Oak Chip Question

If you like the taste of oak go with 1 ounce per gallon, if you want it to be more in background start with half that. Yoiu can always add more if you underdo it and blend with unoaked if you overdo it.

Joe

Jim,

If you want my advice, I woudn't put any oak in the primary. I would wait until I racked the secondary once before adding. I have found no noticeable difference using the oak in the primary.

Hi:

How much oak you add should be tailored to your tastes. Some put a bunch of oak in and taste till there's enough and then remove the oak or rack wine off the oak to stop oak infusion.

Others add small increments untill they arrive at the level they want. I subscribe to the this camp.

I add oak at the primary in a hops bag, usually 0.1oz per gallon. That oak is carried forward to the secondary. When the wine is rack off the gross lees from the secondary another 0.1oz per gallon in addition to the first chips. Then more oak is added in 3 or 4 week periods at the 0.1oz per gallon to taste. I carry all of the chips forward untill the final racking for clearing then bottling.

Persoanlly I find adding chips to the primary a good thing and yes it's noticable. And I like to carry all of the chips till the last racking. Based on my trials I think (no science here) it gives better integration and a finer oak flavor than the all in one approach.

Of course YMMV

Steve