Staves vs. Spirals

[onlyreds]

I have a 50 gal batch of Chambourcin aging in a poly barrel in my cellar, with a combination of med toast and heavy toast oak "Spirals." This is the first time I've gone with the spirals instead of staves. The exposure to oak is greater than with a stave of equal length. The spirals have the same bouyancy so I'm re-using my chrome u-locks for weights to suspend them in solution. So far I'm really pleased with how easy they are to work with compared to the number of staves I would have needed.

 

[GreginND]

Thanks for the observations. I haven't used spirals yet but I plan to next year. Appreciate your comments.

 

[winemaker_3352]

Can oak spirals be reused??

If so are there preparations needed to keep the spiral in good condition?

 

[GreginND]

They can be re-used in the bbq smoker!

I don't think it is possible to shave and retoast a spiral.

 

[onlyreds]

BBQ smoker. Now THAT is an excellent suggestion. Hummmm. So many spent, staves wasted. BTW they are not re-useable, nor are they designed to be ... with this exception of course.

 

[atek]

Any idea how many spirals or staves you would use in a simple 5 gal batch?

 

[JohnnyRico]

Any idea how many spirals or staves you would use in a simple 5 gal batch?

Up to your taste. Start with one and sample wine after a few weeks. I have been happy oaking my wine with one or 2 spirals during bulk aging for 6-8 months.

 

[atek]

Got it, I apologize for asking such a simple question, over on HBT it has been asked a few times and it seems the concensus (on chips anyway) is to add 1-2 Oz per gallon and leave for 1-2 weeks depending on taste. When I do this I get virtually no noticeable oak... I am now taking winemaking and enology courses and it strikes me that wines are placed in oak barrels for quite some time so why would 1-2 weeks suffice for chips? Supposedly due to the increased surface area of the chips in comparison to barrels but 1-2 Oz does not seem like enough. Anyway I'll quit my rambling and try an oak spiral(not chips) for 6-8 months and see how that goes. Thanks!

 

[ibglowin]

Chip will give up their goods in about a week more or less depending on the wine temp. This is due to the thinness of the material. The thicker the wood, the more time it takes for the wine to permeate all the way through and extract all the goodness out.