Oak chip question

Totally up to you but here is what I use. Figure 13 to 14 lbs grapes per gallon for red and 15 to 18 lbs grapes per gallon for white. I use about 2 oz. Stavin oak cubes per 5 gal. of wine.

Ray

Ray's number sounds reasonable to me, too, as a starting point. I'm guessing it might take a little less oak chips than oak cubes (higher surface area per oz of chips compared to cubes), but don't think that amount could make an oak bomb. I've never fermented on oak for my own wines, but I've observed it being done.

Gene

Ray Calvert wrote:

gene wrote "Ray's number sounds reasonable to me, too, as a starting point. I'm guessing it might take a little less oak chips than oak cubes (higher surface area per oz of chips compared to cubes"

I've just finished up an experiment with oak. In preparation for oaking of some Chardonnay I fermented last fall I added World Cooperage French Oak chips and StaVin American oak cubes to Carlo Rossi Chablis. I used 11 grams/gallon and 22 grams/gallon doses. The 11 grams per gallon dose is about what Ray suggested and is what StaVin says to use. World Cooperage suggests starting with 4 grams per gallon but in an earlier experiment I only got a slight oak contribution.

There will be a big difference between French and American oak aroma and flavor in wine. But, the StaVin oaked wines were the best. Noticable oak aroma at both doses and even at the high dose the oak was well integrated into the wine. StaVin is much more expensive than chips but the cubes make a superior wine IMO.

Bill Frazier Olathe, Kansas USA

a superior wine IMO.

I would agree, I use the StaVin cubes too but used World Cooperage chips for a long time. I'm not saying the chips are inferior because they are not. Just that I prefer the cubes and I'm as cheap as they come. I'll pay more for better food, so...

Joe