I need some advice. (again)

I am aging my cabernet sauvignon in glass carboys.

I would like to add oak to the process. My (not very well thought
out) plan is to toss a handfull of oak cubes (.5in cubes) into the
carboy itself. let them float free. I would keep them in there for
2-3 months

I know its good practice to boil corks prior to using, so, before i
add the cubes, should i boil them to kill off any bad critters?

-Wayne

On Feb 18, 10:08*am, Wayne Harris wrote:
...
I know its good practice to boil corks prior to using, *so, *before i
add the cubes, should i boil them to kill off any bad critters?

You may inadvertently start a religious debate with those questions
and assumptions.

First, many don't boil corks, myself included. I almost always soak
them in a sulfite solution just prior to using, but that's a personal
preference of mine. Many wine makers don't take any extra steps at all
and simply insert them dry.

Regarding the oak cubes... I used to soak mine in a sulfite solution
but recently I stopped doing that. I do make sure, however, to add
sulfites when I add the oak cubes. Some home wine makers do boil their
oak cubes and chips, but this is all just a matter of habit and
preference. If you've maintained adequate sulfite levels, no extra
steps should be necessary. Keep in mind that if you do decide to boil
them it will greatly reduce the oak flavor imparted on the wine; some
flavor will be lost to the water.

Greg

Good feedback from Greg. I have not encountered any science on this
subject. For my own part, I neither boil nor sulfite oak before adding.
I use oak stave inserts into 15 gallon stainless kegs. I rinse them
well before putting into the wine, really only to remove dust and oak
debris. But I make sure that the wine is properly sulfited just before
oak addition.

Just finished racking about 86 gallons of wine this weekend, with 75 of
it now in SS kegs with oak inserts (5 staves in each, hung in a chain).
I love the smell of the oak (French, medium toast) after it is rinsed,
and as I'm about to put it into the wine. Always reminds me of a young
Bordeaux.





On 2008-02-18 11:04:41 -0800, said:

On Feb 18, 10:08*am, Wayne Harris wrote:
...
I know its good practice to boil corks prior to using, *so, *before i
add the cubes, should i boil them to kill off any bad critters?

You may inadvertently start a religious debate with those questions
and assumptions.

First, many don't boil corks, myself included. I almost always soak
them in a sulfite solution just prior to using, but that's a personal
preference of mine. Many wine makers don't take any extra steps at all
and simply insert them dry.

Regarding the oak cubes... I used to soak mine in a sulfite solution
but recently I stopped doing that. I do make sure, however, to add
sulfites when I add the oak cubes. Some home wine makers do boil their
oak cubes and chips, but this is all just a matter of habit and
preference. If you've maintained adequate sulfite levels, no extra
steps should be necessary. Keep in mind that if you do decide to boil
them it will greatly reduce the oak flavor imparted on the wine; some
flavor will be lost to the water.

Greg

On Feb 18, 2:04*pm, wrote:
On Feb 18, 10:08*am, Wayne Harris wrote:

...
I know its good practice to boil corks prior to using, *so, *before i
add the cubes, should i boil them to kill off any bad critters?

You may inadvertently start a religious debate with those questions
and assumptions.

First, many don't boil corks, myself included. I almost always soak
them in a sulfite solution just prior to using, but that's a personal
preference of mine. Many wine makers don't take any extra steps at all
and simply insert them dry.

Regarding the oak cubes... I used to soak mine in a sulfite solution
but recently I stopped doing that. I do make sure, however, to add
sulfites when I add the oak cubes. Some home wine makers do boil their
oak cubes and chips, but this is all just a matter of habit and
preference. If you've maintained adequate sulfite levels, no extra
steps should be necessary. Keep in mind that if you do decide to boil
them it will greatly reduce the oak flavor imparted on the wine; some
flavor will be lost to the water.

Greg

I seem to have a knack for finding verbal landmines and stepping right
on them.

Thanks for the response.

I never Boil or Sulfite the oak. By boiling you will take all the flavor
out.
Corks, I will dip them in some Pot/Met when corking. Reason is you don't
know who or how it was handled prior to you getting them. For this reason I
buy 1.000 cork bags.

Tom
--

Home of the
MOON RIVER BREWERY
and
DELANCO VINEYARDS



"Wayne Harris" wrote in message
...
I need some advice. (again)

I am aging my cabernet sauvignon in glass carboys.

I would like to add oak to the process. My (not very well thought
out) plan is to toss a handfull of oak cubes (.5in cubes) into the
carboy itself. let them float free. I would keep them in there for
2-3 months

I know its good practice to boil corks prior to using, so, before i
add the cubes, should i boil them to kill off any bad critters?

-Wayne

This is an interesting discussion, maybe worthy of a top post. I do not
buy corks in 1,000 bags - for fear of a TCA contamination ruining an
entire years bottling. Rather, I buy in 100 piece bags (Altec corks),
and try to get each of those from separate lots (1,000 piece bags) from
my retailer.

Anyone else have an opinion on cork purchase quantity - relative to TCA risk?




On 2008-02-18 11:55:38 -0800, "Tom" said:

I never Boil or Sulfite the oak. By boiling you will take all the flavor
out.
Corks, I will dip them in some Pot/Met when corking. Reason is you don't
know who or how it was handled prior to you getting them. For this reason I
buy 1.000 cork bags.

Tom

? Where do you think the 100 corks come from? Cork companies package them in
1,000 per bag. You just got 1/10 of that bag.Wine distributors just
repackage them.

Tom

--

Home of the
MOON RIVER BREWERY
and
DELANCO VINEYARDS


"AxisOfBeagles" wrote in message
news:2008021814205116807-me@donotreplycom...
This is an interesting discussion, maybe worthy of a top post. I do not
buy corks in 1,000 bags - for fear of a TCA contamination ruining an
entire years bottling. Rather, I buy in 100 piece bags (Altec corks), and
try to get each of those from separate lots (1,000 piece bags) from my
retailer.

Anyone else have an opinion on cork purchase quantity - relative to TCA
risk?




On 2008-02-18 11:55:38 -0800, "Tom" said:

I never Boil or Sulfite the oak. By boiling you will take all the flavor
out.
Corks, I will dip them in some Pot/Met when corking. Reason is you don't
know who or how it was handled prior to you getting them. For this reason
I
buy 1.000 cork bags.

Tom

As I tried to say, obviously not clearly enough, in my previous post
("Rather, I buy in 100 piece bags (Altec corks), and try to get each of
those from separate lots (1,000 piece bags) from my retailer") I buy
100 piece bags at different times, specifically from differing 1,000
piece lots so as to lessen the likelihood of a TCA contamination going
beyond any one 100 piece bag.



On 2008-02-18 18:41:23 -0800, "Tom" said:

? Where do you think the 100 corks come from? Cork companies package them in
1,000 per bag. You just got 1/10 of that bag.Wine distributors just
repackage them.

Tom

On Feb 18, 2:18*pm, AxisOfBeagles wrote:
Good feedback from Greg. I have not encountered any science on this
subject. For my own part, I neither boil nor sulfite oak before adding.
I use oak stave inserts into 15 gallon stainless kegs. I rinse them
well before putting into the wine, really only to remove dust and oak
debris. But I make sure that the wine is properly sulfited just before
oak addition.

Just finished racking about 86 gallons of wine this weekend, with 75 of
it now in SS kegs with oak inserts (5 staves in each, hung in a chain).
I love the smell of the oak (French, medium toast) after it is rinsed,
and as I'm about to put it into the wine. Always reminds me of a young
Bordeaux.

On 2008-02-18 11:04:41 -0800, said:



On Feb 18, 10:08*am, Wayne Harris wrote:
...
I know its good practice to boil corks prior to using, *so, *before i
add the cubes, should i boil them to kill off any bad critters?

You may inadvertently start a religious debate with those questions
and assumptions.

First, many don't boil corks, myself included. I almost always soak
them in a sulfite solution just prior to using, but that's a personal
preference of mine. Many wine makers don't take any extra steps at all
and simply insert them dry.

Regarding the oak cubes... I used to soak mine in a sulfite solution
but recently I stopped doing that. I do make sure, however, to add
sulfites when I add the oak cubes. Some home wine makers do boil their
oak cubes and chips, but this is all just a matter of habit and
preference. If you've maintained adequate sulfite levels, no extra
steps should be necessary. Keep in mind that if you do decide to boil
them it will greatly reduce the oak flavor imparted on the wine; some
flavor will be lost to the water.

Greg- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Axis -
Where do you get the stainless steel kegs?
I can't seem to find them around me in western PA.

I add oak cubes and don't do anything before I add them. So far I have
had no adverse effects.
Orlando

Boy is that a good question. I currently have 6 - two were purchased
from MoreWine as new kegs - at a very high price (morewinemaking.com).
The shipping cost would kill you tho (I can drive to their warehouse) -
so you should find a retailer near you. My other 4 I got from another
winemaker who was retiring from homewinemaking to become a commercial
winemaker. Those were at a great price - free!

I need one or two more, so lately I've been 'putting the word out' with
winemaking friends, and also with some people who work in bars and beer
places. Hoping they can find some cheap for me.



On 2008-02-21 17:32:11 -0800, "
said:

Axis -
Where do you get the stainless steel kegs?
I can't seem to find them around me in western PA.

I add oak cubes and don't do anything before I add them. So far I have
had no adverse effects.
Orlando

On Feb 21, 8:53*pm, AxisOfBeagles wrote:
Boy is that a good question. I currently have 6 - two were purchased
from MoreWine as new kegs - at a very high price (morewinemaking.com).
The shipping cost would kill you tho (I can drive to their warehouse) -
so you should find a retailer near you. My other 4 I got from another
winemaker who was retiring from homewinemaking to become a commercial
winemaker. Those were at a great price - free!

I need one or two more, so lately I've been 'putting the word out' with
winemaking friends, and also with some people who work in bars and beer
places. Hoping they can find some cheap for me.

On 2008-02-21 17:32:11 -0800, "
said:





Axis -
Where do you get the stainless steel kegs?
I can't seem to find them around me in western PA.

I add oak cubes and don't do anything before I add them. So far I have
had no adverse effects.
Orlando- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Anyone ever use SS barrels?
http://www.labsafety.com/store/Mater...l_Drums/10963/