Oak Spirals

[Stevelaz]

Just wondering how others who use the oak spirals put them in the demijon or carboy to keep them submerged. Last year they would float and stick up a bit in the neck of the demi and carboy. Not sure if its good to let them do that.
Does anyone weight them down somehow?

 

[pgentile]

I used oak spirals for the first time this winter. But mine didn't float long, they sank after a few days. My biggest problem with them was getting them back out. They swell up and are bigger than the carboy opening. I ended up keeping them in there, sanitizing them in the carboy, then put a beer in with the spirals, then when the beer was done, sanitized again in carboy and then had wine in with them again for several months. Finally got them out after letting them dry with the carboy empty for few weeks.

 

[Ajmassa]

They'll drop. And then sit on bottom. I started tying them to fishing line up through the bung. After they drop (mine have dropped in a week or 2) I'll bob it up and down every so often. And makes for easy removal. Luckily never had em swell so much it didn't fit.

 

[salcoco]

tie a fish line to the spiral and then drop into carboy with the fish line sticking out the top. insert the air lock to hold the line. the small diameter of the line will not affect air penetration into the carboy and allow for fishing out spiral later. a strong thread for sewing will work also.

 

[FTC Wines]

They will sink to the bottom. Mine have never swollen. I break my spirals in half & drop them in. They sink faster & it's a LOT easier to get them out. Just turn the carboy over and they slid out, or a little swirl of the carboy & they drop out. Roy

 

[Stevelaz]

How long do you guys usually leave them in? Says on the package extraction is complete in 6 weeks. Is there anything wrong with just leaving them in until next racking in 3 months?

 

[Ajmassa]

That's what I did. Other sites online I've read oak extraction takes anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks.