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Need Opinions

I'm making a Heron Bay Premium 6 week wine kit - Cabernet Franc Merlot. I started it on 4-16-07, and I added a sizable package of oak chips at that time. SG was 1.095. After seven days the SG is supposed to be 1.005 or less and the wine racked into a carboy for the remainder of the fermentation. However, on 4-23-07 the SG was 1.024 so I left it in the primary fermenter. I'm sure the slow fermentation is due to the low ambient temps we've had here (Maine) recently.

So... What's the collective wisdom? Is leaving it on the oak for this long going to have an adverse effect on the taste? Should I rack now and let the fermentation continue in the secondary or just leave it alone for a while longer?

Reply to
Bob Becker
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Just let it go until it gets to what the instructions say. You might consider putting the heatbelt on to speed things up. And since it's slower, make sure you transfer pretty much all the yeast sludge to the carboy.

Pp

Reply to
pp

I would ferment completely in the primary fermenter before racking to the carboy as long as the fermenter has a lid with a bung and an airlock.

Guy

Reply to
guy

Huh? Why do I want to do that?

Reply to
Bob Becker

I would leave it in the primary (oak & all) until 1.000 to 1.005 is reached. My understanding is that the oakiness of oak chips & powder is used up in 5 days at some minimum level of alcohol (2% ?).

I believe that this is not true of oak cubes.

Steve

Reply to
Steve

Because it could stick otherwise - as discussed in a recent thread.

Pp

Reply to
pp

Don't worry about the time on the oak chips. They are so small that most of the oak ecense is out of thim withing a few days to a week. By this time they are probably pretty much innert.

Ray

Reply to
Ray Calvert

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