Other Oak Additions - Need to Boil?

[Norton]

I once asked a supplier why the instructions said to boil them and discard the water. The response was that is to reduce the harsher tannins in the chips. Nothing to do with sanitation.
That being said, I have just thrown them into the must straight from the bag they came in regardless of whether they chips, cubes, spirals, etc.

 

[Kiazer]

I don't treat them at all. Straight into the carboy / fermentor. I might be pushing my luck but I've added oak 20 times (?) over the years with no issues that I noticed.

-Josh

I dont either.....Ive got 1000 or so bottles up to 9 years old and have Bulk aged oak right out of the pack for three months and then i rack again and let age and bottle

 

[brewbush]

I store my oak in the freezer and just pull it out and toss it in. No issues in many years.

 

[kevinlfifer]

I toast my own oak,

Straight into the carboy. Not chips but 8in x 3/8 in x 3/4 in sticks.

 

[Gandi]

Straight in . . . . wood has its own antiseptics same reason a wooden cutting board is more sanitary than a plastic one

 

[Venatorscribe]

I prefer the boiling technique. Keeping the water to a minimum. Have tried all the other options. k Meta and iodophor. It all depends which stage you are at with your wine. Early stages - go boil. Lattter stages use sanitiser. By the way - this is a good question. Every time I go to oak, I wonder the same thing.

 

[pillswoj]

On lower end reds for quick drinking I will boil, steep and add oak and water to the primary - I feel I get more oak extracted that way. Anything adding during aging of better kits I just add the oak directly to carboy no sanitizing at all.