WineXpert Oak chips/sawdust

[Sammyk]

I am fairly new and I have read many posts about oak chips.

I started the WE Chocolate Raspberry port 1/13. To us they looked more like saw dust then wood chips.

Should they?

 

[cpfan]

The oak that comes with kits is a many and varied thing, especially from RJ Spagnols kits.

I don't have as much experience with Winexpert kits, and have not made the Choc Rasp port, but oak powder is often included in kits. The fine nature means that there is a LOT of surface area, and the oak's goodies can be extracted quickly. Mentally compare the powder to a lump of oak the size of a sugar cube (that's about the size of an oak cube). Oak chips are in between in size, although closer to the powder.

Steve

 

[Wade E]

Some kits have chips, some have shavings, some have dust for the most part but then again some of the real high end kits have spirals or cubes. Those last 2 typically go in the carboy as they need to stay in longer due to less exposure to wine meaning one huge pce doesnt touch the wine as much as a crap load of little chips having that much more surface exposure. Personally I like the dust, cubes or spirals or staves the best over chips. That being said be careful if ever using dust that didnt come pre-measured in a kit as it does its job real fast so a little too much in a few days and the damage is done!!!!!

 

[cpfan]

Here's a picture of some oak chips from an RJ Spagnols kit, and some oak cubes also from an RJS kit.

Steve

 

[Sammyk]

I did see oak chips at the supply store. We were just surprised it was more of a powder.
Seems like that will be hard to rack out....

Hubby made a comment that maybe there were termites in the bag. LOL!

 

[Wade E]

Almost of oak products will settle to the bottom after a few days. Spirals on the other hand are neat as all you do is tie a pce of fishing string to it to extract it from the carboy.

 

[joeswine]

powdered oak

powdered oak is used for its ability to be adsorbed into the wine and contributing to the body of the wine instead of the tanninic aspect ,however it does Emmit tannins but not at any significant levels but- smoothness- to a finish in the wines body..



A GOOD TOOL FOR YOUR TOOL BOX TO HAVE ON HAND