Prepping Oak Chips

[Runningwolf]

I always put my chips in direct when I use them. It's very easy to over do it with chips and remember they give up 90% of what they have in just a few days. I feel the chips give off a harsh, bitter taste that will take a while to go away.

I personally suggest dust and chips during primary fermentation and spirals and sticks/staves for aging.

 

[barryjo]

so....I already have the oak soaking in vodka....can't boil in water at this point. If I go ahead and add the vodka along with the oak, and adjust my sugar accordingly, couldn't I still get a starting sg of around 1.087 (as suggested in the recipe)? Then it would not affect the ending alcohol percentage, right? In the recipe the oak is added before the yeast, so I could add the oak before I even begin to add sugar... I quickly drained off the vodka and ended up with 1 cup....the batch of choke cherry I am making is 6 1/2 gallons. The vodka is very oaky smelling and would hate to not get the oak impact if I toss the oaky vodka down the drain (or in a drink or two!) Would it really change the outcome? Thanks for the responses

I guess what I would do is add the oak and save the vodka till the yeast is going good. One cup of vodka in 6 1/2 gallons isn't much but why chance it. Especially in the early stages. I would think trying to juggle the vodka versus the sugar to determine final abv could get a bit dicey.

 

[Floandgary]

Through it all,, the oak, chips/spirals/sticks/cubes, does not know the difference between wine/water/vodka. Therefore no matter which medium or method is used to "prep" your oak, the charactaristics of the oak will be transferred to it. Consider this if you want to prep in a sanitizer

 

[ffemt128]

I use cubes and I generally put them in after racking from bucket into carboy. They go straight from the bag for 8 weeks, then on to aging.

 

[Floandgary]

Consider this if "prepping",,, Once the oak is exposed to a liquid, any liquid, the process of transferring it's sought after qualities begins! And as Dan stated, 90% of those qualities are transferred within only a few days. That said, IMHO "save the qualities for the wine! Whether chips, sticks, spirals, dust, or a barrel, Dump 'em in...

 

[Norton]

I wrote to the seller as to why they say to boil the chips for 15 minutes and then pitch the water. I thought that was a long time just to sanitize and then why waste what was in the water? Response was that the boiling is to draw out the harshest tannins. So, nothing to do with sanitation.


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[kevinlfifer]

I used to boil them, BUT I added that water too. Now I toast my own.