How to add oak chips to chardonnay and when?

murphyaii · Feb 5, 2016

I just started off a magnum ultimate chardonnay.

starting abv 1.080
have 24 litres fermenting.

It came with a pack of oak chips.

So i poured in the lot after sterilising them with a crushed camden tablet

Now i've never done this before.

But it somehow looks wrong to see oak chips all floating along the surface whilst fermenting underneath.

Also once it is finished fermenting, how do i seperate the wine when transferring to the carboy?

confused and slightly worried i've ruined the wine.

ideas?

:se

Runningwolf · Feb 5, 2016

You're doing everything perfect. Oak chips will float until they get water logged. After fermentation get rid of the chips. While aging if you decide you want more oak flavor, invest in an oak spiral and add that to your wine. Oak chips only add flavor to your wine for a few days before they have lived out their life. Spirals slowly release flavor for months.

JohnT · Feb 5, 2016

I agree with Dan, you have not harm to your wine and what you see is perfectly normal!

You get rid of your chips in the wine by racking (syphon the clear wine into another container, leaving behind the sediment and other solids.

Dan was right again as the chips will give their all in just a few days.

Floandgary · Feb 5, 2016

Chips offer more surface area to the wine thus the quicker assimilation time. Cubes, sticks, and spirals work well for aging.

murphyaii · Feb 5, 2016

ok thanks guys.

can an oak spiral be re-used again and again if purchased?

Johnd · Feb 5, 2016

murphyaii said:
ok thanks guys.

can an oak spiral be re-used again and again if purchased?

I've never reused one, but I suppose if I were going to, I'd rinse it after first use, soak it in KMS solution and freeze it in a Ziploc bag. To reuse, I'd thaw and KMS it again before putting it in a wine.

Personally, I just throw them away and use new ones for each wine.