oak spirals

[NikoBrew]

I've never used these and just got interested when hearing last sunday's Cigar City show. My brewclub is looking for wine barrels to age a group brew in which I'm personally more concerned about as far as quality and contamination and everything involved. I'm thinking the spirals sound like they'd have the same effect even though they don't sound as cool. I saw them on a website for winemakers and was wondering if folks use them the same way, one spiral per 3 gallons for about six weeks total is what one online shop says to do. I will see if my LHBS can get these and if not would like to get them from any BN vendor that carries them.

I've been making a couple RIS's and love 'em. I just picked up a bottle of Great Divide's Chocolate Aged Yeti which used cocoa nibs, oak aging and spices.. I haven't drunk it yet but just got me thinking when I heard this show. Any suggestions, ideas? Thanks!

[mookie1010]

Where'd you see 'em?

[Sent From My iPhone]

I've never used the spirals, only chips and cubes. I like cubes because you can leave them in the beer longer than chips and are supposed to get a more complex aroma and flavor. The spirals seem too big to me, with too much surface area. I could be wrong, but I think it would be easy to over do it with spirals.

[bikefoolery]

I've used the sprirals once. I thought he 3 gallons to one spiral was for wine making. Also, the don't have the charring that cubes or staves have. It imparted an oak flavor to my Firestone DBA clone, but it was different. Maybe I'll run an side-by-side experiment for the next DBA brew of spirals versus cubes.

[NikoBrew]

http://www.homebrewit.com/aisle/1140

[NikoBrew]

My LHBS said they can get it in, $6.95 for a 2pack of American Oak.

[NikoBrew]

I've used the sprirals once. I thought he 3 gallons to one spiral was for wine making. Also, the don't have the charring that cubes or staves have. It imparted an oak flavor to my Firestone DBA clone, but it was different. Maybe I'll run an side-by-side experiment for the next DBA brew of spirals versus cubes.

The 3 gallons for one is for winemaking and the cubes probably are smarter to use, I think the guys at cigar city used the spirals and made some tasty brew with it that won gold at gabf, sounds like a process that could be cool to imitate. I'm loving imperial stouts and thought it'd be fun to play with oak and cocoa nibs and all that other stuff that makes your beer way more expensive than you expected

[TapItGood]

I thought they were using Cedar Spirals ?