I’m wondering if anybody out there has experience oaking a commercial beer in keg–specifically, adding oak flavor to a keg of Arrogant Bastard to make…Oaked Arrogant Bastard?
Oaked Arrogant is not available in 5 gallon kegs. So my plan is to pay for a regular bastard keg, pop the top and pour in the 4 or so ounces of vodka I’ve kept surrounding 2 dry ounces of first-use, medium-toast American oak.
Anyone used a different technique or have any standout results?
I’ve never tried it, but Oaked AB is really oaky. I have a hard time thinking a homemade extract is going to get you to that level. Do you have the capability to transfer it to another carboy or keg and oak it there?
I’ve transferred commercial kegs to cornies before. You could do that (assuming you have a corny).
I would add the vodka as well as the oak chips and pull the chips when you get the oaki-ness you want.
I add chips the same why I dry-hop in kegs. Put them in a bag or stainless tea ball and suspend them with floss from the top of the keg.
Never though about the possibility of doing a keg transfer. This will be my first commercial tapping. I’m probably going to stop by the Stone store today to order one of those 5 gal Bastards.
I’ll do a floss suspension then, to get more oak over time–stronger and I hope more complex. According to Stone’s labeling, Oaked Arrogant is made with an American oak “tea”. It is not aged on oak. I’ll see how the two oaked AB’s differ over time.
Any reason why it wouldn’t be more advantageous to just soak some oak chips in vodka or whiskey and make oak additions in your glass from the liquor?
Whyyyyyyy?!
Yeah, I see the advantages of what you’re saying. That would afford the most flexibility and opportunity to taste-test a range of oakiness.
And if I do settle on a level I really like, I could transfer the last couple gallons to a 3-gallon keg and oak it there, and return the commercial keg.
Thanks!