fermenting A noobish question about aged mash

[Jolokia John]

I was just curious as to how long a mash can be aged?  I know the flavors get better the longer its aged, but is there a point where it just goes bad?
 
Also, If I wanted to do a good sized batch of mash, could I age it in oak barrels like these:
 
http://oakbarrelsltd.com/20-liter-oak-vinegar-barrel-toasted.html
 
My goal is to produce a hot sauce using a 10 year old barrel aged mash.  Thanks!

 

[RocketMan]

You can buy smoker wood chips that are chipped up whiskey barrels. I know Jack Daniels has one and so does Jim Beam. With that, you get the oak, the char, and the bourbon. Mix them into your mash and experiment till you get the right combo of wood chips and mash.

 
Ok, it hasn't been mentioned  yet, heck I even missed mentioning it. Before you introduce anything to a sauce, especially when it's something like smoker chips, your going to need to put them into some boiling water or something that will kill off any nasties that may be on the surface before adding them to your sauce. Experimentation is a blast but we want to have a sauce that is safe to consume when we're done. JMHO

 

[Jolokia John]

 
Ok, it hasn't been mentioned  yet, heck I even missed mentioning it. Before you introduce anything to a sauce, especially when it's something like smoker chips, your going to need to put them into some boiling water or something that will kill off any nasties that may be on the surface before adding them to your sauce. Experimentation is a blast but we want to have a sauce that is safe to consume when we're done. JMHO

 
Good lookin' out!

 

[davidestesfl]

Ok, it hasn't been mentioned  yet, heck I even missed mentioning it. Before you introduce anything to a sauce, especially when it's something like smoker chips, your going to need to put them into some boiling water or something that will kill off any nasties that may be on the surface before adding them to your sauce. Experimentation is a blast but we want to have a sauce that is safe to consume when we're done. JMHO

Good point and I agree with you. I forget the fact that bourbon barrels spend 4 to 8 years in moldy old warehouses. Obviously 125 proof alcohol can deal with anything that may get to the inside of the barrel. The outside of the barrel is another story.