Vineco To oak or not to oak

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marjorie

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My next wine is a European select cab - merlot, it comes with an oak powder pouch, not a big fan of oak, prefer a more berry, juicy red, should I just use less of the powder? Perhaps half? What do I risk cutting it back or not using it?
Thanks!
Ps my first red was a California Connaiseur Shiraz, loved it, more gamay than Shiraz but yummy regardless.
 
My next wine is a European select cab - merlot, it comes with an oak powder pouch, not a big fan of oak, prefer a more berry, juicy red, should I just use less of the powder? Perhaps half? What do I risk cutting it back or not using it?
Thanks!
Ps my first red was a California Connaiseur Shiraz, loved it, more gamay than Shiraz but yummy regardless.
I haven't made that kit, but I see no problem with you leaving the oak out if that is your preference.

I came into the wine making hobby as a white wine drinker. I left the oak out of my first red kits, and they turned out just fine. My brother, a red wine drinker, was very impressed by my first red. These days I add the oak that comes with the kit (unless there is a ton of oak, in which case I cut back on the oak). I doubt this kit has a lot of oak (probably 25g or 34g bag).

Steve
 
Thanks, it's a 30g bag, I added a bit less than half, a little oak is okay, will be interesting to see it I can taste it, seeing as this is a European style, they probably planned for it to be oaky.
 
For oak powder in the primary fermentation, my guess is that you will never even detect its presence.

Common wisdom is that oak powder or chips in the primary serves merely as a sacrificial tannin to help keep some of the original grape compounds from precipitating out.

In any event, your plan of adding just half the oak powder sounds just fine to me.
 

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