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soaking oak in wine

Discussion in 'Beginners Beer Brewing Forum' started by Grod1, Feb 19, 2016.

 

  1. #1
    Grod1

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Feb 19, 2016
    I was planning on soaking my oak chips directly in wine for like 2-3 days. After doing some reading it seems people don't soak more then 24 hours.
    I also read to soak the chips in water for an hour before the wine. Does anyone here do this?
    I do a lot of pressure cooking. i was thinking of pressure cooking the chips in wine to really soak the chips as thoroughly as possible. then soaking those chips in fresh wine.any thoughts on that?
    thank you for anyone who shares some insight.
     
  2. #2
    emcfarden

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Feb 19, 2016
    I did a quick experiment with bourbon and oak chips the other day for a flavor test. I very slightly charred the oak chips then put them in a sauce pan and covered them in bourbon. I brought that to a boil for about 20 mins adding a little water as the bourbon boiled off. It seemed as though the chips really soaked up the bourbon flavors/smells when I tried it, plus it sanitized the chips too. I plan on adding the "infused" oak chips to a beer secondary using this method here in a couple days.

    I would think you could try the same thing with wine with the same effects.
     
  3. #3
    Grod1

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Feb 23, 2016
    So im thinking as soon as i open this bottle of wine it will start to oxidize. I will store my wine soaked chips in a vacuum chamber at -30 on the Hg scale. for a day before adding them.
    only problem is my vacuum chamber isnt grade A and i will have to re pump the air out every 4 hours or so...
    but maybe for someone with better equipment it would be ideal.
    i would also like to point out that my original idea about pressure cooking the woodchips in wine would also keep them in a vacuume if you did it in ball jars. but im not sure about the heat pressure cookers boils at 280 and it just seems so detrimental to the wine.
    but maybe Grape must this is what they use to make wine
    anyone have any thoughts?
     
  4. #4
    emcfarden

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Feb 24, 2016
    Sounds like you might have some experimenting to do.
     
  5. #5
    Grod1

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Feb 24, 2016
    I just remembered i have a wide mouth ball jar attachment for a vaccume pump that i bought at cabelas. I also have some half gallon ball jars. I think i might be onto something.
    this is what im talking about for anyone who is interested
    Single Stage 1/4HP Deep Vacuum Pump they also sell them cheap ones at harbor frieght i dunno if they work. There is also hand pumps out there i dunno how well they work either.
    [​IMG]
    like this but with oak and wine not peas and brine
    ( cant figure out how to post picture right)
     
  6. #6
    Grod1

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Feb 27, 2016
    After doing a lot of reading on amounts of oak chips and how long to add them its clear that there is no answer.
    everyone does something different. it seems that more than half the people add to0 much.It also seems that most if not all of those people added the liquid they soaked their oak in to their beer.
    I am going to boil my chips in water, i would love to boil them in wine but fear its not proper. im some wine person somewhere would not approve.
    than. after boiling ill add them to a ball jar add my wine and vacuum pump it. let it sit for 2 days. add directly to secondary.
    It appears that 3-4 weeks is the limit to how long one should add oak.
    oak flavor is also reported to lesson dramatically over months.
    - i didn't realize that at some point i had to remove the oak.Does that mean that i have to do a tertiary?
     
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