# I pulled the trigger on a 6 gallon Vadai!



## Pumpkinman (Apr 3, 2013)

I pulled the trigger on a 6 gallon Vadai!
I had to do it...lol At least while I wait ion the 5 gallon barrels, I can have one of the kit wines in oak.


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## Boatboy24 (Apr 3, 2013)

You're gonna love it! Got my first in December and already thinking of a second.


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## shoebiedoo (Apr 4, 2013)

Pumpkinman said:


> I pulled the trigger on a 6 gallon Vadai!
> I had to do it...lol At least while I wait ion the 5 gallon barrels, I can have one of the kit wines in oak.



I am SOOOO CLOSE!!!!! I usually make triple batches of juice but don't think I could keep a 15 gallon busy enough, which is what I really want...at least for the 6 months  Can I assume a 15g would have the same basic time tables as a 6g? 2 weeks the 1st batch 4 the second, and so on?


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## robie (Apr 4, 2013)

shoebiedoo said:


> I am SOOOO CLOSE!!!!! I usually make triple batches of juice but don't think I could keep a 15 gallon busy enough, which is what I really want...at least for the 6 months  Can I assume a 15g would have the same basic time tables as a 6g? 2 weeks the 1st batch 4 the second, and so on?



No, it is not the same. However, I don't have the table before me; maybe someone who does can chime in. I suspect it will be a fairly linear value, like 2.5 times, but not sure. Vadai should be able to tell you.


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## robie (Apr 4, 2013)

Pumpkinman said:


> I pulled the trigger on a 6 gallon Vadai!
> I had to do it...lol At least while I wait ion the 5 gallon barrels, I can have one of the kit wines in oak.



You won't be sorry. Take care of it and it will work for you for many years. Even after its oaking ability is gone, you can add oak spirals,cubes and still take advantage of the barrel's micro-oxygenation and concentration capabilities.


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## ibglowin (Apr 4, 2013)

I would say a 15G would be more like 3mo, 6mo, 9mo.....

Always taste along the way and remember that the oak will fall back after a few months of being back in a carboy.


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## shoebiedoo (Apr 5, 2013)

ibglowin said:


> I would say a 15G would be more like 3mo, 6mo, 9mo.....
> 
> Always taste along the way and remember that the oak will fall back after a few months of being back in a carboy.



That's kind of vadai eluded to when I called. I'm thinking one if each eh? I make small batches too 
Thanks Mike


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## Pumpkinman (Apr 14, 2013)

.
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Here it is filled with water while prepping it.
.
.Yep, that my homemade Ghetto Barrel Stand...LMAO! I forgot to order one.


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## ibglowin (Apr 14, 2013)

Looking good. Love the stand!


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## Abrnth3 (Apr 14, 2013)

my stand is pretty cheap but barrel works exceptionally, 2 weeks in barrel and wine is supperbly oaked in flavor. Hope it will keep up.


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## Pumpkinman (Apr 15, 2013)

Nice looking barrel, where did you get it?
Mike, I cannot believe that I forgot to order the stand...lol...I was all excited when I was ordering the barrel...lol....like a little kid in a toy store...lol!
The stand is solid, not pretty, but solid...LMAO!!!


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## vacuumpumpman (Apr 15, 2013)

I am just plain jealous that you guys have a barrel !!

Looks great !!


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## Pumpkinman (Apr 15, 2013)

I'm still a bit nervous, maybe more excited!
My rotation is planned as follows:
Eclipse Zinf - 4 weeks
Eclipse Merlot - 8 weeks
Brunello - 4 months
Montepulciano - 8 months
if i dont have the 5 gallon barrels by then, my Amarone will get 16 months in the barrel.


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## ibglowin (Apr 16, 2013)

You may need to adjust that schedule when you get to the Brunello. I am not sure the third rotation can go for 4 months. More like 12 weeks but obviously taste it and make sure it can take another month. For kit wines I have found the 4,8,12,16 week schedule pretty nice. Anything longer than 4 months in a small barrel is like a year in a full size barrel (oxidation wise). Remember your SO2 levels will be nonexistent at just 3 months so you will need to test and add a large dose of KMETA.

Enjoy!


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## Boatboy24 (Apr 16, 2013)

My third kit went into my barrel two weeks ago. First batch went five weeks, second went 8. I'm expecting this one to go 12. I think I'll probably stick to a ~12 week rotation from this point on and add cubes as needed. I'm really pleased with the concentration I got on the Red Mountain Cab with 8 weeks.


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## ibglowin (Apr 16, 2013)

I am starting to hit my kits that spent from 4 to 16 weeks in a Vadai and now have 2 years of age on them since the BOD (Born on Date). The 4 week kits are really good but the 12-16 week kits are amazing. You would be hard pressed to tell them apart from a commercial bottle of wine. We all worry (or seem to anyway) about oxidation when in fact it is just that (controlled oxidation) that turns a wine into something really special.


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## Pumpkinman (Apr 17, 2013)

Mike,
Thanks!!!!!! My barrel seems to have no trace of any leaking, I'm going to put the first wine into it tomorrow!


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## ibglowin (Apr 17, 2013)

Sounds good! 

Don't be surprised if you see a bit of seepage in a few spots. Remember that wine is much thinner than water so it will find ANY tiny crack out there and start to drip a drop or two. Don't panic, go buy some canning wax and rub it in to the spot thats seeping. I warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften it a bit. Barrel wax is better (softer) but also more expensive where as you can find a bar of canning wax just about anywhere and it works just as well really.


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## Pumpkinman (Apr 17, 2013)

Great info! 
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, it's tips like this that will keep a very over excited barrel newbie like me from getting overly tense...lol!
Anything that you can think of that might help, I am ready and willing to learn.
Thanks again!


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## ibglowin (Apr 17, 2013)

I have four of them Tom, two are neutral now so I just add 3 oz of French or American Oak beans in to the barrel with the wine. A couple still look almost brand new, the others look like they have been through a wine war of sorts with staining here and there. Some will leak more so than others that is for sure. Always spray KMETA around the stopper. It will keep the staining down and the bugs away. Probably the one thing you need to do is see about getting a little inert gas of sorts. Not for the barrels really but for your top up wine. Each week you will need to top up the barrel and that wine either needs to be back filled with gas and stoppered or...... drunk after a couple of times using it for topping up you will have a half empty container of wine that will oxidize unless you rack down to a smaller bottle or add marbles etc to reduce the headspace. 
Something to think about!


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## Boatboy24 (Apr 17, 2013)

+1 on the Meta spray around the stopper. It also works very well in getting stains out of the barrel (if you want to get them out).


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## Pumpkinman (May 14, 2013)

Mike, What kind of gas do you suggest? I've been tossing around the idea of using gas to top off carboys as well after seeing Joeswine post.
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks again!


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## ibglowin (May 14, 2013)

If your gonna do it, Argon is the only gas to use really. Welding supply shops. A small tank should last you a year. Remember it is only for short term use. These days I mostly use it to back fill a carboy while I am waiting for it to clear (week or so at most). I use a solid stopper in the carboy which has dangers if the temps are rising in your winery. I also use it each week on my bottle of top up wines. Fill the barrel (top up) and then backfill the open bottle with Argon and then stopper it until the next week. This will keep your top off wine from oxidizing as you empty it (slowly) week to week. When it gets down to half a bottle, transfer to split. Rinse repeat......


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## Pumpkinman (May 14, 2013)

Perfect, thanks!


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## harleydmn (May 14, 2013)

Mike, i have nitrogen, can i use that instead of argon?


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## ibglowin (May 14, 2013)

Argon is better as it is heavier than air so it tends to "sink" and "blanket" the wine. Nitrogen is lighter than Argon and 80% of the air we breath is Nitrogen so while it doesn't sink or want to rise like say Helium does, it is not as effective at protecting the wine or staying put in your bottle or carboy.


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