StillSmart

How do you toast your wood ?

This is how I do mine of what ever wood I can get when I am Logging ,so far I have tried American & eng oak,cherry and apple when I get round to toasting it.
Split logs to 4" thick with axe,and season (dry) for 1 year in airy lean to shed.
Cut ends off logs and cut to 5" long(removes oil contamination from chain saw,
Split logs into 1/2 to 3/4" staves,use only heart wood ,the outer layer and bark is waste (fire lighters).
The heart wood staves are divided into 2 batches,the 1st I toast at 180*C for 60 mins,the 2nd batch for 60 mins at 210*c.
I use the staves at a rate of 3 per gallon at 65% abv.
I leave this for at least 6 months,tasting a diluted sample every month.

What toasting temps and times do you use.

Hi oldman56

You must hold the record for being the longest member of this forum to take 3 1/2 years to make your second post

I've never toasted any myself, I've only used readymade oak staves from stilldragon, most of my distilling life so far has been spent creating neutral, however I am at last, now making some interesting flavoured spirits, this is something I'm interested in too so hopefully the answer will help both of us.

I'm also considering using a cornie keg for aging, I'll be warming it up and cooling it down regularly to imitate the seasons of the year and speed up the aging process, I don't think this will work properly with "ready made" oak staves, so before I try it, I will have to toast my own.

oldman56 wrote:How do you toast your wood ?

This is how I do mine of what ever wood I can get when I am Logging ,so far I have tried American & eng oak,cherry and apple when I get round to toasting it.
Split logs to 4" thick with axe,and season (dry) for 1 year in airy lean to shed.
Cut ends off logs and cut to 5" long(removes oil contamination from chain saw,
Split logs into 1/2 to 3/4" staves,use only heart wood ,the outer layer and bark is waste (fire lighters).
The heart wood staves are divided into 2 batches,the 1st I toast at 180*C for 60 mins,the 2nd batch for 60 mins at 210*c.
I use the staves at a rate of 3 per gallon at 65% abv.
I leave this for at least 6 months,tasting a diluted sample every month.

What toasting temps and times do you use.

I would be interesting to know what you taste it in too. I have been banished to the outdoor brick oven after Nearly blowing up the kitchen

Anavrin wrote:Hi oldman56

You must hold the record for being the longest member of this forum to take 3 1/2 years to make your second post

I've never toasted any myself, I've only used readymade oak staves from stilldragon, most of my distilling life so far has been spent creating neutral, however I am at last, now making some interesting flavoured spirits, this is something I'm interested in too so hopefully the answer will help both of us.

I'm also considering using a cornie keg for aging, I'll be warming it up and cooling it down regularly to imitate the seasons of the year and speed up the aging process, I don't think this will work properly with "ready made" oak staves, so before I try it, I will have to toast my own.

That sounds like a job for Jack Daniels barbecue chips. And what a brilliant idea to use a corny keg. Never thought of having 20l of bourbon on tap

You should consider ss fustis,they come in sizes from 3 ls to 100 ls, have a tap and large screw on lid.
I use them for boilers , thumper , storage and maceration.
The Italians make them and use them for olive oil storage.