Forgot to boil oak chips

I added oak chips to the second stage of my wine kit and I forgot to boil them before putting them in. Everything else seems to have proceeded normally until now. The wine is not clearing, I have some Sparkaloid and am ready to add it, but I am wondering if this will help or not. By not boiling the chips first have I ruined my wine?

Sean

Reply to
spmu
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No. If you had boiled the oak chips you would have extracted, and lost, a large portion of the oak flavor. Just rinse them off with tap water, if you must, and put them in. Winemakers don't boil oak barrels...no need to boil oak chips.

Bill Frazier Olathe, Kansas USA

Reply to
William Frazier

I have never boiled oak chips but if you do, be sure to add the water you boiled them in to your wine. If you are having trouble clearing, it is something else. Is this a red or white?

Ray

Reply to
Ray Calvert

I have a Red (Shiraz) 16L wine kit. All chemicals have been added, just waiting to see if it clears or not before moving to the last stage of sweetening (or not) and then filtering and bottling. The original schedule called for bottling on the 22 of Dec, so I still have time to let it work.

Sean

Reply to
spmu

Sean wrote "The wine is not clearing, I have some Sparkaloid and am ready to add it, but I am wondering if this will help or not......The original schedule called for bottling on the 22 of Dec, so I still have time to let it work."

I would be careful adding Sparkaloid if you plan on bottling December 22nd. Sparkaloid will probably clear up your wine but it tends to leave very fine sediment behind...and, even if you think it's done settling out it will fool you and continue to settle. I learned this the hard way a long time ago...had to open bottles, pour back into a carboy and let it settle more.

Bill Frazier Olathe, Kansas USA

Reply to
William Frazier

How many days should I wait for the sparkaloid to clear and settle before bottling? And would filtering help?

Reply to
spmu

spmu wrote "How many days should I wait for the sparkaloid to clear and settle before bottling? And would filtering help?"

Scott Labs makes Sparkalloid. Check their site for instructions. If you look at various sites that mention Sparkalloid use you will find "two weeks" to "a few weeks" mentioned as the time to wait after adding Sparkalloid. My experience is as follows; Sparkalloid added per product instructions. Two days later the wine was perfectly clear. Racked and bottled after one month. Slight settling developed in the bottles. Had to remove corks, pour back into a carboy, filter using a 1 micron cartridge and bottle again. Too much handling for the wine IMO. So, your tight schedule is a problem. I guess you could add the Sparkalloid today, let it settle as long as possible and then filter just prior to bottling. The filtration may prevent settling in bottles.

Bill Frazier Olathe, Kansas USA

Reply to
William Frazier

Thanks for all your help Bill. I will add the sparkalloid and wait and see. One other question, what is the cloudiness in the wine anyway?

Sean

Reply to
spmu

spmu wrote "One other question, what is the cloudiness in the wine anyway?"

Sean - I don't know. Red wines usually clear well on their own. And since this is a kit the manufacturer should have included everything you need to make the wine. If you didn't need to bottle soon I would just leave it alone...it should settle out on it's own with time. But if you need to bottle later this month I guess you will have to fine and filter the wine.

Bill Frazier Olathe, Kansas USA

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Reply to
William Frazier

To be honest I don't make kits but this seems like a lot of work for no gain since it's Syrah. I can't imagine it sweet and it settles clear on it's own in my experience.

I think you will like it better with some time in the carboy. If you do the fining just wait like Bill suggested; as long as you have the wine topped up and the container sealed it will do no harm, more likely it will do it some good.

You can follow the instructions but if you like Syrah (or Shiraz) made commercially you have probably been drinking it dry and a year old at the youngest.

Joe

Reply to
Joe Sallustio

Bill / Joe, Thanks again for your thoughts. I added the Sparkalloid and although it is still not 100% clear I can see light through the wine when I shine a flashlight, so I'm going in the right direction. The Dec 22 bottling was a hope not a need. Time is on my side.

Thanks again,

Sean

Reply to
spmu

I do use hot mix sparkalloid on reds at time, i think you will like the results. It can throw that fine sediment for a long time though, it's very thin, almost film-like.

Joe

spmu wrote:

Reply to
Joe Sallustio

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