Over oaked!

[allhailRITTER]

I need some opinions everyone. Here is the story...

Last march I made my first attempt at a 5 gallon batch of blueberry melomel. Made some mistakes, one of them was not accounting for space needed and lost from adding blueberries. So I ended up with 4 gallons. I filled a 3 gallon carboy and a 1 gallon jug.

About 3 months ago (5 months in bulk aging) I decided to add some oak to the 3 gallon carboy. Well I was lazy and didn't research how much to add and added WAAAAY to much. So I decided to make another one gallon batch of blueberry then add that and the other one gallon jug to the 3 gallons to bring it back to 5 gallons and hopefully lighten the oak flavor. It is STILL overpowering.

So my mead is 8 months old now, my question is, do I give up? Or should I make yet another batch to try and blend it with? Or is it a lost cause at this point?

I know a lot of people say time heals most things but I have a feeling time won't do a damn thing for this one.

Live and learn.

Thanks!

 

[porcupine73]

Hm, well I would say maybe just sock it away in the basement for many years, chances seem to be it will age out? Or if not, possibly dilute it with a more neutral mead later. I would say don't dump it under any circumstances.

 

[bconstant]

Let it age.

 

[Yooper]

Oaking ages beautifully- what is way too much now might be perfect in 3 months.

 

[dummkauf]

while not mead, I made this mistake with a nut brown beer I brewed once. Too much oak and the beer literally tasted like I dropped an oak board in a blender and liquified it I stuck it in the closet and forgot about it for 2.5 years, I recently discovered it and the oak has definitely melowed out and it is very tasty. While 2.5 years is probably over kill for aging, I can assure you that the oak flavor will mellow with time.

Stick is somewhere safe and forget about it for a while.

 

[Golddiggie]

This is why I use Hungarian oak cubes, not French or American oak. Hungarian is milder when you compare against the others. So, you have more room to work with it. where 4oz of American oak (medium toast) could be too much at 2-3 months of aging. With the Hungarian, it's just getting good (IMO/IME).

I would advise, in the future, use less oak initially. It's far easier to add more of a flavor element, as needed, than try to age it out. Takes less time to add than mellow too.

 

[wardy618]

Oak mellows over time. I wld rather make another 5 gal & blend it. Than loose a batch. Never give up it will all work out one way or another

 

[fatbloke]

This is why I use Hungarian oak cubes, not French or American oak. Hungarian is milder when you compare against the others. So, you have more room to work with it. where 4oz of American oak (medium toast) could be too much at 2-3 months of aging. With the Hungarian, it's just getting good (IMO/IME).

I would advise, in the future, use less oak initially. It's far easier to add more of a flavor element, as needed, than try to age it out. Takes less time to add than mellow too.

Yer got it right there. Hungarian Oak, was originally the "preferred" oak for barrels, but between Napoleon and Communism, it became a shortage material for a long time, as well as local stuff being cheaper etc, hence the rise in French and American oaks in barrels.

Now we know enough about the "why's and wherefore's" of oak etc and have a choice.......

Plus, if you look at the inside of a spirits barrel, it's much more "toasted" than barrels made for wines - which are sometimes toasted up after the wine has been removed, so they can be used by the distilleries for their product i.e. cheaper cooperage......

 

[allhailRITTER]

Thanks guys your comments make me feel better. I'll give it some more time and if that doesn't help I'll make another few gallons to blend with it.

 

[Fathand]

allhailRITTER by the way how much oak did you add? I am curious.

Thanks.

 

[allhailRITTER]

Ummmm..about half a pound chipped...try not bust on me too much I feel dumb enough already. Once I realized that I used far too much I took it out. I would say it was in there for around 2 weeks.

 

[Golddiggie]

Ummmm..about half a pound chipped...try not bust on me too much I feel dumb enough already. Once I realized that I used far too much I took it out. I would say it was in there for around 2 weeks.

Wow... Only about 2-4x what you should have used for a 3 gallon batch. Plus you used chips, and probably one of the more pungent varieties. Give it time to mellow... You could be looking at several months, or years though.

Live and learn (at least I hope you did).

 

[allhailRITTER]

Yes I definitely learned. It is now a 5 gallon batch though not 3 because I blended it, but still that is still even too much for a 5 gallon. I stupidly added it without researching how much too add. Oh well I'll work with it.

 

[allhailRITTER]

It was french oak by the way.

 

[Golddiggie]

It was french oak by the way.

Damned French oak!!

BTW, the oak I get typically has amounts to use per batch size. Typically it's for 5 gallon batches (as mentioned on the label)... I'll check the # bag of medium toast Hungarian oak I have on hand to confirm later... :fro:

 

[snyklez]

So what exactly is the best amount of oak used for a 3 gal batch? I plan on doing one this weekend using bourbon soaked chips. Well, I'm brewing this weekend, will rack to chips in a couple weeks. I'd like to use cubes but I'm not that patient, my supply is running low!

 

[Golddiggie]

So what exactly is the best amount of oak used for a 3 gal batch? I plan on doing one this weekend using bourbon soaked chips. Well, I'm brewing this weekend, will rack to chips in a couple weeks. I'd like to use cubes but I'm not that patient, my supply is running low!

For a 3 gallon batch, I would start with no more than 2oz of oak chips. Plan on giving it at least a month to age though. Rushing the oak will only give you splinters.