Arkansas Oak

[John Prince]

I have a friend that owns a sawmill and gave me some Arkansas oak chips last summer. I dried them out and today toasted them in the oven. I'm bulk aging some Meglioli Rojo Grande. I've only age it 4 months so far. Would it hurts to add the oak chips now? Bulk age 4 more months the rack and bulk age for 4 more months without the chips?<div id="myWatcherDiv" style="displayone;">

 

[ibglowin]

I would not "experiment" on a MM Meg kit with oak chips you got from a friend. For goodness sakes experiment on a cheap kit that if the experiment doesn't turn out you have not trashed a $200 kit!

 

[robie]

I agree with Mike. Also, do not try to use red oak in a wine. All the oak - chips, dust, barrels, ..etc you buy are always white oak.

That Meglioli kit is just too special to potentially mess up.

 

[Wade E]

I agree with above.

 

[John Prince]

it was WHITE oak chips. I won't try on a MM but will try soon.<div id="myWatcherDiv" style="displayone;">

 

[Wade E]

I tried some oak like this when I started making wine and toasted it in the oven. Man did it make the house smell good an d it made some nice crackling noises but it did not make a good tasting oak for the wine. Ill never try it again myself.

 

[PeterZ]

Find out from your friend whether the oak was treated for sapstain prevention before being kiln dried. The chemicals used for sapstain prevention are HIGHLY TOXIC!!


Personally, I would never use oak that I didn't know was intended for use in winemaking from the time the tree was cut.

 

[John Prince]

No chemicals. The chips were center cut. I air dried them. Then roasted them.<div id="myWatcherDiv" style="displayone;">Time will tell. If there is a 50/50 chance that it will taste like crap. Then it's 90 percent that it will be bad.