Sanitizing Oak?
 

Do I need to sanitize my oak cubes before adding them to secondary? I was think of rinsing them off, then sanitizing in a weak Idophor solution, then rinsing again. Yes/No?

I usually just make sure they are clean. Secondary is full of gladiator yeast and enough alcohol to keep your additions clean

Steam them for a couple minutes in a steamer...

Oak typically needs no sanitizing if it is used straight from the original packaging. I have used oak spirals and cubes in several of my wine creations over the last few years and have never done anything more than dumped them into the carboy or primary.

If your oak has been opened for some time and exposed to ambient conditions, then you may wish to rinse them in a Pot-Meta solution before dispensing into your wine.

Salute! :mug:

I've never santized and have never rinsed, though rinsing is a good idea just to get rid of dust and other foriegn matter. I'll confess that I don't rinse my vegatables either - I guess I'm too lazy.

Summersolstice, very bad of you not to rinse your veggies! I guess I should point out to you that there is no water in the veggies fields for the workers to wash their hands after potty-ing not to mention the e-coli that is in the soil. :eek:

As for oak, wood has some interesting built-in antimicrobial properties. I still sanitize them in Star San but it probably isn't all that necessary.

Thanks guys. I put the cubes in a strainer and ran the idophor over them when emptying the sanitized carboy. Makes me feel better!