Recycling Hungarian oak cubes

[terroirdejeroir]

I am currently aging a CC Showcase South African Shiraz on Hungarian oak cubes. I plan to remove them soon and I was wondering if the cubes could be re-used with another wine? If so, what is the proper way to clean/store?

 

[ibglowin]

No, they have given up the goods. Toss them or let them dry out then use them in your BBQ pit. They make a great addition to charcoal to add flavor to whatever your grilling.

 

[Dugger]

A little more info would be helpful - how long have the cubes been used? They are likely good for about 6 weeks or so, so if they haven't been used for this amount of time, you could reuse them. If they're over this time period then I would agree with ibglowin.
To reuse just rinse well and put in new wine or in the freezer to save for later. Some may spray them with sanitizer.

 

[tonyt]

If I remove oak prior to six weeks I usually toss then directly into whatever I have in primary. If I pull at six weeks I dry them for barbeque.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

I'm liking the BBQ idea!

 

[terroirdejeroir]

I am following the CC Showcase instructions as this is my first time using oak in a secondary. The cubes have been in use for three weeks and are scheduled to be removed tomorrow. My current options for immediate reuse are all fruit wines: strawberry, blackberry, peach, persimmon, and raspberry mead. I would appreciate any suggestions - I may end up leaving them in the Shiraz longer depending on how it tastes when I rack it tomorrow.

 

[ibglowin]

It will take months to fully extract 3 oz of cubes. Usually about 3 months. That wine will for sure need more time with that oak. You can't over oak that wine using only the supplied oak.

 

[terroirdejeroir]

Sounds good to me, but I am not sure how to proceed. The kit instructions call for the wine to be bottled tomorrow - can I just leave it be or do I need to rack it to get it off the sediments? At the end of three months will it be ready to bottle?

 

[ibglowin]

You could rack off the sediment, top off and then add the cubes back. Make sure to leave room for the cubes. I would not bottle a showcase kit before 3 months as they will continue to drop ultra fine sediment.

 

[tonyt]

Do what Mike says. Rinse off the cubes and reuse them for a few months of Bulk aging.

 

[JohnT]

You go through all of the time, expense, and trouble to make wine. Why try to cut corners when it comes to Oak?

The flavor compounds that you want from oak lies just below the char. A thin layer exists where the natural sugars of the wood have carmalized when the wood was toasted.

These coumpounds have already been extracted. There is nothing left for those poor, old, tired cubes to offer. Go out and get some new ones.