The Ideal Alternative to Barrels

Oak chips represent a quick and economical method to add a “barrel-aged” aroma to your beer. While barrel aging is a delicate art in homebrewing, oak chips are a very interesting alternative to reproduce its organoleptic effects.

Moreover, they are not limited to beer... Enhance your wines, kombucha, or spirits with French or American oak chips.

Our chips are made from staves (barrel slats) of dried French oak, reduced to chips and toasted to create flavors similar to those obtained with a barrel.

French Heavy Toast oak chips offer an aromatic palette of mocha, coffee, roasted almond, and crème brûlée. They can be easily combined with more toasted oak chips or American oak chips.

The roasting levels of our chips are “Light”, “Medium”, and “Heavy”. Each degree of toast will give different flavors in the oak, not an increased intensity in the beer. These are not weak, normal, or strong levels; each presents a distinct flavor profile. In addition to these roasting profiles, French oak chips will have more wine-like flavors, while American ones will lean towards spirits.

Oak Chip Dosage:

• - 2.5g/L: for a complexity effect without a dominant woody marker
• - 4g/L: balanced dosage
• - 6g/L to 8g/L: a pronounced woody character that clearly marks the bouquet and structure of the beer recipe used.

Of course, if you plan to age the beer for a long time, these dosages should be reduced. Oak chips are an oenological product, they mainly come from the wine world, and as in wine, the best guide will be your palate. Regularly taste your aging beer to determine if the woody flavors suit you.

Possible Introduction Phases:

• - End of boiling
• - End of primary fermentation
• - During beer aging

Contact Time:

With the dosages given above, 3 weeks will be sufficient for adequate extraction. However, there are not many rules and the exposure time can range from a few days to 3 or 4 months.

Ideal Beers with French Heavy Toast Oak Chips:

• - Strong Brown Ales
• - Quadrupel
• - Barley Wine
• - Imperial Stout
• - Christmas Beer
• - Wild Beers
• - Brett Beers
• - Wine/Beer Hybrids