How to get rid of the oak chips

[crofty83]

So I've just done a red wine kit that came with oak chips. Should I loose the chips when transferring from the primary to the secondary or leave them in and loose them when I go from the secondary to the bottles/demijohns?

Anthony

 

[bobsbeer]

If your syphoning you will leave most behind. You could add another pack in the secondary if you want more oak.

 

[crofty83]

I was wondering if that would do the trick. I was also thinking about using a sieve to run the wort through as it was leaving the siphoning tube

 

[GREBO75]

Can you just taste it, see if it has enough of the oak flavour already, then decide from that whether to keep the oak or strain it off.

 

[crofty83]

Can you just taste it, see if it has enough of the oak flavour already, then decide from that whether to keep the oak or strain it off.

Would the chips keep flavouring the wine then? I would have thought any flavour they were going to give would have already have been given by now

 

[GREBO75]

I would have thought any flavour they were going to give would have already have been given by now

if that's the case then don't see much point leaving them there, though i would'v thought it would take quite a while to get ALL the floavour out of oak :twisted:

PS look at this page http://www.grapestompers.com/articles/oak_wine.htm, a way down it says oak chips give most of their flavour during first week "Chips produce the greatest oak flavor in the first week, but can be left in longer for additional oak flavor and tannin. "

 

[tonyhibbett]

Depends on the chips. Some are fine, almost like coarse sawdust. these give up their flavour in about a week. I use larger ones, about a cm2, which can be left up to 3 months. I strain them off and put them in a polypin with the wine to simulate an oak barrel, with good results.