French Oak

[Cane Toad]

Hey Guys,
The missus came home from Townsville today with a prezzie for me...an oak barrel....But it's French Oak....I haven't came across anything good from the Frogs....except a couple of X Rated movies :lol: Now this barrel has had red wine in it by the looks (it all smells like vinegar to me :mrgreen: )The million dollar question is.....to use it with bourbon do I use it charred and if so whats the best way to do it?I plan on making some into staves,putting some through the garden wood chipper and shaving some down with the plane.
So fellas,What do I do?
Cheers

[MacStill]

I'd cut it into sticks about 6 inches long and about an inch thick, I've been toasting mine in the oven lately instead of charring and the results have been pretty bloody good in my rum.

I'd give it a go in my UJSM if I had plenty of it, but I like to put my wine stained oak in my rum and only ever used american oak for UJSM.

There's heaps of info out there, but finding it is time consuming :?

Cheers.

[R-sole]

Sticks are best as mcstill said. Wrap them in foil and toast them in the oven at 200-220C until they are dark chocolate coloured. Around the 2hr mark when you should start checking.

If your foil has no holes it will prevent a lot of the smoke from filling your house.

Do it while the wifes out just in case ;)

[bradsgonetrekkin]

Hi ds,

I've used both recycled french oak wine barrell staves and fresh american oak stave off cuts.

I reckon for my taste , toast as per punkins advice is the go v charred, you will notice the difference in flavours between these styles of cookin the stix.

I've done comparison experiments between french v american in 5 litre demijohns with sticks in 65% Uncle Jesses style corn whiskey and to my palate I can't tell much of a diff between the oaks.

I ended up blending them all into 1 lot..

I generally dont drink the likker straight, but mix with coke at around 40 %.

Ive still got a few demijohns aging with a single toasted stick in each and after 4-5 months are getting tasty!

[audistiller]

Any more people want to comment on the French Oak barrels, I have just found a few of them for $150 each, so I might grab two, and they look near brand new.

[Cane Toad]

Hey Aud,I've been using sticks of French oak for a while now,and they work a treat :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[SBB]

I presume youve tried both French and American by now BD.....is there a noticeable difference in taste in your opinion???

[Cane Toad]

Na not that I can tell SBB,ordering 2 220l barrels today from ROTB,will be getting one French and one American with heavy char,will update in about 2 years :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

[cdbrown]

Is charring just direct firing of the wood surface and toasting cooking without direct fire? I saw that JDaniels barrels are put through a blast furnace with flames shooting up inside so that would be charred right?

So if using UJSM to get a JD like spirit would charred or toasted be better?

Edit - sorry for the hijack! :violence-stickwhack:

[Kimbo]

Is charring just direct firing of the wood surface and toasting cooking without direct fire? I saw that JDaniels barrels are put through a blast furnace with flames shooting up inside so that would be charred right?

So if using UJSM to get a JD like spirit would charred or toasted be better?

Edit - sorry for the hijack! :violence-stickwhack:

Hi CD, JD do both, they toast first( in their secret room) then they char in their big furnace as you saw on the JD Doco ;-)

[SBB]

So if using UJSM to get a JD like spirit would charred or toasted be better?

Ive tried both charred and toasted sticks......two different flavours and both good.....just different.
I charred my sticks using the map gas torch. The toasted sticks were done in a camp oven...a normal oven will do the same job.

[cdbrown]

What about cooking them on the grill of a bbq with the lid down? That would avoid issues with the boss if it were to smoke alot. I have one of those benzomatic propane bottles that I could use to char...well once I get around to sourcing some oak.

[Kimbo]

What about cooking them on the grill of a bbq with the lid down? That would avoid issues with the boss if it were to smoke alot. I have one of those benzomatic propane bottles that I could use to char...well once I get around to sourcing some oak.

You May get a roast beef smell to your oak :laughing-rolling:

[Frank]

Re toasting...wrapping in alfoil in the oven or whatever for a selected time/temp is the go (as many others have said before).
Re charring though...I've wondered about the likelihood of making the barrel (or, perhaps moreso, oak sticks) 'toxic' :think: relating to byproducts of HOW your 'fuel your fire', so to speak (eg propane/lpg/??).
Anyone know how charring can be done 'safely' vs not so ?
OR whether this question defies scientific logic?? :laughing-rolling: 8-}

[crow]

burning them with LPG gas should be ok but if ya going to use a fire I'd make it out of oak . When they char barrels they always use an oak fueled fire

[Kimbo]

burning them with LPG gas should be ok but if ya going to use a fire I'd make it out of oak . When they char barrels they always use an oak fueled fire

Thats coz they;ve got lots of offcuts
Foreshots are good for that ;-)

[Cane Toad]

I just use the weber,wrap em in alfoil,and when the weber is nice and hot,chuck em in.make sure the heat beads are totally grey though or you'll get that keep taste all through your sticks.if after a couple of hours they aren't charred to your liking,just give em a half hour out of the alfoil in the weber or use the BD747 :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft: :teasing-tease:

[audistiller]

Hey Aud,I've been using sticks of French oak for a while now,and they work a treat :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Thanks for that Don. I think instead of buying two French Oak barrels I might just get one, and keep looking for an American Oak barrel. Do you guys think $150 seems reasonable for this French Oak one, they look fairly new and rather nice and clean, I believe I can get a few of these.


Regards

[Cane Toad]

Hi Aud,at that price mate I'd definately grab one.Geez they look in good nik.Would look good sanded up and a light polish :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[crow]

yeah wouldn't be able to bring myself to chop it up though . I'd look for a cheaper rougher one for that , but that's just little tight arsed me