Adding Oak Chips in Brew Bag

[Raptor99]

I would like to be able to add oak chips (or spices, vanilla beans, etc.) to the secondary in a brew bag. rather than adding them directly. That way I don't have to rack to get them out.

I use 1-gallon carboys for my secondary and bulk aging. I can squeeze a small bag of oak chips or spices into the carboy, but it is very difficult to get it out without racking, especially if it sinks. I considered tying a piece of string (or fishing line?) to the bag so that I can pull it out, but I wonder if that would cause the airlock to not seal very well.

I'd be interested to hear what sorts of solutions others have found for this problem.

 

[Johnd]

I would like to be able to add oak chips (or spices, vanilla beans, etc.) to the secondary in a brew bag. rather than adding them directly. That way I don't have to rack to get them out.

I use 1-gallon carboys for my secondary and bulk aging. I can squeeze a small bag of oak chips or spices into the carboy, but it is very difficult to get it out without racking, especially if it sinks. I considered tying a piece of string (or fishing line?) to the bag so that I can pull it out, but I wonder if that would cause the airlock to not seal very well.

I'd be interested to hear what sorts of solutions others have found for this problem.

I used to “hang” oak staves in my 6 gallon carboys using a piece of 10 lb test fishing line, and just put my bung in place as normal, with no issues. Good idea to tie a toothpick on the tag end of the line so it can’t get pulled into the carboy when the bung is out.

 

[Raptor99]

I just ran across this: Big Mouth Bubbler® Depth Charge® - Dry Hop Filter

I am not making beer nor am I using a big mouth bubbler. But it would be great if there was something like this that fit into the mouth of a carboy. Maybe get some nylon screen or stainless steel screen and make one?

 

[swv]

Here's something similar. It is for the Fermonster and PET bottles but the MiniMesh looks like it would fit in a glass carboy also.
https://thevintageshop.ca/products/fermonster-strainer.html

 

[Raptor99]

I should post an update. I tried a mesh tea bag including a few marbles, secured to the carboy handle with a piece of fishing line. It did not work out well. The bag kept trapping CO2 and floating to the top, pushing against the airlock. As a result, I don't think that the wine made good contact with the oak.

I decided to try a simpler approach. I use a minimal amount of oak chips and leave them in until the next racking. By using a small enough amount of chips, they become depleted and won't contribute any further oak flavor even if they are left in for several months.