Oak chart?

[Chris1]

Is there a chart to what oak matches up with what wines the best like heavy toast for darker reds or light oaks for whites? or can you oak a white with heavy toast?

was just wondering if there was a specific oak for each kind of wine.

I have merlot bulk ageing with american heavy toast chips.

Also chips, cubes or spirals?

 

[Brian]

Chris the thing I can tell you with oak is you can do anything you want. Oak is to taste so you need to check it along the way and see what you like. If you like toasted taste then use it.. If you like another type of oak use it. I do not like a heavy oak taste just a hint so I don't leave it in the wine long. I leave it there until I can taste just a hint and pull it. So it is by trial that you find out how you like it.. Hope this helps but as far as I know there is no definative answers you have to figure them out..

 

[Chris1]

Thanks ill have to taste it once in a while how often do you taste it and do you stir it once a day or once a week or at all? and when do you taste once a day or once a week?

 

[djrockinsteve]

Before tasting you should gently stir to blend all the oak flavor in the bottle/carboy. Take small samples and don't get a lot of head space in the neck that could start oxidation with an onset of acetobacter.

It's hard to come up with a guide as everyone likes different tastes. If you have a bottle of someones wine and you like it ask questions to help educate yourself.

Myself I oak my Merlots and Cab. Sauvs (5 gals) with 8 ounces of Amer. Med. Toast and age 10 months at least. That's what my wife likes.

Some of my whites I add 2 ounces for 5 gallons (age 5 months) same although I am experimenting with amer and french with one wine to see the difference. Won't know until spring.

Best to start light and you can always add more if need be.

 

[Chris1]

ok thanks for the info I have about 1.5 L of extra wine to keep toping up with that I saved and bottled just for that reason so I can take samples then put some back in as needed.

I will prob taste once a day or once every other day with less then one oz samples just so I don't waste to much.

 

[Tom]

I know of no official chart. Adding oak is really up to YOUR tastes.

 

[Wade E]

It would be a good idea as to a chart to what each oak and intensity would best fit each wine but at this I have never seen one anywhere.

 

[djrockinsteve]

It would be a good idea as to a chart to what each oak and intensity would best fit each wine but at this I have never seen one anywhere.

Perhaps poll and ask which wines we oak and how much. Such as the Merlots and Cabs. that get the most oak and the Rieslings that do not get oak.

 

[Tom]

AS I said earlier to "MY" taste I use 2 cups med toast chips for a couple of months.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Here's a start your Cabernets, Chardonnays, Merlots, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, Chianti, Burgundy, Fume Blanc, Semillon, Pinot Gris, Shiraz, and Pinot Blanc get oak but in different degrees, that would be your taste. Plus your german wines are not oaked generally.

 

[Dugger]

The kit companies have already done a lot of this legwork and their oak inclusions with the various kits could serve as a good starting list.

 

[Chris1]

Thanks for all the info and a poll or maybe someone that is experienced with Excal can take everyones experiences and put them together on a spreed sheet.

Obviously not just for me lol but would be a cool pdf to add to the the site.

Also I plan on tasting every other day till I get the right taste. I'm doing 3 oz of american heavy in my merlot. I'll take notes.

 

[djrockinsteve]

I have seen in some restaurant wine list menus that they list their wines from fruity to hardy (more oak). You could look at some to get an idea.

The biggest thing you need to be concerned about is opening up your carboy that much and introduce oxygen each time.

 

[Lurker]

http://www.oaksolutionsgroup.com/calculator_new.html

 

[Chris1]

wow awesome thanks a lot, and I top up my carboy with some left over that I have each time i sample so there is no head room.