Some of you may remember how I commented how harsh my rum-oaked pale ale seemed to me. Anyway, lately, I have actually been able to drink it and just yesterday actually enjoyed it.

It seems as though all the oak harshness is going way, pretty quickly, I can still taste the rum, but that seems to be going away too.

I have read that the oak flavor will fade over time. But, my question is how long would this take?

Would all the oak \"flavoring\" settle to the bottom, being the first several pints taking all the flavoring?

Would the beer freezing affect this drastic change?

Jeff Wilhelm wrote:



Jeff,
Sounds like another winner! Will you be bringing a new and mellower sample to taste next meeting? BTW did you notice any fading or change with your \"vanilla bean\" recipe. Perhaps just a mellowing in that batch?

I found Northern Brewer has oak for wines and I copied some of their information.

QUOTE \"Oak Products (from Northern Brewer)
French oak is the most highly regarded wood for use in winemaking. High demand means that it costs more than other varieties. It is known for its subtle flavor and bouquet and high tannin content. French oak is great for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Blanc.

American oak has a much more pronounced aroma than French oak. It imparts more flavor faster, but mellows sooner. Try American oak for Bordeaux-style wines and big Italian or Spanish reds and Zinfandel; it also makes for an assertive Chardonnay.

Hungarian oak has much of the same properties as French oak, but is a bit less intense. It's a very popular substitute for French oak because of its lower cost and fine flavor profile.

Medium Toast has less tannin but more bouquet, so will impart more aroma than flavor. Medium toast oak has a warm, sweet character with strong vanilla overtones.\" END QUOTE


It seems NB describes the sharpeness as oak tannins which mellow out in time. I am assuming that you kegged since you mentions \"first several pints taken.\"
Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to a sample.

Regards,
tt