RJ Spagnols RJS winery series Super Tuscan Specific Gravity concern

[Johnd]

Just pitched yeast on this kit tonite, SG at 1.104 after grape packs and shavings added in bag. There was no additional oak included in the (previously unopened) kit box, but the wine is supposed to be a 4 out of 5 in oak intensity. I doubt that it will get that kind of oak flavor from shavings in primary, so it seems that the oak was left out and not packaged in my kit.

No real worries there, but if anyone has made this kit and recalls the ingredients, I'd love to know what quantity / type of oak was included in it your kit. If anyone has made it and has recommendations from their oak experience, I have a selection of cubes, spirals and wine stix to choose from, American and French of different toast levels. Thanks for your help!!

 

[Brian55]

Just pitched yeast on this kit tonite, SG at 1.104 after grape packs and shavings added in bag. There was no additional oak included in the (previously unopened) kit box, but the wine is supposed to be a 4 out of 5 in oak intensity. I doubt that it will get that kind of oak flavor from shavings in primary, so it seems that the oak was left out and not packaged in my kit.

No real worries there, but if anyone has made this kit and recalls the ingredients, I'd love to know what quantity / type of oak was included in it your kit. If anyone has made it and has recommendations from their oak experience, I have a selection of cubes, spirals and wine stix to choose from, American and French of different toast levels. Thanks for your help!!

Oak chips (used in primary) are the only type of oak I have listed in my notes as included with the kit.

 

[Johnd]

Brian55, thanks for the information. If I might ask, how did you find the oak flavor came through from the primary to the finished wine, on a scale of 0 -5, o0 being no oak at all, 5 being heavy oak?

 

[Boatboy24]

I'm going on memory here, but I think both of mine came with Hungarian cubes. My most recent batch noted a 'huge' bag of shavings for the primary with no indication on the bag of exactly how much. I used 60g of Med Hungarian cubes during clearing (don't recall if they came with the kit or not). I didn't use cubes on my first one - it was a break in wine on a new barrel. This is a big wine that can handle a good amount of oak. But as with all things oak, it's up to personal taste.

 

[Johnd]

Jim, your memory of the huge bag of shavings is right on, it didn't have a weight on it, but it looked to be about 2 quarts of shavings, most I've ever seen for primary. Can definitely tell it's a big wine, the must turned black and thick after working over the two bags of skins which were included. My kit had no other oak included. I'm an oak lover, and plan to oak after clearing/racking, assuming it needs more (I've not yet seen much oak flavor come through primary, but it is a big bag).

 

[Brian55]

Brian55, thanks for the information. If I might ask, how did you find the oak flavor came through from the primary to the finished wine, on a scale of 0 -5, o0 being no oak at all, 5 being heavy oak?

We just bottled at the end of June. We also added cubes during bulk aging, a handful of French med. toast. It was noted as one of our best yet at bottling. Nothing noted on oakiness one way or the other, which tells me it could definitely handle more oak. I'll open a bottle soon and update.

 

[Johnd]

Sounds good Brian, I'll be looking forward to hearing your most recent tasting notes. It'll be a month or two before any decisions on oak will have to be made on my end.