Why buy oak chips?

[Autolycus]

Sorry for all the questions I'm posting today. I'm familiar with how oak barrels affect the flavour of wine, but...everywhere I've looked so far, they are recommending buying this type or that type, or just saying that you can buy them.
I know oak chips don't grow on trees, but...
Waiiit! Surely there's nothing to stop me getting them free direct from source? (Said source being an oak tree) Most of the oak around here is English oak, which I see being sold on Ebay, so...what's the problem? Am I missing something? Surely there's no extra process the wood needs to go through? I mean, all that seasoning is, really, is drying out, so chips would dry really quickly. Is there anything else I'm missing? Why are people paying for something that literally grows on trees?
I see little 100g bags on Ebay selling for a few pounds. At that price I could walk into the field out back, and throw a few hundred pounds worth over my shoulder. Why are people selling sawdust for more than the price of a saw?

 

[Tenbears]

I was looking through an add the other day and they had fertilizer on sale. Can you believe that one. My horses produce it by the tons for free.

We Must first understand that the oak needs to be dried, and toasted.

Secondly not everybody in the world can just walk out back and chop down an Oak tree. In fact there are places in the United States where it would not be possible. Believe it or not there are people who cannot tell and oak tree from a sumac. Tens of Thousands of people in New York City have only ever seen the tree that are in Central park, they cannot simply cut them down.

There is no reason why an individual cannot procure and process their own Oak, I do it all the time, Lightly toasted Oak can be done in your oven. However specific verities may not be at your access in which case it is nice to have a source to purchase them.

 

[Autolycus]

I was looking through an add the other day and they had fertilizer on sale. Can you believe that one. My horses produce it by the tons for free.

We Must first understand that the oak needs to be dried, and toasted.

Secondly not everybody in the world can just walk out back and chop down an Oak tree. In fact there are places in the United States where it would not be possible. Believe it or not there are people who cannot tell and oak tree from a sumac. Tens of Thousands of people in New York City have only ever seen the tree that are in Central park, they cannot simply cut them down.

There is no reason why an individual cannot procure and process their own Oak, I do it all the time, Lightly toasted Oak can be done in your oven. However specific verities may not be at your access in which case it is nice to have a source to purchase them.

Ahh, then I'll go grab a few limbs. Hell, I might make a barrel some time. Or maybe start small and just make a watertight box.

 

[richmke]

Be careful about buying oak not sold for wine making purposes. You don't know if the oak has been treated.

Similar warning about random fresh oak. All the chemicals people put on their lawns are being taken up by the tree.

Finally, all oak is not the same. That's why there is French, Hungarian, American, etc.

 

[Floandgary]

RED Oak,,,, not WHITE Oak! Careful with the toasting process. In all, the way it's prepared can determine it's affect on a wine. TIM-BERRR!!