Etosha is a hardwood from Namibia, it is an invader species there and is hence used widely as barbeque charcoal throughout Southern Africa. Its smoke has an amazing scent and aroma to it. I saw this recipe video for Whiskey and was wondering if you could substitute the oak with another charcoal that is fit for cooking food. I don't know if there is something that may make a charcoal fit for cooking food, but unfit to mellow whiskey with. …

There is a history of people using oak barrels to age and mature beer. These days people often use bourbon soaked oak chips to flavour beer in the secondary. Also, I have seen people asking about using maple, spruce and pine on the site? Regarding, spruce/pine they have been looking for a pine/spruce flavour that you would get from the needles. What experience have people had using these and are there any woods you should avoid due to health/food safety …

I'm brewing an imperial stout. It will have 10-12% ABV in the end (hopefully). I never used wood chips before, but want to add it to this beer. I read through guides but I read everything from just 24 hours to 2 months. I have about 12 liters of the stout and want to add the chips next week after primary fermentation is done. How much do I add and how long? I would prefer to do it for 2 …

A friend gave me a 20l (5 gal) wooden barrel. It had bourbon before, and was emptied two or three days ago. My friend said the barrel needs to be prevented from drying so that the wood doesn't contract and the barrel becomes leaky. I don't have anything to put in the barrel, and I cannot brew till in 2 weeks. My friend recommended putting it in shrink wrap, but that'd look ugly. (The barrel looks nice as is and …

I'm planning to revive in my family one of regional traditions of Poland. It goes like this: Serve wine from a wooden (usually oaken) barrel during baptism party of your child. After the party, fill it with vodka and bury it in soil. Dig it out when the child is getting married and serve vodka from it during the wedding party. I didn't find any tips in the web and I've never talked to somebody that has tried this. I …

All the reading I am doing suggests that adding maple syrup at just about any point to a beer is really just a waste of maple syrup, except potentially at priming. When brewing a 'pumpkin' beer, there are likely 1000 other better ways of getting to a pumpkin pie flavor (which is really what people are after) than adding actual pumpkin (which seems to just give you some pectins and a few gravity points). I'm thinking I might be able …

I was wondering if I can make some post-christmas beer out of the christmas tree (Norway Spruce). So my question is, does wood have to be dried in order to use it for flavoring or can I use green wood? When should I add the wood in this case? I was thinking to make a IPA with "piney" hops. (probably simcoe)