Q I am using Flextanks and oak chips for my wine and am really liking the results. However, I put the oak chips in loose and they clog up the tubing and pump when I rack. I was thinking of making some bags out of mesh to put the oak chips in, but was wondering about the mesh fabric, imparting flavor to the wine. The fabrics I have found are nylon or polyester. Would either of these be a problem in wine? (The reason I’m not switching to oak cubes or spirals is I have a huge bag of oak chips already.) Marianne Pariseau LeSageSpokane, Washington A Like you I find oak pieces (segments, beans and sometimes chips) are a great way to practice elevage (aging and development) with small lots that won’t fit into a 60-gallon (227-L) barrel or for larger lots where I just don’t want the hassle of barrels. If you’re using small pieces of wood in winemaking, you guessed it, it’s a heck of a lot easier to work with them if you confine them to
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