oak chip handling

[fakr]

looking for some input guys.  

I know a common method of handling oak chips is to soak them in alcohol before adding to the secondary, which works great.

Has anybody tried toasting oak chips in the oven before adding them to the secondary?  I'd like to try to get a more burnt oak flavor....similar to charring the inside oak barrels.  baking would also starilize the chips too.

I know burnt oak adds great notes to whiskeys, scotches, etc...would it be too much for beer?

[Thomas]

I have no experience toasting oak chips,but if you want a rapid method for extracting oak flavor try microwaving them. I took a half ounce of oak chips, added enough water to cover then and microwaved then mabey six times, 30 seconds each time. This quickly boiles and steams the chips and extracts TONNES of flavor, causing the water to turn dark brown. This really gives a nice oak kick to beer.
Brew would be the man to take to about toasting oak.

[fakr]

Thanks Thomas, I'll keep that in mind.

[brew]

I haven't tried it yet but I intend to at some point - Oak staves (white oak, not the red oak we have around here) put em on the bbq and take a torch to em, get them nice and charcoal'd, put em in the secondary for a month or two - I think it would work similar to a first use bourbon barrel...

[fakr]

That's kind of what I was aiming for Brew.  So maybe a quick char on the barbeque as opposed to a bake in the oven...