracts: The best way to go about using extracts and flavour profiles is to obtain a whisky profiling kit. These kits come with all the basics that you need, plus some instructions and recipes and give you an easily to follow guide on what to do and how to go about it.

• The kits come with 4 different whiskies base essences, which generally the 4 different major styles of whiskies (as reflected by the different regions of Scotland), Lowland, Highland, Irish and bourbon.
• The also come with a range of adjunct flavours used for exentuating certain flavour profiles in you drink.

These Are:

Oak cask (the main flavour which is present in most whiskys) Sweet vanillin (a sweet vanilla flavour with a slight sherry flavour) Peat Smoke (A strong almost pungent peat smoke flavour, a very prominent note in Scottish Whiskies) Astringent Notes ( A sharp bitter astringent flavour that helps to add some bite to the whisky) Fruity Esters (more prominent on the nose then anywhere else, they add a lot to the whisky bouquet) Cereal notes( often described as grainy, these flavour notes are a part of any grain and are contained in the whisky bases) Carob Notes ( a chocolate grain flavour that results from the use of some mildly roasted grains) Cedar Oak ( imparts a distinctive drier oak flavour, often found in Irish whisky styles) Distillers Caramel (purely for colour, imparts a warm golden hue) Glycerine (contribute to smoothness and mouth feel)

Using just this small list of flavours you can create almost any whisky, bourbon and add to many rums. What you do with them is up to you though! The only way your going to know what your spirit can be is to try it. It was with the best of intentions that we all started homebrewing.

Can you age alcohol with wood chips?

Wood Chips & Staves – Probably the most affordable option to play around with for aging whiskey at home is by using wood chips and staves. There is a variety of types available from different producers. For instance, you could just add American white oak sticks or shavings to a jar with whiskey.

• Or, even easier, add them to the bottle your whiskey came in.
• Once inside the container, the wood will interact with the spirit, absorbing and then releasing it.
• Be conservative and don’t add too many chips at once; less is more.
• Also regularly monitor progress, maybe as often as daily.
• You’ll notice significant changes within a week.

One important downside to using wood chips and staves is the lack of oxidation. This natural element of aging spirits increases complexity and intensity of flavors and is largely responsible for fruity, minty and spicy notes. Whiskey can breathe inside a barrel, which is liquid-tight but porous, allowing oxygen to enter through its staves.

Can I use smoking chips for aging whiskey?

Best Whiskey Smoking Wood Chips – Whiskey is known for its complexity, bold attitude, and nosey aroma. It is also a spirit that goes decidedly well with notes of wood and smoke. Virtually all good whiskey is aged in wood barrels for this very reasonsome are even aged in charred barrels.

Oak Pecan Cherry Hickory Apple

How long to soak moonshine in wood chips?

Using Oak Chips & Whisky Profile Kits! I love scotchscotch scotch scotch.rum too, oh and bourbon as well. Actually I’m partial to the entirety of the brown spirit family. On the rocks, mixed with coke, mixed with ginger beer, its all good to me. Actually my love for the dark spirit has pushed me at times, no I’m not talking about borderline alcoholism or constant partying.

No I much prefer a quite one or two at home, where I can really begin to appreciate the merits and uhh, demerits of my fine brews. This fun little past time however has made me wonder, made me think, almost forced me at times to seek out the best spirit I can, forced me to tinker and play with my spirits, developing and re-developing my favorite drink.

It is a never ending cycle but one that I love and I feel it is almost my duty to pass on the things I have learnt. Let me first start by saying don’t feel pressured reading this article, most people find that just using an essence is fine, so do I, its just on special occasions its nice to know you have something truly fantastic in the cabinet.

I have come across many a skeptic in my time, the snobby nosed ‘high class’ citizen who hear’s home brew and goes yuck! Its just nice to know you have something really capable of changing opinions. Apart from creating your own essence, there is basically two ways of modifying your spirit. Either oaking or tailoring with an assortment of extracts (profiling).

Lets start with the most simple and better known of the two, oaking. Oaking: Oaking is a relatively simple concept. It involves soaking your neutral filtered spirit on wood. But not just any wood, most oak chips come from old whisky or bourbon barrels, used by breweries for centuries to soak there own spirits on.

In turn the barrels have absorbed the flavor from the spirit, this is what you are trying to obtain from them (except in the case of “American Oak” chips, which are simply from an American oak tree). Oaking you spirit will not only receive the flavor and receive the colour from the chips, but as you might have guessed, that woody and sometimes smoky flavor that is so prized in some of the top quality spirits.

The method is simple but varies slightly depending on the type of chip and the brand. In general it involves soaking 10gms-50gms of oak chips for every litre of spirit for about 1-3 weeks (dependant on taste). The longer you leave it the more flavor and woodiness it will impart.

1. You can often reuse the same chips once or twice after, just soak it for longer.
2. Some people use the flavour just from the oak chips itself whilst others use it in conjunction with an essence, in an attempt to add an build on the flavour profile already present in the essence.
3. If, and it will probably happen eventually, you leave it for to long and you find its like drinking bark, you can use more neutral spirit (unflavoured) and an essence to dim it down and smoothen it out.

Using Extracts: The best way to go about using extracts and flavour profiles is to obtain a whisky profiling kit. These kits come with all the basics that you need, plus some instructions and recipes and give you an easily to follow guide on what to do and how to go about it.

1. The kits come with 4 different whiskies base essences, which generally the 4 different major styles of whiskies (as reflected by the different regions of Scotland), Lowland, Highland, Irish and bourbon.
2. The also come with a range of adjunct flavours used for exentuating certain flavour profiles in you drink.

These Are:

Oak cask (the main flavour which is present in most whiskys) Sweet vanillin (a sweet vanilla flavour with a slight sherry flavour) Peat Smoke (A strong almost pungent peat smoke flavour, a very prominent note in Scottish Whiskies) Astringent Notes ( A sharp bitter astringent flavour that helps to add some bite to the whisky) Fruity Esters (more prominent on the nose then anywhere else, they add a lot to the whisky bouquet) Cereal notes( often described as grainy, these flavour notes are a part of any grain and are contained in the whisky bases) Carob Notes ( a chocolate grain flavour that results from the use of some mildly roasted grains) Cedar Oak ( imparts a distinctive drier oak flavour, often found in Irish whisky styles) Distillers Caramel (purely for colour, imparts a warm golden hue) Glycerine (contribute to smoothness and mouth feel)

Using just this small list of flavours you can create almost any whisky, bourbon and add to many rums. What you do with them is up to you though! The only way your going to know what your spirit can be is to try it. It was with the best of intentions that we all started homebrewing.

How long to age on wood chips?

Garden Q&A: Age fresh wood chips before using in garden My bean, squash, cucumber and pepper plants are stunted and yellow in color. We cut down a huge maple tree and tilled all the wood chips from the cuttings into the garden to improve the soil this spring.

• The garden has produced well in previous years.
• The wood chips are the culprit.
• Fresh wood chips are very high in carbon and low in nitrogen.
• Micro-organisms use nitrogen to break down the wood chips, robbing your plants of nitrogen.
• This only creates problems in the early stages of decomposition.
• The remedy is to supplement the nitrogen loss by adding nitrogen fertilizer.

Very fresh wood chips can also emit volatile compounds toxic to plants. We recommend aging new wood chips for 6-12 months before using them around plants as mulch or soil amendment. What is the thorny, nonflowering vine climbing up my trees and through my fence? I spray every year with glyphosate but can’t rid of it completely.

• It’s evergreen, with shiny leaves.
• Greenbriar is a desirable native vine, in natural areas, and feeds wildlife.
• However in ornamental landscapes, mature greenbriar can be objectionable and difficult to eliminate.
• Herbicide does not adhere well to the glossy foliage, unless a spreader-sticker is added to the herbicide.

An efficient and economical way to tackle woody plants like greenbriar is to cut down the stems and apply high strength glyphosate or triclopyr to only the freshly cut stem within 5 minutes. Early fall is a prime time to apply herbicide to leaves or stem because it translocates well to roots then.

Plant of the WeekRhubarb Rheum acuminatum

Tuck this perennial “fruit” into a flower or vegetable bed. Rhubarb can pass for a big-leafed hosta and also be handy for harvesting its delicious sour stems. Rhubarb wants full sun to light shade — not too hot. Given average moisture, established plants tolerate drought, but “wet feet” cause root rot.

1. Rhubarb produces for many years, so amend your soil heavily with manure or compost before planting.
2. Varieties are available with red or green stems, so be sure you’re buying the color you prefer.
3. Plant crown divisions in early spring, allowing 4-foot-square space for each plant.
4. Wait a year before harvesting and always remove flower heads that divert its energy.

After tops die in fall, mulch with more compost. —Ellen Nibali : Garden Q&A: Age fresh wood chips before using in garden

Can you use too much wood chips?

Too Many Wood Chips – Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners

A pile of year-old chips partially transformed by white mold.

These heavily-bearing blackberry plants have never been treated with anything but chip mulch.

By Will Bonsall I’ve spoken and written extensively about using forest residues, especially shredded brushwood, or “ramial chips,” to build and maintain soil tilth. I’ve advocated incorporating them into gardens as short-term mulch or into compost after they’ve been partially decayed by white molds.

One can use enormous amounts of woody residues this way, but would-be chip users voice two concerns: Chips obtained from roadside chipping crews can be too coarse for direct use, and the resins in chips from conifers – pine, spruce, hemlock, etc. – break down slowly and can acidify soil. Regarding the first concern, I have a chipper/shredder that can quickly re-chip these piles, but not everyone has one.

I can also use coarser and even resinous chips on several crops without harm; in fact some crops almost seem to prefer them. I’m not talking about cultivated crops that require a finer, mellower soil, but permacrops – mostly shrubs and trees – that don’t require cultivation and prefer a permanent mulch of moldy woody debris.

• Several acid-loving berries do fine with such rubbish.
• Raspberries, for example: We most often find wild patches growing luxuriantly with no added inputs in logging clearcuts, places where the ground is thickly littered with coniferous slash.
• The awkwardly sized slash is slow to lie down and decay properly, yet cane fruits delight in living among that stuff, as do blackberries, black raspberries, boysenberries, dewberries, currants, gooseberries and blueberries.

Hardy kiwis are also comfortable in acidic woody debris; in fact in their natural Asian habitat, they typically grow on dead pine snags. Maybe you’re thinking, “Sure, how nice for a mulch, but what about fertility?” That’s always a vital concern with our garden vegetable crops, so why not with permacrops? For one thing, garden crops are mostly derived from ecological “Band-Aid” species: plants whose ecological role is to quickly germinate and cover disturbed soil until a more sustainable plant community can succeed them.

• They need the right conditions immediately or they’ll fail.
• In contrast, woody, shrubby permacrops are, as the word implies, in it for the long haul.
• Aside from their fruit, they produce relatively large amounts of soil-building material with little input, given several years in one place.
• Their roots are more expansive and aggressive (“weedier”); and partly due to their long-term fungal associations, they can dissolve and assimilate minerals that are inaccessible to the Band-Aid crop species.

What about nitrogen (N)? All plants use N for growth, and woody residues are woefully deficient in that vital element. However, not all plant species need to be spoon-fed N; some have a remarkable ability to scrounge it. For example, leguminous plants get atmospheric N from rhizobia nodules that “infect” their rootlets, but what about permacrops? Their fungal associations, especially white molds, promote the breakdown of cellulose (the main component of wood, but lacking in N) and in turn are consumed by a microbial community.

1. In the midst of that living and dying, plenty of N shows up.
2. Build it and they will come.” Think about it: turning an armful of pine branches into a basketful of berries is about as magical as it gets.
3. As mysterious as is this conversion of woody debris into humus, another principle is at work that I call the “cover-the-earth” effect.

This phenomenon, elucidated by Caleb Harlan in the 1880s and in his book “Farming with green manures on Plumgrove Farm,” observes that when any soil is covered by any material, regardless of its inherent nutrient content, for an extended time (weeks or months anyway), the richness of that soil increases out of proportion to the fertilizing value of the covering material.

1. Combined with microbial activity, this suggests how we may parlay something of supposedly little value (woody waste) into something of considerable value (fruit); in other words, to spin straw into gold.
2. What keeps these coarse, woody, often resinous materials from becoming a liability is how they are applied.

Unlike with vegetables, we never incorporate them into the soil directly but simply apply them on top of the soil and leave them there. This minimizes the anaerobic activity that impedes decay, and it avoids damaging the existing soil community by not disturbing the soil.

Also, placing woody residues on the surface makes the fragment size less important. Large chunks of wood, branch segments and slabs of bark are no problem, provided new canes or shoots can poke through them. In fact, by repressing grass and other weeds, there is less competition for water and nutrients.

This aerobic surface application is especially important for resinous residues, as these resins can produce decay-resistant polyphenols when buried deeper in the soil. While the berry crops mentioned so far are comfortable with coniferous mulches, some other permacrops may tolerate coniferous residues but will be much happier with hardwood materials.

1. Hazelnuts, apples and most other orchard fruits can benefit from chips of deciduous trees, both in repressing competing grasses and from the cover-the-earth effect.
2. These also include grapes, hip roses, quince and medlars, all of which I prefer to mulch with hardwood chips; if I do use much coniferous mulch on them, I spread some wood ash on top of it to neutralize excess acid.

Woody mulches kill established sod, turning it from a source of competition into an in situ compost. As valuable as it is to the soil, though, that sod-based humus is relatively short-lived and will be largely burned out within a few years, whereas the woody stuff will form a much more durable energy substrate for crop plants and their microbial cohorts.

Can chips be applied too heavily? I assume so. I always say excess is fine if done in moderation. For one thing, roots need to breathe while digging into the soil for minerals. Several inches of woody mulch added all at once would have a smothering effect. Most of these permacrops, like the cane-fruits, need to send up new shoots every year to replace the dead, old fruiting canes, and there are limits to how much they can penetrate.

For example, my wife dumped all of our woodyard waste – sawdust, bark, small chunks – directly onto our blackberry row for years, insisting that the young shoots would “find a way” to the surface. They did, but not through the deepest mulch. Rather, they spread sideways, pushing up through the thinner edges.

1. The problem? The center of the row died, while two new rows formed on either side, creating a much wider bed than I wanted.
2. I’ve been correcting the problem since then by leaving the mulch a bit thinner in the actual row while piling it deeper on either side to encourage new growth in the center.
3. That blackberry patch is also a good example of how much woody rubbish can contribute to soil fertility indirectly.

When I started the patch, I did not prep the area, which was covered by a sod of variable thickness and vigor. I did not till the soil, nor did I add a spoonful of compost, lime or wood ash. I didn’t even dig proper holes for the plants. I merely cut slits in the sod with a spade about 2 feet apart and crammed in the young roots.

I didn’t even water. I did dump some woodyard waste, including a lot of softwood building debris, in a wide band on either side of the row – not enough to help much; just what I had on hand. In some areas the mulch merely killed the sod; in others the grass grew even more vigorously among the mulch (which was spread unevenly).

Witchgrass and orchardgrass tended to predominate, as they thrive in that situation. The blackberry plants grew modestly that year. The second year a new batch of shoots outgrew the first year’s, reaching 2 or 3 feet high and producing few berries. Every year we added more hardwood and softwood mulch, and every year the new canes grew taller than the former year’s fruiting canes.

Berry yields increased proportionately. At 8 to 10 feet, the canes continued to proliferate, still with no material added other than woodyard waste. The unmulched aisles between rows are mostly grass, and when mown the rotary mower blows most of the clippings into the row, adding a bit of N-rich material.

However, that is merely the product of the overall patch, since we’ve never added anything to enrich the aisles either. I presume that some other permacrops would benefit from top-mulching with hardwood or softwood chips. For example, I’m sure rhubarb would do well as long as the actual plant crowns weren’t overly smothered.

1. I expect asparagus would have a problem if the chip layer were too heavy and tightly packed for young shoots to penetrate, but I haven’t tried either of these and would do so with caution.
2. Strawberries? I’ve known people who put down a thick layer of pine sawdust, confident that the runners will be able to strike down through it, but chips and coarser stuff might be another matter.

After all, strawberries are plants of the meadows, not the forest, and they’re used to rooting through grass thatch or pine needles, which are quite different from coarse woody flakes and twigs. I have no experience with that. I’m not suggesting that one shouldn’t try it; only that I would proceed with caution.

This whole concept of building soil with coarse woody wastes raises interesting questions about the radical practice of “hugelkultur.” This Austrian-based system uses brush and even rotting logs as the energy substrate to power a community of microbes, which in turn nourish the plants that nourish us.

Obviously it has one tremendous advantage over the use of ramial chips: You don’t need to chip the wood but merely break it up enough to fit on the pile, if that. Moreover this system is applicable not only to permacrops but to most or many regular garden crops.

In this case, the woody stuff goes underneath and topsoil is applied on top. I’m not sure what keeps those piles from becoming anaerobic, especially those that are actually sunken (although “hugel” means “little hill” or “mound,” one variation is to actually dig trenches and build the entire “mound” below grade, especially in arid areas), but apparently that is not a problem, possibly because the piles are so well aerated when first built.

A nice feature of hugelkultur is that it lends itself to intensive wide-bed configurations: My beds are 52 inches wide between 18-inch paths, which would probably be just about right. I haven’t yet tried this method; my only experience is seeing Jack Kertesz’s mounds at MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center.

I intend to explore it, but I see one limitation: However well it may work for various vegetables, my garden is about much more than mesclun mixes and salsa ingredients. I’m rotating grain and other field crops with my veggies, and not all of those lend themselves to big heaps of rotting wood. I assume the piles would eventually rot enough so that any crops could be rotated into those beds.

Preparing & Toasting Oak To Age Spirits – Whiskey, Whisky or Moonshine

Nevertheless, for some crops, incorporating coarse woody “rubbish” into our food system in any way possible seems like a no-brainer. About the author: Will Bonsall lives in Industry, Maine, where he directs Scatterseed Project, a seed-saving enterprise.

Can I soak my wood chips in whiskey?

When Should You Soak Wood Chips? – Now, let’s have some fun. There are some times when soaking your wood chips is actually not a bad idea. This has nothing to do with reducing the likelihood of fires, but rather is a method of adding unique and interesting flavors. Instead of soaking wood chips or chunks in water, use something that will add flavor.

White Wine : If you are grilling a nice piece of fish, you can soak lightly flavorful wood chips like alder in a white wine like Chardonnay. The fish will take on the delicate, aromatics of the wine while the wood drys, and then finish with subtle smoky flavors. Whiskey : Soak some oak or hickory chips in whiskey before grilling beef to add intense, smokiness and rich, warm flavors. In fact, this is one of the most popular soaks, and you’ll even find wood chips from companies like Jack Daniels that impart whiskey flavors when grilling or smoking on a barbecue. Beer : You can take your German-style brats to a whole new level by soaking a mild wood chip in a pint of good beer. This is a delicious way to add some really unique flavors to smoked sausages. Brandy : One of the best ways to pump up the flavor of smoked dessert items and cheeses uses light woods soaked in brandy. The brandy adds dimension to the smoke you can’t get any other way. Apple Juice : Smoked pork chops go together with apples so well, it should almost seem like a natural decision to soak a medium-flavor wood with apple juice to kick up the fruity flavor.

Should I soak wood chips overnight?

You Do Not Need to Soak Wood Chips – The most popular, and most argued about, tip when it comes to smoking is the soaking of your wood chips and chunks for at least an hour before smoking. The thought is that doing this will slow combustion and create a better-flavored smoke than dry wood would. In truth, soaking your wood chips and chunks isn’t necessary and here’s why.

It takes more than 24 hours for a significant amount of moisture to penetrate the wood Soaked wood is producing steam Soaked wood will lower the smoker’s temperature

Wood chips and chunks that have been soaked have to get rid of any moisture before they can produce smoke. The water on the wood will have to heat to 212°F (the boiling point of water) and will stall there until the water has been evaporated. Only then will it begin to smoke.

1. Soaking wood chips or chunks can be used to your advantage in other situations, like when smoking on a charcoal or gas grill – as opposed to an Apollo® or similar bullet smoker.
2. Using a tray with soaked wood and another with dry, you can create a time-release for your smoke as the dry chips/chunks will smoke while the wet ones will dry and begin to smoke later.

Plank grilling is an exception to the no need to soak rule. Soaking the plank ensures that there is enough surface moisture on the plank that it should not combust while you are cooking. There is not enough moisture to produce significant steam or smoke, however, it will produce delightful flavor on your food.

How long should I smoke wood chips?

Soaking and Smoking Guide for Wood Chips and Pellets

	Wood-style	Pre-heat
		Total smoke time 32 minutes
Side A	Dry Chips	7 Minutes
Side B	Drenched Chips	14 Minutes
		Total smoke time 12 minutes

What are the disadvantages of wood chips?

Concern: Wood chips could be a fire hazard, particularly when they are used on landscapes around structures. Evidence: Coarse textured organic mulches, like wood chips, are the least flammable of the organic mulches.

What wood for aging moonshine?

Why Oak? – There are so many types of woods to choose from such as maple, acacia, chestnut and cherry. Yet oak (a few exceptions notwithstanding) is the only wood used for aging spirits. And not just any oak tree will do. Of the hundreds of oak species, only a few rise to the occasion for cask cooperage. White oak rings More so than most other wood types, oak has large radial rays—cells that run perpendicular to the rest of the wood fibers. This gives it the strength that’s needed for shaping a cask. Oak is also a rather pure wood, as opposed to pine or rubber trees.

How do you age moonshine?

One way to trigger the aging process is with oak wood chips, which can improve the bourbon’s flavor and give it a smooth, mellow taste. It is advised for those making their own moonshine to use wood chips rather than aging the wash in a barrel, as they are better at flavor enhancement.

How do you char wood for aging whiskey?

How to Char your own oak chips, cubes or staves? – Using a propane touch lightly burn your wood cubes, chips or staves. Keep in mind the average oak barrel only burns for between 5 – 25 seconds. So be careful not to over char it.