How To Fix Over Oaked Spirits

[@dp5548-g1e]

I love going back and replaying the videos

[@BeardedBored]

Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one with these problems, LoL! Nice to see some solid solutions.

[@spikelove9533]

Whys it always all about you. I can have over oaking to ! JK 😏

[@BeardedBored]

@@spikelove9533 ;-)

[@wldtrky38]

I has this problem the 1st time I tried oaking with chips. I used George's amount, 2 ounces medium oak per gallon, and it was just way heavy on the oak. I could have added more liquid, corn in this case, but I tried running it thru my little carbon filter, Mr Distiller variety. Came out FINE! I cut the oak in half next time and tried again, tasting more often along the way, problem solved ! Now I have 2 kegs, so far things are going really good 😁 Thanks Jesse 🥃

[@marcelohernandez7215]

Same happend here...2oz was too much!

[@EfecanGulec-sx6cv]

Can you guys tell me how much 2 ounces is? 60ml??

[@brucekrisko4364]

Thanks Jesse, I think you're becoming quite the teacher. You have opened up a lot of thoughts with this video.

[@BigBoyDIY]

ive been watching all your videos and its helped me heaps! i was making bourbon years and years back but its great to see a fellow kiwi thats into his craft and got loads of info here!

[@mikew.1902]

Great ideas to try. It had never occurred to me that there were ways improve an over done spirit. Thanks.

[@richardwalkden6349]

I remember going with a very skilled wine buyer around a region of France and tasting red wines for “putting down” (not shooting! but keeping for years) The wines he set aside for putting down were full of tannins, terribly astringent and bitter as a witches tit. I could barely bring myself to taste them as they were so harsh and the accompanied cheese was a welcome relief. Anyhow Michael - the buyer enlightened me by explaining the tannins preserve the wine and mellow with age and become the beautiful flavours we enjoy in an oak aged red. Perhaps one could hope for the same with oak in spirits?

[@StillIt]

Very interesting! Yup the same idea I think!

[@jimdent351]

I had a wine that I thought was over oaked. I racked it and put it aside in May 2019. I sampled it the other day, and damn is it ever good.

[@backyardalchemy1223]

It Was Amazing... I Just now Came across this problem and was wondering if i had to toss it, was undrinkable.

[@jaretstevens5317]

I had a beautiful aux de vie pushing easily 60%. It was the apex of my work and I ruined it with oak that was actually wine cask chips, made it taste like gwappa(?) Love your work btw, my go to for everything still it

[@denisdendrinos4538]

Nice video. Wooding is really really an amazing process. Even wooding your heads can lead to something really beautiful. The complexity snd chemistry involved!

[@morty4594]

Good day to you all. What grate timing for this I've been aging my first 10th gen of UJSSM for 2 years now. This is for when my son graduates High school and NO its not for him. I just checked it last night and WoW very spicy and tannic. I checked the ABV and it was %65. I lowered the ABV down to %55 and swapped the wood out for a lesser amount of Hungarian oak cubes with a medium toast and no char. I'll give 6 moths and check it again to see how it coming along. Thanks Again. and have a kick Ass week.

[@PoppaLongroach]

10th! wow ive never went that far most ive done is 6 and it was really good. was it just straight corn mash??

[@morty4594]

@@PoppaLongroach Yes it was just the straight cracked corn. I did my first 5 gen's in a 20 Lt. bucket, then I stepped it up to a 40 lt. The white was awesome, This is the last jar I have from that run and currently fixing it, I have 2 more years to get right. LOL

[@PoppaLongroach]

@@morty4594 that kinda commitment is impressive man. when u stepped up to 40 lt did u reuse all the grain from 20ltr and add that much new? i repourposed an old building to heated still house n can manage more than 1 kind of mash workin at a time now. going to try how u did it n c how turns out for me thanks for info man

[@morty4594]

@@PoppaLongroach Yes I reused the yeast cake and all the grain and i added a little more. That first round took a couple more day to run dry. then it went back to normal. I did not add any new yeast. I did make sure that pitching temp was 95 * F. I use a fish tank heater and keep it at 85*F.

[@PoppaLongroach]

@@morty4594 great info! thanks man. i keep my mash in building that stays between 74 and 78f and 52 to 56%rh constantly so its very easy to control my temp. my first gen is in a 10 gallon fermenter should be done thursdayish

[@pete8420]

Dude this is the first video I ever watched on your channel, and I would expect no less from a face like that! 😆

[@mikeduffer6858]

Thanks Jesse! These are all good ideas. Love you man and keep it up.

[@thm72]

You also don't have to blend with spirits. I blended a failed spiced rum (tasted like rubber) with a bochet that got stuck (mead with caramelized honey, stuck at 1.072). Came out with a delicious fortified beverage around 25% that's an awesome dessert beverage.

[@kruggalleries]

I smoke white oak sticks 1/2"×1/2"×6" on a little Webber over smoldering peat, I then soak the sticks for a minimum of a month in Sherry wine before using for aging. It works great 👍

[@kruggalleries]

Prior to aging, I had a 7"x7"×40" tall tube tapering to a 1/2" ball valve at the bottom and reduced to a 3" opening at the top made out of stainless steel. Also near the bottom, I drilled and installed two 5 micron stainless air stones hooked up to a 600 gallon air pump. I put a run, less foreshots, heads, and tails into the unit and aerate for 24 hours. This helps "marry" the flavors as well as evaporate any unwanted things such as acetones and other unwanted alcohols. You can lose up to 2 abv per hour, so don't cut until after the 24.

[@KB-uv7xo]

Good advice Jesse!

[@DubstepMonkey42]

Had questions on this and then you put out the video thats just awesome thanks Jesse awesome information will definitely be checking out the podcasts

[@PoppaLongroach]

always good info man. ive got a 1 ltr barrel im using for 2nd time now. let it sit 2 months first time n tasted ok but wasnt what i expected. very light color and an understated flavor profile. filled it with george washington rye made with malted corn in may goin try it at xmas. i dont think the char is not what advertised to be. may try georges technique and take it appart n char it myself.

[@lilinguhongo2621]

thinking solera system... different woods or, at least, toastings... maybe charred for the first stage to get rid off harshness, going with light or no toast at all for the second, medium for the third stage to get some vanilla and stuff. Maybe I'll soak some medium toast oak with cheap sweet sherry for the last stage to round up and get some sweetness, or go for cherrywood. As time will bring dilution as well (more and more batches going through the solera), the adstringency should fade out, but wouldn't other flavour components fade as well?

[@fourdeadinohio8303]

i went a little wild with the chips. i bought apple, cherry, peach, maple and oak. i had every {almost} different combo of chips. it was a grand experiment til the tasting. it was harsh nasty it burned. i ended up putting 10 qts. in a spirit run and started over again. some times more is not better.

[@joshuasteele5108]

Nice thing about having a still you can always re run the stuff.

[@Deathbows2me]

I am so surprised you didnt mention just running it through the still again. Is there something wrong with doing that? Does it not remove the oakin?

[@navymark101]

Great video Jesse, very informative... Thanks

[@thegrengoon6367]

Good stuff Jess, I aged some bourbon in a new White American Oak charred barrel (level 3 char). It's now aged only 4 weeks and tastes beyond carred or charcoal smokey flavor. How would I go about knocking down some of that flavor. Do I pull it out of the barrel or let it ride to see if the barrel can pull some other flavors out?

[@jackscottjr.1238]

I THINK I JUST OVER OAKED, NOT VERY EXPERERIANCED AND WAS NOT SURE WHAT THAT TASTE IS, WAS THINKING MAYBE TANNINS. BUT NOW I AM PRETTY SURE IT IS. I WAS THINKING MAYBE I WOULD HAVE TO PUT IT ALL BACK IN AND RE-RUN IT? THAT MAYBE THAT WOULD MAKE IT SO I COULD START OVER WITH THE OAK? THOUGHTS?

[@chrisanderson1498]

Good stuff Jesse! Cheers 🥃

[@TheJdm2203]

Good stuff, Jess!! THANK YOU!!

[@ErikAdalbertvanNagel]

I saw a video someone make whisky in a new way, he uses light to break down some components if I remember correctly. I wonder if some sunlight can be useful in this situation.

[@dougshelton69]

1 handful of toasted oak per gallon and 2 tbl spoons of honey works for me..2-3weeks of aging..😁

[@yoguimasterof69]

Hi Jesse, always great!... I just realized that a tree we have here in Chile, we call "Encino", it is actually the same French oak! So, I have the wood covered. Now, the question is, how do I mimic the oxygenation of the barrel? What does it bring tho the flavor smell that makes it that important? or not... Is it enough to just open the jars once in a while and then give them a big shake? Warm regards!

[@MrSausagehead]

I've put my over wooded spirit through my tall carbon filter and it comes out the other end clear and neutral again ready for a second soak in less wood.

[@michaelcavender6238]

So if I over makes with dark chips, could I remove all of that and then add back in a lightly toasted spiral? I know that sounds odd but seems to say more time on less oak may fix it. So maybe removing all chips and using a small piece of a spiral could continue to mature the spirit and add the other flavors?

[@StillBehindTheBench]

Dang, I was just thinking about doing a video on this, specifically on astringency/tannins. Great minds I guess! But I have one other option for dealing with tannins/astringency that you didn't mention, I guess the video will be a lot shorter, lol.

[@StillIt]

Do it dude, make the like you were going to. Dont stress about making the same thing as another youtuber. I mean, sure, straight up copying is lame. But using the same subject matter with your own spin / spice / style is nothing but good for the comunity.

[@jcerasmus4389]

Could not agree more. I will watch 5 to 6 videos about the same subject. This is why YT is the best. Kia Ora Jessy from Auckland. Keep on stilling in this covid times.

[@TheSunnyTrails]

Could you just re distil some of your over oaked whisky and add the white spirit back into the rest of you over oaked spirit to reduce volume of the compounds inside the overall volume you have? Could you try that for us?

[@alexside5039]

Cool video. do you have a link to the polenta whiskey?

[@StillIt]

If memory serves me correctly it was the first thing I put through the Genio. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gn-3falspriAp7M&ab_channel=StillIt

[@alexside5039]

Thanks man 😄

[@kevinbaxter2578]

Hey Jesse, can you describe your pallet tastes of astringent and tannic? My thoughts are like BBQ using limbs or dry wood smoke flavor vs BBQ using aged log hearts with that sweet almost nutty butterscotch smell.

[@marcelohernandez7215]

Awesome my man! Thx a lot

[@Winteryears]

I blend, as it's so easy to do.

[@colinmackay4681]

Jessie, how long can you leave frozen fruit in a neutral spirit, before it goes bad ?

[@bourbondave4438]

Yeah I aged my white dog in six 1.5 liter glass jars with 2 big charred oak staves. Put them up in my cupboard and literally forgot it for like 18 months. Just pulled them down and they’re so dark you can’t see through them. Literally so oaky it tasted like I was licking campfire ash. Looks like blending is my only option. Any other suggestions?

[@chrisraab69]

how long do you leave the actual oak in? like 3 months remove it and then let the whiskey sit another 9 months off oak?

[@kevinhoban4416]

I would like to know if you sell them if you do how much

[@ExploringNewEngland]

can you bring up the taste from slight scorching on the element. turned distillate yellow, but then when re-ran or re-distilled it is clear but still has slight scorched smokey taste. also aged on oak and its helped but its still there. this video makes me think remove the oak and just let it sit not for a long time.

[@Tyresio12]

Maybe try adding some plums? Or smoked plums even better, this fruit goes well with smokey aromas. Dunno however, how it goes with oak.

[@bowpro88]

I recently tried a small batch with medium pecan wood. Excellent. But I made a large batch and thought if a little pecan was great more would be better. I love the dark color but it has a bite. At 80 proof it feels like 120 proof. I think I’ll blend in some 140 white and dilute it back down to 80. Or experiment with adding some good oak aged liquor. While I write this it dawns on me to do it on a small scale before I adjust the large batch.

[@brianmckibben2300]

Instead of liquid wood i just mix in some good scotch and can't taste anything else but the good stuff. goes farther that way on the cheap. Also the expensive label bottle helps.

[@fishergabe]

Do a too much cinnamon in a neutral spirit flavoring. How can i save a thing that has too much cinnamon?

[@jasonsoles2052]

Is there a way to save a scorched distillate? Smells like coffee etc.

[@AYoutubeAccountName]

Maybe double down? Infuse with actual coffee and make a kahlua clone?

[@the_whiskeyshaman]

Oak is a fickle friend but man she makes some sweet juice

[@kevinhoban4416]

I would like to know what the glass is called that you use for the tasting

[@kevinhoban4416]

Do you sell those glasses if so how much

[@nathanheng8954]

www.glencairnwhiskyglass.com/ Not sure if he sells them too, but here they are.

[@StillIt]

Yup, Nathan put you right mate. I will have CTC branded glencairn glasses soon. Im waiting on the prototype now :)

[@rayfox212]

@@StillIt oh yeah a Christmas present to myself

[@kevinhoban4416]

@@StillIt let me know when you get them I'd be interested in one or two

[@johnstone1199]

Great information again. Would it be ok to use different types of distillate for changing the flavor profile? Say adding some rum to a whiskey?

[@danielray1484]

Distill it again. At least with aging with cinnamon sticks

[@spicyspice352]

painted the bench i see

[@Mazorzarch]

You drink them.

[@Mazorzarch]

And wince..

[@StillIt]

They aint all great

[@Mazorzarch]

I'm guessing you could always distill it again into hand sanitizer if it's too far gone? Or to remove flavors to an extent.

[@StillIt]

You could for sure. But you would be surprised how far gone they can be and still come back. Its always good to have for blending too.

[@enric.7814]

First like :)

[@StillIt]

Enri with the quick draw

[@enric.7814]

@@StillIt do you know bain-marie barrels? Maybe you could try to build one and compare it to oaking in a jar

[@vtbn53]

No we don't want sweetness, ever!