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Frequently Asked Questions
Infusion Spiral Questions
- What is an oak alternative?
- What makes the Oak Infusion Spiral unique?
- Can the infusion spiral really flavor a barrel in as little as six weeks?
- What sizes do the spirals come in?
- What toast levels do you offer?
Infusion Spiral Questions
What is an oak alternative?
'Oak Alternative' refers to alternative methods for aging and enhancing a wine's aroma and flavor other than the traditional 59-70-gallon toasted oak barrel. Toasted oak can be imparted using one of a myriad of non-barrel methods. Through-the-bung-hole alternative methods include the Oak Infusion Spiral and chains of connected oak sticks. For larger volumes in stainless steel tanks, long lengths of Oak Infusion Spirals in mesh bags are commonly used, as well as installations of long oak staves, or dropping in bags of oak chips or oak blocks. Because the patented, spiral-cut design exposes an abundance of surface area, the Oak Infusion Spirals are as fast to extract in wine as oak chips and faster than every other form of oak alternative available today.
What makes the Oak Infusion Spiral unique?
The Oak Infusion Spiral is unique and superior in several ways.
- Patented Design. The spiral-cut shape of the Oak Infusion Spiral allows a great amount of surface area to contact the wine while remaining small enough to fit through a barrel bung hole.
- Efficient Use of Material: The abundance of surface area exposure inside a small package means an efficient use of raw materials, manufactured at low cost with little waste and priced competitively.
- Maximum cross-grain exposure. According to the USDA Forest Service Agriculture Handbook, Publication 40, liquid (e.g. wine) penetrates the exposed end (cross) grain of wood approximately 8 (eight) times faster in comparison to side (parallel) grain. The liquid is absorbed or “wicked” by the wood fibers.
- Superior Oak. Our American Northern White Oak and Premium French oak are selected with the finest grain available. Finer grain oak is chosen for its superior aromatic qualities.
- Speed. One barrel pack of the Oak Infusion Spirals needs just 6 weeks to extract virtually all flavor into wine.
- Thoroughly Toasted. Our unique process toasts the Oak Infusion Spirals thoroughly and evenly, from end to end. To insure maximum freshness, immediately after toasting every barrel set is protected by a clear, sealed, food-grade package, ready to insert into wine and deliver its complex aromas and flavors.
- Multiple-Toast Barrel Option. By combining different toast levels in a single barrel pack, the Oak Infusion Spiral Multi-Toast Barrel Packs deliver enhanced fruit, a blend of flavors, mid-palate sweetness, and long finish that are closest to barrel aging quality.
- Faster Trials. Faster extraction means faster trials and not having to wait six months, or longer, to know how your choice of oak alternative will work with your wine. We encourage trials with your wine in a full size barrel, rather than a bench trial in a much smaller volume.
- Easy Dosage Adjustment. The Oak Infusion Spiral Barrel Pack consists of six individual spirals connected inside mesh but one or more spirals can easily and quickly be removed from the set to reduce oak impact, if desired.
- A Versatile Tool Before Bottling. On occasions when a barrel-aged wine is scheduled to be bottled and brought to market soon but still needs more oak to achieve a desired sweetness or contains a flaw that needs to be masked, the Oak Infusion Spiral meets the challenge quickly and at low cost.
Can the infusion spiral really flavor a barrel in as little as six weeks?
Yes. Be aware that the first three weeks will get a surge of oak, after which the integration process will begin to level out the oak impact in the wine. We suggest waiting to evaluate until after 4-5 weeks. Additional time will improve integration of oak and wine.
What sizes do the spirals come in?
We offer three different sizes, depending on volume of wine treated: A set of two individual 8-inch long x 1-inch diameter spirals for 6-gallon carboys; A "Pack" of six 9-inch long x 1.5-inch diameter spirals, all contained and connected in food-grade mesh for 59-70-gallon oak barrels; A "Pack" of five 48-inch long x 1.5-inch diameter spirals, all tied together with food-grade zip-ties and contained in a food-grade mesh bag.
What toast levels do you offer?
All of our spiral sizes come in 4 different toast levels: Light, Medium, Medium Plus and Heavy. We also offer multi-toast barrel packs that combine different toast levels in a single barrel application, such as the Frecnh Oak Bordeaux Blend Barrel Pack, designed for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc.
