Oaking Question

My guess is you wouldn't be able to tell one from the other. If you had two small carboys you could try a split trial......I usually use oak beans (cubes) , Am ,French ,or Hungarian , med toast ,at the rate of two or three oz per 5 gallon for three to 6 months . I'll start thiefing a taste after about 3 months so I know when enough is enough.You can put it in , but can't correct it when you've gone too far. It also seems to get vet very tannic if you use a lot of oak for a short time .

I wouldn't waste the Hungarian by adding to the American, the tastes are different and I think you might lose the Hungarian under the American. A spiral in a carboy may be a lot of oak too; you may want to check it every few days initially.

Joe

Guess I should try following my own suggestion on a split trial sometime....maybe all oaks are not created equal. :)

Joe,

I read Hungarian Oak tastes exactly like American with the only difference being the price. From what you wrote I assume you don't feel that way. What's your opinion of Hungarian compared to American? Is the extra money worth the results with the Hungarian? What do you sense is the difference between the two? I've never used Hungarian and would be interested in what you're experiences have been..

Bob

I'm not sure they told that right; I would say the Hungarian tastes more like French oak and at only a portion of the cost. I quit buying French and began using Hungarian a while ago and don't feel the wine suffered at all.

I like all 3 to tell you the truth. If we emulate any style I would say it's more Australian with an obvious exposure to American oak. (We like a lot of oak in a red, I even oak Riesling which most people would say is crazy.) I use Hungarian when I am trying to be more subtle, like in a nice white or blush.

Joe