# Oak spiral plan - please review



## jswordy (Mar 23, 2012)

Hey, I'm a hooch maker but I am going to use these medium toast American oak spirals I bought as an experiment one way or another. So I have this rose in first secondary made out of - well, nevermind, they were cheapo grape ingredients - that I am gonna oak. 

Plan is to wait until the second racking so the heavy fruit lees are off it, then place 1 spiral in the 5-gallon carboy hanging from fish line for 6 weeks.

The package says 1 spiral for every 3 gallons. Meh, this way I don't run the risk of over-oaking my first attempt, right?

Well... right?

I am going to keep the other 5 gallons unoaked and "pristine" for a tashte tesht. Hic.


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## Wade E (Mar 23, 2012)

They work nice and slow so either you can add it now and just transfer it when needed or wait until you get to aging it. You can tie a little pce of fishing string onto it and hang the string outside your carboy for easy extraction.


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## PAwinedude (Mar 24, 2012)

*Monitor!!!*

Have used these spirals on many occasions....Regardless of toast level and type, you need to monitor and taste the wine after the 2 week point. If you leave it for six weeks without tasting your wine will be overoaked....food for thought...


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## jswordy (Mar 27, 2012)

PAwinedude said:


> Have used these spirals on many occasions....Regardless of toast level and type, you need to monitor and taste the wine after the 2 week point. If you leave it for six weeks without tasting your wine will be overoaked....food for thought...


 
OK, that would actually suit my production sked better at 2 weeks. Worth it for the peace of mind. Thanks.

BTW, I saw a TV commercial for The Naked Grape wine. Their slogan is something like "It takes courage to go unoaked." Gee, I must have tons of that, then!


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