Hi, I wonder if anyone here can help.

I started 2 5 gallon batches of elderberry / blackberry / forest
fruits following my normal recipe, but this time I have some American
Oak staves (the bag recommends 2 staves per 5 gallon batch but had no
other instructions). I put them in the primaries and it's sitting
overnight now to let the campden powder and pectic enzyme do their
thing before I balance the must and pitch.

I was just looking around the internet and realised that several
people say to add the staves post-fermentation and I started to
wonder:

Will I greatly affect the character and performance of the oak having
added it pre-fermentation instead of post?

In terms of spoilage, might there be a problem with the staves poking
up out of the must significantly (in the primary)?

I would be happy to take the staves out, wash, sanitise and dry them,
adding them post-ferment if there are likely to be issues, though I
suspect now that they are in, they are better staying in than being
messed with.

Can anyone offer me guidance on these questions please?

Many thanks!

jim c wrote:

> Hi, I wonder if anyone here can help.
>
> I started 2 5 gallon batches of elderberry / blackberry / forest
> fruits following my normal recipe, but this time I have some American
> Oak staves (the bag recommends 2 staves per 5 gallon batch but had no
> other instructions). I put them in the primaries and it's sitting
> overnight now to let the campden powder and pectic enzyme do their
> thing before I balance the must and pitch.
>
> I was just looking around the internet and realised that several
> people say to add the staves post-fermentation and I started to
> wonder:
>
> Will I greatly affect the character and performance of the oak having
> added it pre-fermentation instead of post?

No. You probably will not impart that much oak flavor unless you use them
post fermentation also though.
>
> In terms of spoilage, might there be a problem with the staves poking
> up out of the must significantly (in the primary)?

No.

>
> I would be happy to take the staves out, wash, sanitise and dry them,
> adding them post-ferment if there are likely to be issues, though I
> suspect now that they are in, they are better staying in than being
> messed with.

Relax, me thinks you worry too much.

>
> Can anyone offer me guidance on these questions please?
>
> Many thanks!

On Jan 29, 2:11*am, "Paul E. Lehmann" >
wrote:
> jim c wrote:
> > Hi, I wonder if anyone here can help.
>
> > I started 2 5 gallon batches of elderberry / blackberry / forest
> > fruits following my normal recipe, but this time I have some American
> > Oak staves (the bag recommends 2 staves per 5 gallon batch but had no
> > other instructions). *I put them in the primaries and it's sitting
> > overnight now to let the campden powder and pectic enzyme do their
> > thing before I balance the must and pitch.
>
> > I was just looking around the internet and realised that several
> > people say to add the staves post-fermentation and I started to
> > wonder:
>
> > Will I greatly affect the character and performance of the oak having
> > added it pre-fermentation instead of post?
>
> No. *You probably will not impart that much oak flavor unless you use them
> post fermentation also though.
>
>
>
> > In terms of spoilage, might there be a problem with the staves poking
> > up out of the must significantly (in the primary)?
>
> No.
>
>
>
> > I would be happy to take the staves out, wash, sanitise and dry them,
> > adding them post-ferment if there are likely to be issues, though I
> > suspect now that they are in, they are better staying in than being
> > messed with.
>
> Relax, me thinks you worry too much.
>
>
>
> > Can anyone offer me guidance on these questions please?
>
> > Many thanks!

Thanks Paul.

I do plan to keep them in post-fermentation also. I presume there is
no problem with that?

Jim

jim c wrote:

> On Jan 29, 2:11Â*am, "Paul E. Lehmann" >
> wrote:
>> jim c wrote:
>> > Hi, I wonder if anyone here can help.
>>
>> > I started 2 5 gallon batches of elderberry / blackberry / forest
>> > fruits following my normal recipe, but this time I have some American
>> > Oak staves (the bag recommends 2 staves per 5 gallon batch but had no
>> > other instructions). Â*I put them in the primaries and it's sitting
>> > overnight now to let the campden powder and pectic enzyme do their
>> > thing before I balance the must and pitch.
>>
>> > I was just looking around the internet and realised that several
>> > people say to add the staves post-fermentation and I started to
>> > wonder:
>>
>> > Will I greatly affect the character and performance of the oak having
>> > added it pre-fermentation instead of post?
>>
>> No. Â*You probably will not impart that much oak flavor unless you use
>> them post fermentation also though.
>>
>>
>>
>> > In terms of spoilage, might there be a problem with the staves poking
>> > up out of the must significantly (in the primary)?
>>
>> No.
>>
>>
>>
>> > I would be happy to take the staves out, wash, sanitise and dry them,
>> > adding them post-ferment if there are likely to be issues, though I
>> > suspect now that they are in, they are better staying in than being
>> > messed with.
>>
>> Relax, me thinks you worry too much.
>>
>>
>>
>> > Can anyone offer me guidance on these questions please?
>>
>> > Many thanks!
>
> Thanks Paul.
>
> I do plan to keep them in post-fermentation also. I presume there is
> no problem with that?
>
> Jim
Not that I am aware of. Others opinions may vary. But as long as you do
not have a condition in which the wet staves were allowed air contact that
allowed breeding of undesireables, I would think it would be ok.

On Jan 29, 4:16*pm, "Paul E. Lehmann" >
wrote:
> jim c wrote:
> > On Jan 29, 2:11*am, "Paul E. Lehmann" >
> > wrote:
> >> jim c wrote:
> >> > Hi, I wonder if anyone here can help.
>
> >> > I started 2 5 gallon batches of elderberry / blackberry / forest
> >> > fruits following my normal recipe, but this time I have some American
> >> > Oak staves (the bag recommends 2 staves per 5 gallon batch but had no
> >> > other instructions). *I put them in the primaries and it's sitting
> >> > overnight now to let the campden powder and pectic enzyme do their
> >> > thing before I balance the must and pitch.
>
> >> > I was just looking around the internet and realised that several
> >> > people say to add the staves post-fermentation and I started to
> >> > wonder:
>
> >> > Will I greatly affect the character and performance of the oak having
> >> > added it pre-fermentation instead of post?
>
> >> No. *You probably will not impart that much oak flavor unless you use
> >> them post fermentation also though.
>
> >> > In terms of spoilage, might there be a problem with the staves poking
> >> > up out of the must significantly (in the primary)?
>
> >> No.
>
> >> > I would be happy to take the staves out, wash, sanitise and dry them,
> >> > adding them post-ferment if there are likely to be issues, though I
> >> > suspect now that they are in, they are better staying in than being
> >> > messed with.
>
> >> Relax, me thinks you worry too much.
>
> >> > Can anyone offer me guidance on these questions please?
>
> >> > Many thanks!
>
> > Thanks Paul.
>
> > I do plan to keep them in post-fermentation also. *I presume there is
> > no problem with that?
>
> > Jim
>
> Not that I am aware of. *Others opinions may vary. *But as long as you do
> not have a condition in which the wet staves were allowed air contact that
> allowed breeding of undesireables, I would think it would be ok.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I would just keep them wet. Next time maybe consider beans, they may
be easier to manage in a smaller volume ferment.

Joe

On Jan 30, 2:12*am, Joe Sallustio > wrote:
> On Jan 29, 4:16*pm, "Paul E. Lehmann" >
> wrote:
>
>
>
> > jim c wrote:
> > > On Jan 29, 2:11*am, "Paul E. Lehmann" >
> > > wrote:
> > >> jim c wrote:
> > >> > Hi, I wonder if anyone here can help.
>
> > >> > I started 2 5 gallon batches of elderberry / blackberry / forest
> > >> > fruits following my normal recipe, but this time I have some American
> > >> > Oak staves (the bag recommends 2 staves per 5 gallon batch but had no
> > >> > other instructions). *I put them in the primaries and it's sitting
> > >> > overnight now to let the campden powder and pectic enzyme do their
> > >> > thing before I balance the must and pitch.
>
> > >> > I was just looking around the internet and realised that several
> > >> > people say to add the staves post-fermentation and I started to
> > >> > wonder:
>
> > >> > Will I greatly affect the character and performance of the oak having
> > >> > added it pre-fermentation instead of post?
>
> > >> No. *You probably will not impart that much oak flavor unless you use
> > >> them post fermentation also though.
>
> > >> > In terms of spoilage, might there be a problem with the staves poking
> > >> > up out of the must significantly (in the primary)?
>
> > >> No.
>
> > >> > I would be happy to take the staves out, wash, sanitise and dry them,
> > >> > adding them post-ferment if there are likely to be issues, though I
> > >> > suspect now that they are in, they are better staying in than being
> > >> > messed with.
>
> > >> Relax, me thinks you worry too much.
>
> > >> > Can anyone offer me guidance on these questions please?
>
> > >> > Many thanks!
>
> > > Thanks Paul.
>
> > > I do plan to keep them in post-fermentation also. *I presume there is
> > > no problem with that?
>
> > > Jim
>
> > Not that I am aware of. *Others opinions may vary. *But as long as you do
> > not have a condition in which the wet staves were allowed air contact that
> > allowed breeding of undesireables, I would think it would be ok.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> I would just keep them wet. *Next time maybe consider beans, they may
> be easier to manage in a smaller volume ferment.
>
> Joe

Agreed, thanks Joe. I'm hoping the staves fit in my better bottles,
it will be tight, but I think they will. I have a variety of imported
American, french and Hungarian cubes, flakes and chippings to
experiment with over the next year or so. These will be far more
convenient once I have another few straining bags in stock!

Thanks Paul too for the advice.

Jim