Oaking my Red Zin

[scubaman2151]

I have a Red Zin that is going to be racked shortly and I wanted to add some additional oak to it. The kit came with 30oz of Copeaux de Chenes and after talking to the local wine supply shop this is what they have.


They sell it by the pound and offer these types:


Hungarian
French
American


I'm assuming that because I started with French I would want to stick with that? Is there like a recommendation on how much oak a Zin should have? Or is it just by taste? I don't want a extremely heavy oak taste but I would like it to be noticeable, so how much oak do you think I should add? Also they sell the oak in cubes and chips, I think the cubes would work better but I dont know.


Scuba



Edited by: Scubaman2151

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

Whats there now isn't noticeable?

 

[scubaman2151]

Ill let u know about that in a few days.


Scuba

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

Guess I don't fully understand why you want to add more before knowing where the flavor is now on the oak chips that came with it. Its to your personal preference, can always transfer the oak alsoif its not at the level you want now.

 

[scubaman2151]

I was just being prepared becuase I would go next week to buy the oak if it needed it. So if I would need it like monday I wouldnt wait to post the question untill monday, i post it now, get my answer by sunday so im ready for monday.


Scuba

 

[grapeman]

If you want to be prepared, buy a pack of each type of oak and then as you need them you will have them to add to the wine. They all impart different flavors and qualities. You could start with the French, but it is the most expensive. Here is a bit of information from a French site that is translated to English.


http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.itv-midipyrenees.com/publications/fiches-pratiques/copeaux-chene.php&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=6&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DCopeaux%2Bde%2BChenes%2B%26hl%3Den


I don't think it would hurt to wait until you taste the wine after you rack it to get the oak if needed. When you use it in the secondary it will be there for plenty of time to get all the oak you need. Let us know how it tastes.

 

[Wade E]

I say taste it then decide. You have plenty of time to decide if you need more oak, dont rush this now. American oak is very strong, French will give you a lot of Vanilla flavors and Hungarian is the most reliable in my opinion, it gives you a good balance of both worlds.

 

[scubaman2151]

Wade:


If I added Hungarian oak now would that effect the wine in a negitive way becuase I already had the french oak dust in there?


Apple:


Pretty good site, thanks for finding it.


Scuba

 

[grapeman]

Here is a little more info on the differences between American White Oak and French Oak. I would probably lean more towards the American Oak because the Zin is a bold wine with fruitiness. The American Oak with extra Vanilla would help accentuate these.



<H3>[edit] Differences in French and American oak</H3>


American oak tends to be more intensely flavored then French oak with more sweet and vanilla overtones due to the American oak having two to four times as many lactones.<SUP =reference id=_ref-Spectator_1>[9]</SUP> Winemakers that prefer American oak typically use them for bold, powerful reds or warm climate Chardonnays. Besides being derived from different species, a major difference between American and French comes from the preparation of the oak. The tighter grain and less watertight nature of French oak encourages coopers to split the wood along the grain rather than saw. French oak is then traditionally aged or "seasoned" for at least two years whereas American coopers will often use a kiln-dry method to season the wood.<SUP =reference id=_ref-Robinson_pg_92_2>[11]</SUP> Long periods of outdoor season has a mellowing effect on the oak that kiln-dry methods have difficulties replicating.<SUP =reference id=_ref-Spectator_2>[9]</SUP> The sawing, rather than splitting, of American oak also enhances the differences between the two styles due to the rupture of the xylem cells in the wood which releases many of the vanillin aromatics and lactones responsible for characteristics like the coconut notes.


This is what is fun. We all have our own personnal prefernces and tastes. You as the winemaker make the final and ultimate choice. Good Luck and have fun with it.

 

[scubaman2151]

Ok how much oak should I add? Handfull of cubes, couple cubes?


Should I wait for fermentation to be over to toss the oak or can i put it in now?


Scuba

 

[grapeman]

A couple ounces should do it-probably a cupped handful unless you can weigh it or measure it. Dump your bag full in a large measuring cup and see how much you have. Find out how large of a measure you need for the 2 ounces. Of course if you have a 4 ounce bag, use half of it. If you have racked once, add it now.

 

[scubaman2151]

I got Hungarian oak medium toasted, the bag says to add 3oz per 6 gallons so I will do that. It also says I need to leave the oak in there for a minimum of 8 weeks.

 

[grapeman]

They tell you to do that sometimes, but it is up to your individual tastes. A lot of times medium Hungarian oak will flavor up fast so check it every couple weeks.

 

[scubaman2151]

Thanks for all the help guys. I will add the oak in tonight.


Scuba

 

[scubaman2151]

Here is the oak in my wine. Seems ok.

 

[Wade E]

Looking good there Scuba!

 

[scubaman2151]

Thanks wade. When I first put the oak in, it was all piled up but slowly it has worked it way down into the wine which is a good thing.


Scuba

 

[Wade E]

It does take awhile for the wine to get absorbed into it.

 

[scubaman2151]

Ok well I think I made a mistake. I racked the red zin a few days ago to get it off the oak, but I forgot to add packets 2, 3, and 4 to the wine. I got rid of all the lees and I am worried about it clearing. Should I just add the packets now, degass and hope for the best?

 

[Dean]

It will be fine. Add them now.