Anyone ever use Wine Stix

[stickman]

My understanding is that wood sold for construction and furniture is kiln dried over the period of several days vs. 2 to 3 years of open air drying for the stave wood used for toasted products. Even with the same oak wood, the flavors of the finished toasted product are reportedly different depending on how and where the wood was dried. I can't speak from experience, but I suspect making toasted oak is like making wine, there are a lot of variables to tweak, but could be fun if you have the patience.

 

[Floandgary]

While this forum can and does provide a wealth of information ranging anywhere from the size of a grape to the price of rice in China, one can see the variety of experiences reported on any one subject. That said, I've found it equally worthwhile to delve into specific research regarding a particular topic ,,, "How it's made" ,, "how do they do that" ,, "why it does what it does" ,, for a better understanding... Also provides a basis for discerning fact/function from advertising hype! Obviously "OAK" is the mainstay wood involved in winemaking. Be it dust, chip, cube, spiral, or stave,,, pre-fermentation, during fermentation, or post fermentation ,, American, French, Hungarian ,, . and any of the myriad of other variables, they all serve the same basic function. Together with all of the other aspects of winemaking, we all arrive at the same crossroad,,,, "What is it supposed to taste like?" and "What does our taste buds like?".

 

[Johny99]

Oak etc.

White oak is the common name for oak commonly used in wine makinf.

Historically, basswood, beach and hickory have also been used according to a couple of books I have. I suspect it was more a case of what do you have to make barrels of than anything else. There is one theory I read that ran the lines of oak was easy to make cooperage from and plentiful in the forests of Europe. Thus it was used for wine making and storage. Over time the effects, flavors, etc. of the oak became associated with wine and viola, it became the wood for wind.

Ok nuff of that. There are several subspecies or genus or whatever (biology was a long time ago) of oak used for cooperage. Midwest white oak is different than that from Oregon, from that in most of France, and from that from Eastern Europe (read Hungary). Each imparts different flavors and aromas according to the books and websites. Chris Figgens, winemaker for Leonnitti, Figgens and Doubleback in Walla Walla has a secret blend of specific oaks from specific forests for his barrels. The best I could get him to spill is that it is all or mainly French.

So, I say use what you want, tastes, taste, taste and let us all know what happens. I'm experimenting with spirals, winestix, and cubes right now as my barrels go neutral for my reds and in stainless for my Chardonnay and Viognier.

So far I like the control the spirals or winestix give me for the whites. I can easily pull them out with a bit of fishing line, let it rest a bit and taste. I do slip the partially used stick in another carboy of wine to store so I can return it to the original if it needs a bit more. If anyone has a better thought of how to temporarily store them for more use, let me know. I've thought of the freezer but haven't tried that yet.

 

[JohnT]

Ever the butinski, let me add one thought.

Wine barrels are not so much charred as toasted.

If you have the impression that simply blackening a piece of oak will give you the same results as a standard medium toast barrel, you may be disappointed.

IMHO, the most desirable flavor components are located in the "caramelization layer" which exists below the char layer and is developed through a slow toasting process. Keep this in mind if you are preparring your own wood.

 

[wineforfun]

Keep this in mind if you are preparring your own wood.

Now that is a quote to live by.

 

[JohnT]

Now that is a quote to live by.

oh geeeeze!

 

[Floandgary]

"Discovery is a direct product of necessity". "try it,,,, you'll like it!" Wish experimentation happened as quickly as the thought process... Since we're on the "wood" subject, has anyone ever seen or heard of any kind of data showing effects of different species of wood in the winemaking process?? Agree with "johny99" that oak was the available wood-of-choice for other reasons long before its chemical contribution was realized, and hence becoming mainstay. Anybody ever experiment with fruitwoods for taste/flavor enhancement? Gee,,, a "La-bora-tree" full of blinking lights and eerie sounds could speed things up!

 

[roger80465]

Ever the butinski, let me add one thought.

Wine barrels are not so much charred as toasted.

If you have the impression that simply blackening a piece of oak will give you the same results as a standard medium toast barrel, you may be disappointed.

IMHO, the most desirable flavor components are located in the "caramelization layer" which exists below the char layer and is developed through a slow toasting process. Keep this in mind if you are preparring your own wood.

We have all heard Joeswines talk about 'building a sauce' with tweaks. I think that is what happens with oak. You have multiple flavors that exist within oak and they come out at different levels of toasting. I think that is why medium toast oak chips will deliver a completely different flavor profile than medium toast cubes or spirals. You are getting the flavors from all those layers of toast, rather than just one. Add to that using a combination of different toast oak products and the complexity of flavors continues to expand. I could be all wet, but this is a theory that makes sense to me. I have used several types of oak blends and have been very happy with the results because of the complexity.