Old Masters is notorius for not drying. Water pop as suggested and apply one coat. But sounds like you are pass that point. Therefore the next best thing to do is apply a tinted poly.

If professional finishers agree on one thing it is that tinted clear coat (most famously Poly Shades) is the worst product one can use. I've used multiple applications of wiping stain with good results but usually allow it to sit on oak longer for deeper color. To prevent uneven color (blotching) apply an even coat to an entire panel then watch as it penetrates and drys. As long as wet areas and dry areas are in the grain pattern let it sit. When wet and dry areas stop highlighting grain pattern wipe stain off and allow to dry according to directions on container before applying another coat.

Poly shades are not that bad once you figure out how to apply it. If, you can apply Nordicseal, you can apply poly shade.

Thanks, all. Klem -- how long do you usually leave the stain on the red oak before wiping off?

I answered that in post above.

"If professional finishers agree on one thing it is that tinted clear coat (most famously Poly Shades)"

I'm going to disagree with this, with the caveat that my experience with PolyShades wasn't positive. I thought it had too much color. Perhaps it could work on furniture or a stair tread or handrail, as those are less likely to lap.

We have regularly used tinted poly over the years with no issues. When I say 'no issues', I mean no cases of lapping and no instances of peeling.

That said, this was mainly with oil poly and oil stains. We add no more than 8 ounces of stain per gallon of finish. We've done this to darken, adjust color and mimic the look of aged/ambered finish. We haven't done it so much with waterborne finishes. The only one I can recall right off was when we added green tint to a Bona finish being applied to water-popped and stained Am. Cherry, where the client wanted to counteract the red hue.

To the OP, applying two coats is generally not recommended, as it can cause finish adhesion problems. The last time we tried it, the finish peeled off two years later and we had to refinish for free. The second time we water popped and stained for the desired look.