Floating Oak

[kat50496]

OK, so every time I start to think that I may be getting past the "newbie" stage, another seemingly silly question starts to nag at me. I have a WE International Series Chilean Malbec/Shiraz stabilizing right now. I started the kit on 12/11, transferred to secondary on 12/18 and stabilized and degassed on 1/2, hoping to rack for long term storage next weekend.

So this is my first time adding oak cubes - 30g american oak. The instructions say that they may float for a few days and then sink - well these are still floating.

Is this an indication of any kind of problem? I'm sure I degassed well using the "allinone wine pump" to vacuum transfer several times, with stirring, and it is clearing well. Just wondering if there is another issue with these "floating cubes" Thanks

 

[AlFulchino]

it is natural...they may float for weeks by my experience....they take a while to get saturated...then heavy and finally sink....

 

[saddlebronze]

Floating is fine. You still get the extraction. Just depends on how lonf they are in there. Just real important to taste it once a week to make sure you don't over do it. Oak is real subjective and most of the extraction comes out early once you like it, rack it off the oak.

 

[djrockinsteve]

I use oak chips and they float awhile too. I will occasionally twist the Carboy back and forth once quick. It helps to loosen the tiny air bubbles coming off of the oak and cause the oak to start to fall.

You are doing fine former newbie.

 

[Rocky]

The oak cubes will float until they absorb enough of the wine so that their weight per unit volume (i.e. specific gravity) is greater than that of the wine (ignoring the surface tension of the wine). At that point they will start to sink.