Why use oak?

[Saint-Thomas]

Back in my kit days, I had an IPA which called for oak chips. That beer turned out okay, and so I bought the bulk ingredients to keep making it. Eventually I lost interest and the bag of oak chips sat on the shelf for several years.

Fast forward to this year. I have the brewing bug again and this time I have been studying everything I can get my hands on. I am now doing all grain, and formulating my own recipes. I brewed an (what I hoped would be) American IPA for my first all grain. For some reason I thought oak was important so I threw in 4 oz sanitized in the fermeneter. Now, I really like what I ended up with; it smells and tastes a bit like bourbon, with a nice bitterness and malty background. But, I was looking at BJCP guidelines, and it seems that oak is not appropriate to IPA's since historically, the barrels would have been treated with brewer's pitch and would not have imaprted an oak flavor.

In conclusion, I like what I came up with, but it is not exactly what I am looking for. I think if I drop the oak and dry hop to kick up the aroma, then I will have nailed it. I am trying it out today. But as I was thinking about this, I wondered why my LHBS sells oak chips? What else might you use them for if the BJCP says no? Obviously, if you aren't brewing to style, you could use them (as I intend to do when I make a new batch of the oaky IPA) but within style guidelines, where does oak fit? just curious..

[HogieWan]

some people claim that IPAs of old got an oak flavor from the barrels. The people who really just enjoy the addition of the oak flavor like to promote this like it is historically accurate.

Keep in mind, you're a homebrewer - if you like using and ingredient, use it.

[corkybstewart]

Oak would be appropriate for stouts-think Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout. There are also Belgians, primarily wild ales that require oak.
Throw away that style book sometimes and just brew what you want. Obviously if you're going to compete with it it has to be to style, but otherwise if it tastes good do it.

[Saint-Thomas]

I figured as much. I am interested in the historically accurate beers, but then again, I lean toward american styles which tend to be much newer and more adventurous. I do like the oak, but I am interested in knowing why it wouldn't be appropriate for an IPA in a competition.

RE: Oak aged Yeti. I tried one of these last week and I really couldn't tell that there was any oak flavor to it. The hops really just powered through every other flavor, except there was a nice malty note on the finish. I liked it. A nice blend of malty roastiness with the high IBU's I like. I wouldn't have it every day, mind you...

I need to look into these belgians you speak of.

[corkybstewart]

I bought a Yeti a couple of months ao. I keep forgetting to drink it. It's not bad but once every couple of months is plenty.
I'm reading Sparrow's Wild Brews right now and he talks a lot about the bacteria that reside in oak barrels and how that contributes to the flavor profile of lambics. I may put some oak cubes in my next batch of wild ale after my 2 Flander's reds are done.

[Carl Spakler]

Originally posted by Saint-Thomas
I am interested in the historically accurate beers

Then throw away your sanitizing agent, fancy SS brew pot, insulated mashing vessel, refrigerator, etc... :)

I am interested in beers that taste good to me, anything else is just a footnote.

I'd like to make two batches of IPA and put a small amount in a separate fermenter with some oak to compare.

[Mad Scientist]

I have seen many recipes for IPAs calling for oak chips, but they are usualy english styled IPAs, and if memeory serves me, there is a commercial oak aged single IPA on the market.

The last bottle of Oak'd Yeti I had (and shared with Otis) the oak came through wonderfully, not too much and not too little. There are many styles of beer that benefit from oak aging--I will be making a olde ale for xmas that will use some oak in it.

I noticed Corkys comment about style guidelines. And while I am a far more stickler for staying close to stlyes, there are many times when I toss the book out the window too.

If it brew like a beer, pours lke a beer, and tastes like a beer, then it is beer.....make it how you want.

[Payson]

I may put some oak cubes in my next batch of wild ale after my 2 Flander's reds are done.
I've got oak in my Flanders... Used a bit in a lambic as well. I love it when it's not too overdone.
Burton Baton is a superb example of properly used oak IMO.

[corkybstewart]

This batch I'm experimenting with 2 different wild yeasts, next batch I'll use the yeast I like best from this batch and add oak to one carboy.

[dparsons]

BJCP style guidelines are meant to be broken if something appeals.

[Mad Scientist]

Originally posted by dparsons
BJCP style guidelines are meant to be broken if something appeals.

Which is why we brew.

[deucedaily]

My last IPA was a recipe from one of the Papazian books and called for oak. I got a package from my LHBS and put in a good sized handful. After I got to reading the package and realized it was good for 25 gallons of wine. I had used about half. It has been in the bottles for about 2 weeks and is starting to mellow out some. I like the oak taste but there was definitely too much in there. Definitely did not fit what I pictured as an IPA (style guide or not).

Has anyone had experience with heavy oak flavors and know whether this will continue to mellow out. It has gotten dramatically better in just 2 weeks, but still has a way to go. Good thing the blonde gets tapped this weekend.

[Saint-Thomas]

When I bottled the IPA which prompted this topic, it was nearly unbearable. All I could taste was the oak and I kept thinking of bourbon. It mellowed out very quickly into a nice beer and seems to keep getting better. I only used 4 oz in five gallons, so your mileage may vary, but I'd say give it more time.

[Mad Scientist]

For 25 gallons of wine? That is a lot of oak....of course I could be wrong, but wine is stored in oak for very extended periods...months.....

[deucedaily]

The total amount of oak was maybe a cup or so. A pretty big fistful to be exact. Looked to be about half of the package.

[SoxyinMO]

Originally posted by Saint-Thomas
When I bottled the IPA which prompted this topic, it was nearly unbearable. All I could taste was the oak and I kept thinking of bourbon. It mellowed out very quickly into a nice beer and seems to keep getting better. I only used 4 oz in five gallons, so your mileage may vary, but I'd say give it more time.

I'll agree with Saint-Thomas here. I had 2 Cups of toasted oak chips in my 5 gallon Imperial Stout. I bottled it in August, tried out the first one in Sept or so and the oak (and bourbon) taste was overwhelming.

Now the oak is a soft background note; it definitely tastes as if it had been aged in old Bourbon Oak barrels, which was just what I wanted!