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Using Oak Cubes in an Old Ale

Northern Brewer General
#1

I’m making an Old Ale today and was thinking about putting some oak cubes in it after the primary fermentation settles down.

Anyone with experience using oak - is this a good idea? I plan on aging this in bottles for a while. My options are:

  1. No oak
  2. Straight up oak into the fermenter
  3. Soaking the oak cubes for a week in a yet unspecified amount of whiskey then adding the oak.

Comments, suggestions? Anyone done this? I know Denny’s Bourbon Barrel Porter does something like this.

#2

I just did a Bourbon Barrel Belgian Quad where I soaked 3 oz. of medium toast french oak cubes in two little bottles of Makers Mark. Let them soak sealed in a Tupperware container for about 3 weeks while the beer fermented. Threw them directly into the fermenter and let them sit for 7 days. At bottling I tasted and it had a nice subtle vanilla and oak flavor but not a whole lot of bourbon. Not sure if that will come out with some age or not.

I say go for it.

#3

Sounds like EXACTLY what I’m going for. Thanks for the tip!

#4

Did you add the whiskey in the container as well?

#5

By the time I pitched the cubes pretty much all the liquid had been absorbed so…I guess…yes.

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