The Ideal Alternative to the Barrel

Oak chips are a quick and economical method to add a “barrel-aged” aroma to your beer. While barrel aging is a delicate art in homebrewing, chips offer an 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 as well.

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 Medium Toast Oak Chips offer an aromatic palette of vanilla, almond, caramel, spice, and cinnamon. 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 toasting brings different flavors to 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.

Dosage of Oak Chips:

• - 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, you will need to reduce these dosages. Oak chips are an oenological product, mainly from the wine world, and as with 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 no strict rules, and the exposure time can vary from a few days to 3 or 4 months.

Ideal Beers with French Medium Toast Oak Chips:

• - Saison
• - Strong blondes
• - Wild beers
• - Brett beers
• - Wine/beer hybrids