Oak chips

[Codfish]

Hello All, I purchased a Master Vintner Select Italian Nebiolo kit. My question is what to do with the oak chips? The kit came with two bags of chips, one dark and one light colored, difference in toast I quess. The directions say to add oak chips in secondary, I usually add oak chips during primary, also it doesn't say anything about there being two bags of chips. Has anyone made this kit? If so what did you do with the different chips? Any help would be greatly appreciated as I don't want to screw this up, it was kind of expensive.

 

[Ohio Bob]

Without seeing the instructions, I would use the light chips in primary, and the toasted chips in bulk aging. The toast is for flavoring, which will not happen to a great degree in the primary fermentation.

 

[Codfish]

The kit came with a dried wine raisin pack so I guess that would take the place of the oak in primary. But why two different packs of oak chips?

 

[Ohio Bob]

Raisins do not take the place of oak in the primary fermentation. Raisins add flavor and sugar. Oak chips help prevent oxidation by being a sacrificial tannin.

 

[Codfish]

Thanks for that info. I'm going to add the light at primary and the dark for aging as you suggested.

 

[Raptor99]

I have read that raisins contribute tannins, because grapes have tannins. But according to this article, the tannins are destroyed in the drying process: https://nutrineat.com/foods-that-contain-tannins I haven't checked that against other sources, but it is food for thought.