Adding Oak

[AToE]

That's interesting Medsen, I'd actually been thinking for some time that when I'm using oak in primary in big mels (more to aid colour stability than for the actual oak influence) that chips might be more effective, as the cubes extract so slowly that I have to use a lot more, and essentially am wasting them when I toss them after primary!

I might try light toast chips, or medium, in my next big mel primary.

 

[veritas]

Thanks for both the links Im still mulling over the info. Im thinking of trying the medium Hungarian oak in this batch.

 

[veritas]

Thanks again for all the information guys! I racked the tea mead onto a half oz of Hungarian medium toast cubes. mixed up a 5gal batch of JAO as well. I almost feel ambitious.


At least that's ambitious for me........

 

[veritas]

One week on the oak and I really like the taste this mead now has. I'm debating on how much longer to leave it on.

 

[akueck]

Very often I pull the oak out after only 2 weeks. You want to go slightly beyond "perfect" as the oak character will diminish/integrate over time.

 

[veritas]

Very often I pull the oak out after only 2 weeks. You want to go slightly beyond "perfect" as the oak character will diminish/integrate over time.

Thanks! I'm going to try just that then. I'm really pleased with the oak addition. I didn't know what to expect from it. It seems to have made the mead smoother. I definitely lack the proper words to describe it.