Is it possible to age cider with oak chips? Would that taste good? I have heard some applejack is aged this way and wondered if it would be appropriate with cider. Also, I have noticed that there are applewood chips in the wood chip section for smoking at the supermarket. Would apple chips be good to use instead of oak? Would they impart additional apple flavors?
Thanks for your help.
Vic
Yes, traditional English cider is made in pipes (large barrels holding
120 gallons) so I think oak would benefit a cider. Only MHO though.Made a Merlot from a kit one time that had 2 bags of oak sawdust (very fine) that was mixed with the batch before fermentation & assumed it was used for the wood flavor. Next batch of apple I made (60 gal.), I threw in two 3 foot long oak boards (planed off & clean) into the mix for the fermentation process with good results. Never did it while aging though but see no reason why this shouldn't be the same as an oak barrel. Apple wood sounds like a good idea also, I may try that next time. Good luck.
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