Wood is baking, smells so good !

[Robbie]

It's been hot here in Tenn. for a long while now..........after the cold snap.......after the earlier hot spell. :ahhh:

Oh well, it's baking here, no rain in many weeks. Grass is crunchy dry and wood stacked is really drying well because I can smell the rich aroma of white oak and red oak every time I pass by.

I am assuming this means it's cooking the scent out.

I don't mind this time of year but sure looking forward to the cold wind and fall leaves.

Very dusty and "smoky" (mountain fires) all around me too.



Robbie

 

[titan]

If they can make bacon that smells like maple, why can't they make maples that smell like bacon?

 

[restorer]

If they can make bacon that smells like maple, why can't they make maples that smell like bacon?

They do, but it's only available at specialty organic grocers in Southern California in two varieties, smooth straight split fingers (like chop sticks) and extra hots (the size of a standard #2 pencil). Two added flavors, cinnamon and chitacky mushroom extract

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Robbie, it is good to know I am not the only one that looks forward to fall. Especially that first day when the temperature gets only into the low 50's. Also the turning of the leaves and the lack of insects!

 

[DiscoInferno]

Grass is crunchy dry and wood stacked is really drying well because I can smell the rich aroma of white oak and red oak every time I pass by.

White oak I agree has a nice nutty smell to it. But describing the smell of red oak as a "rich aroma" is really polishing a turd. Almost literally, IMO.

 

[restorer]

Grass is crunchy dry and wood stacked is really drying well because I can smell the rich aroma of white oak and red oak every time I pass by.

White oak I agree has a nice nutty smell to it. But describing the smell of red oak as a "rich aroma" is really polishing a turd. Almost literally, IMO.

Burned right it can smell like Jack Daniels, or is that the other way around.

 

[DiscoInferno]

Grass is crunchy dry and wood stacked is really drying well because I can smell the rich aroma of white oak and red oak every time I pass by.

White oak I agree has a nice nutty smell to it. But describing the smell of red oak as a "rich aroma" is really polishing a turd. Almost literally, IMO.

Burned right it can smell like Jack Daniels, or is that the other way around.

It smells fine when it burns, but the smell after splitting is akin to an outhouse. Is JD aged in oak barrels? I know a lot of stuff is, I guess either it's not red oak or the taste is better than the smell. Not that I'm a fan of JD.

 

[restorer]

I've always thought the barrels are more famous than the Whiskey. Personally I think Canadians are smoother, but I think these days they are all mostly aged in SS.

I once worked on some furniture we built from Oak barrel stock from Seagrams. For four months I don't think I drew a sober breath (in my mind) I knew everyone thought I had a drinking problem, and the sawdust from the shop was taken out nightly, worried it might self combust. All strictly in our minds, but I haven't had a Seagrams product since.

Grass is crunchy dry and wood stacked is really drying well because I can smell the rich aroma of white oak and red oak every time I pass by.

White oak I agree has a nice nutty smell to it. But describing the smell of red oak as a "rich aroma" is really polishing a turd. Almost literally, IMO.

Burned right it can smell like Jack Daniels, or is that the other way around.

It smells fine when it burns, but the smell after splitting is akin to an outhouse. Is JD aged in oak barrels? I know a lot of stuff is, I guess either it's not red oak or the taste is better than the smell. Not that I'm a fan of JD.

 

[Gooserider]

I believe the crapaganda I've seen from JD said they use white oak charcoal for filtering and charred white oak barrels for aging. I've never been that fond of JD as it's always seemed a bit on the cheap side - note that it's a BLENDED mix, which is normally a big step down...

My preference when not drinking mead is a good single malt Scotch, many good ones out there, I think one of the best is Scapa...Tamnevullin is also quite nice. Isle of Jura I don't care for as it's got an excessive peat flavor to it. The single malts at least are definitely aged in barrels, but I'm not sure of the exact wood variety, but it is part of what gives scotch it's color and taste, and is why the aging time makes such a difference in the quality.... (If you want some really good stuff look for a 20+ year "cask strength" label...)

Gooserider

 

[restorer]

Goose:
If memory serves, the best casks are Oak. Not our white or red, but what is commonly known as English Brown Oak. Costs a fortune to make, so they are used over and over and over again. Thirty years ago, I was fortunate to taste some full cask import castle/estate aged whiskey. It was said to be at least 80 years old. I will never forget the feel of drinking liquid glass with a nice bouquet. Two ounces and the Argentine fillets were as tasty as eat-a-burger.

Now I am older wiser and have a lot less sense of taste, so a smooth, non-edgy beverage is fine. Found a made in Canado and bottled in America, probably Baltimore knock off that tastes just like Canadian Crown Royal. Best kept secret in out state run liquor stoves. Besides it could be half my food budget if I let it get too expensive.

I believe the crapaganda I've seen from JD said they use white oak charcoal for filtering and charred white oak barrels for aging. I've never been that fond of JD as it's always seemed a bit on the cheap side - note that it's a BLENDED mix, which is normally a big step down...

My preference when not drinking mead is a good single malt Scotch, many good ones out there, I think one of the best is Scapa...Tamnevullin is also quite nice. Isle of Jura I don't care for as it's got an excessive peat flavor to it. The single malts at least are definitely aged in barrels, but I'm not sure of the exact wood variety, but it is part of what gives scotch it's color and taste, and is why the aging time makes such a difference in the quality.... (If you want some really good stuff look for a 20+ year "cask strength" label...)

Gooserider

 

[jqgs214]

From what I know, most "wood aged" alcohol, including wine is aged in white oak. I know wine barrels are and they cost about $800.00 dollars each and last between 3-4 harvests. After that the oak flavoring and influence is gone.

 

[jpl1nh]

Now this is why I love these forums. I thought I'd just learn more about burnin wood! Here's a little info about whiskey barrels. (broken link removed to http://www.kentuckybarrels.com/KentuckyBourbon.html) Goose, I'm with you on the single malts, though I do like Johnny Walker Red which is a blend, JW Black is too refined for my taste. In a single malt, one of my fav's is the MaCallen, mmmm...If I can make July 28th, I'll treat. %-P Just to keep this thread from derailing, I must say that I love the smell of both red and white oak; fresh cut, seasoning (with or without bacon wrapped around it) and burning!

 

[titan]

Anyone else find yellow-birch to smell like cat-pi$$?

 

[DiscoInferno]

Anyone else find yellow-birch to smell like cat-pi$$?

I've never noticed it to have much more than a faint wintergreen smell, but I think all that I have cut and split has been down for a while. Perhaps any unpleasant smells had dissipated by then. Although, being quite well acquainted with cat urine, I know the real thing doesn't go away on its own. :-S

 

[Robbie]

I love the smell of split red oak in the morning................. %-P



Robbie

 

[Mo Heat]

My preference when not drinking mead is a good single malt Scotch, many good ones out there, I think one of the best is Scapa...Tamnevullin is also quite nice. Isle of Jura I don't care for as it's got an excessive peat flavor to it. The single malts at least are definitely aged in barrels, but I'm not sure of the exact wood variety, but it is part of what gives scotch it's color and taste, and is why the aging time makes such a difference in the quality.... (If you want some really good stuff look for a 20+ year "cask strength" label...)

Gooserider

I'll go on the record that I also enjoy the smell of both red and white oak. I've got a couple big piles out back and can often be seen sniffing around them.

Hey Goose, I was given a bottle of 10 year aged, Tomintoul, Speyside, Single Highland Malt whiskey that my b-n-l picked up in Scotland. I always wondered if it was any good. I never got my palate adjusted to the taste of scotch. Seems almost like drinking lighter fluid to me.

 

[Kenny1]

My preference when not drinking mead is a good single malt Scotch, many good ones out there, I think one of the best is Scapa...Tamnevullin is also quite nice. Isle of Jura I don't care for as it's got an excessive peat flavor to it. The single malts at least are definitely aged in barrels, but I'm not sure of the exact wood variety, but it is part of what gives scotch it's color and taste, and is why the aging time makes such a difference in the quality.... (If you want some really good stuff look for a 20+ year "cask strength" label...)

Gooserider

Not much of a drinker, but I keep some Glenfiddich around (12 year single malt). For blended, I like Crown Royal.

As for the smell of red oak, well....

 

[Gooserider]

My preference when not drinking mead is a good single malt Scotch, many good ones out there, I think one of the best is Scapa...Tamnevullin is also quite nice. Isle of Jura I don't care for as it's got an excessive peat flavor to it. The single malts at least are definitely aged in barrels, but I'm not sure of the exact wood variety, but it is part of what gives scotch it's color and taste, and is why the aging time makes such a difference in the quality.... (If you want some really good stuff look for a 20+ year "cask strength" label...)

Gooserider

I'll go on the record that I also enjoy the smell of both red and white oak. I've got a couple big piles out back and can often be seen sniffing around them.

Hey Goose, I was given a bottle of 10 year aged, Tomintoul, Speyside, Single Highland Malt whiskey that my b-n-l picked up in Scotland. I always wondered if it was any good. I never got my palate adjusted to the taste of scotch. Seems almost like drinking lighter fluid to me.

10-12 year Single Malt is the lowish end of the single malts, you won't find many "Younger" than that, and it's a pretty good place to start from - essentially after the scotch has aged it is given a "taste test" and only the very best gets sold as single malt, the stuff that's not so good is used for blended brands where the hope is that the mix of different negatives will cancel each other out. As the age increases you get more and more flavor improvement and smoothness. When you start getting into the 20+ year stuff it gets incredibly smooth, but also very dear...

As a minor note, they loose about 3% a year by evaporation through the walls of the casks as it is aging, in Scotland this is referred to as the "Angel's share" (they have very happy angels in Scotland... :cheese: ) This has a noticeable environmental effect - the bonded warehouses where the whiskey ages are surrounded by beech trees, which normally have silver / grey bark. However near the warehouses the trees have BLACK bark - must have something to do with what the angels have to do after finishing thier share... :lol: (When we were in Scotland a few years back, we went on a tour of the Glen Goyne distillery, very nice stuff)

MacCallens is good stuff, though it's probably one of the bigger brands - some Scot's regard it as the "Budweiser" of single malts... IMHO some of the lesser known brands are somewhat better. Probably the biggest variable is the amount of peat used in roasting the barley malt, which gives some scotch that peaty flavor. Glen Goyne uses all hardwood, and no peat which makes it very "clean" tasting, but not as complex. Isle of Jura uses nearly all peat, and as a result has such a strong peat taste that we refer to it as "Isle of Peat". IMHO one of the best balances is struck by Scapa, which comes from the islands over the Scapa Flow in the extreme north of Scotland. They use a nice balance of peat, and the salt air exposure while aging gives it another layer of subtlety, but the stuff is hard to come by and VERY dear...

Still, mostly I prefer my meads, where I know just exactly whats in them because I made them myself...

Gooserider

 

[karl]

I got to tell you guys. I'm not sure I'm cut out for this wood burning stuff after all. I don't think I can hold my liquor well enough.

Give me a good gin and tonic, long on the Beefeater and short on the tonic, and I'm a happy man. Throw in some good conversation from a young lady and I'm set. You can drink that stuff straight out of the still if you want, because letting it sit for years ain't going to help it. It's going to taste like pine needles and kerosene today or ten years from now.

 

[restorer]

Well, I don't mean to be a spoil-sport, but I have the lesson. If you talk about whiskey gas you are OK, but if you talk about any other gas you get to go to the AshCan. If it isn't on topic, what is the difference????? I have redeemed myself, how are we now going to redeem this topic. Fair is Fair, or is it?

What's up guys? Not saying this shouldn't stay here, but at least be fair? You are right, I'm a poor loser. So, Deal With It.

 

[begreen]

You're right, let's get back on topic! Now how did this tangent start?

Burned right it can smell like Jack Daniels, or is that the other way around.