Wine makers can mimic the character of oak aged wine by using oak cubes during the secondary fermentation process.
The taste of wine is generally dictated by three factors -- the grapes used to produce it, the terroir (or territory) where the grapes are grown and the quality of the harvest during a particular year. A Cabernet Sauvignon grown in California in a good year, for example, will taste very different from a Cabernet Sauvignon grown in France during a bad year. One method winemakers use to make each batch of wine have a more consistent flavor is oak aging -- generally by fermenting the wine in large American or French oak barrels. Amateur wine makers can often mimic the character of oak by using oak cubes during their winemaking process, which is cheaper and more practical than using an oak barrel.
Instructions
1. Calculate how many oak cubes you will need to use. For white wine, measure 4 oz. of dry oak cubes for every 10 gallons of wine you are making. For red wines, measure 8 oz. of dry oak cubes for every 10 gallons of wine you are making. You can adjust this figure to taste -- adding more cubes for more richly oaked wine, or less for a more subtle oak character.
2. Soak the oak cubes in boiling water for 30 minutes, until entirely saturated. This will both sterilize the cubes, and prepare them for adding to your wine product. If you have access to a high pressure steamer, you can also use this to sterilize and saturate your wine cubes.
3. Use boiling water to thoroughly sterilize your glass or plastic carboy. You will be using this for fermenting your wine product, so it is very important that it is completely sterilized to eliminate the risk of bacteria interfering with the wine fermentation process and spoiling the taste.
4. Rack your wine product from the container in which you fermented it the first time, to your glass or plastic carboy. You will need to use the racking equipment for this, and be very gentle to avoid disturbing the residue and sediment at the bottom of the first wine container and transferring it to your glass or plastic carboy; where it could make your wine cloudy or murky.
5. Finish racking your wine. Then add the saturated oak cubes to the wine product in the glass or plastic carboy. You can drop them in individually, or bag them up in a nylon net for ease of removal. Finally, seal your carboy with the air lock and add water to the air lock mechanism as required.
6. Place the sealed carboy in a location where it can remain undisturbed during the secondary fermentation. Then leave it for as long as your wine making process dictates. Many wine makers oak age their wine for 3 to 9 months. Be aware that using oak cubes can accelerate the oak flavoring compared to aging in an oak barrel. Sample your wine every month to judge the progress of your secondary fermentation and the intensity of the oak aging.
7. Finish the process when you are satisfied with the character of your wine product. Add any stabilizing products as dictated by your wine making process, or just rack your wine into bottles ready for drinking or to be laid down for additional bottle aging.
Tips Warnings
You can purchase a variety of oak cubes, made from differently sourced oak wood. Each has its own characteristics. Experiment with the different cubes available to find which style of oak best suits your taste. French oak gives a traditional character associated with Rioja and Bordeaux. American Oak adds coconut and vanilla flavor. Many new sources of oak, such as Russian and Hungarian, are increasing in popularity and are also worth considering.
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