# Opinions on Prepping Vadai Barrel for first time use



## nucjd (Jul 7, 2013)

Hey guys been reading tons of posts and and instructions on prepping a new barrel and wanted y'alls opinions. This barrel is brand spanking new ( 6 gallon Vadai medium toast ) and I will use it in about a month for my chardonnay primary fermentation and then I will roll a cellar craft cab into it for bulk aging and then behind that will be a Chilean Malbec. After that I will be lining up another red for bulk aging in it and so forth. So... After sealing it per instructions do you go ahead place the must in it or do you sanitize with k meta and distilled water or do you burn sulfer discs in it? Thanks in advance


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## Pumpkinman (Jul 7, 2013)

After I sealed mine per their instructions, I put the must in it and sealed it. The instructions will tell you that if you have water in the barrel for three days, use should add meta.


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## nucjd (Jul 7, 2013)

Cool! Thanks Pump. I figured that probably was the game plan. I know...I know.. When all else fails read the instructions


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## Pumpkinman (Jul 8, 2013)

Nah....when all else fails. ..ask here , on the forum! 
Glad to be able to help!


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## sdelli (Jul 8, 2013)

I have two 6 gallon and one 11 gallon barrels from them. All are only a few months old. I followed the instructions that came with them for the hot seal to the tee and worked out great! Highly recommend taking the time and following the instructions to seal properly and you will be real happy....


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## Boatboy24 (Jul 8, 2013)

sdelli said:


> I have two 6 gallon and one 11 gallon barrels from them. All are only a few months old. I followed the instructions that came with them for the hot seal to the tee and worked out great! Highly recommend taking the time and following the instructions to seal properly and you will be real happy....



Plus one to that. Both of mine sealed nicely - I used near boiling water from a whistling tea kettle for the hot water. The first I let sit for a week with some sulphited water. The second one is sitting now with sulphited water.


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## nucjd (Jul 20, 2013)

wanted to give an update. Just finished sealing my barrel per instruction and it worked perfect. I am sitting with a full barrel of distilled water and no leaks what so ever after following the instructions using the boiling water. I could not be more pleased. Gonna start running some vino through it in a few days after letting it sit per the instructions. Getting really excited.


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## Boatboy24 (Jul 21, 2013)

Congrats. You'll love what it does for your wine.


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## Pumpkinman (Jul 21, 2013)

Just an update, the good folks at Vadai called and let me know they've received their container from Hungary with the smaller 20L and 23L barrels, get em now before they raise the price.


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## whynot (Jan 12, 2014)

So I have my vadai still in the wrap, not planning on fillinig it until early march, so my question is, should I just do the prep 5-7 days before the wine is ready for ageing, if I start a few days early can I just leave it with water an kmet until the wine is ready? 

my fear is it will take too long to seal the barrel and I'll have wine ready for the barrel, but no barrel ... .


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## Pumpkinman (Jan 12, 2014)

Whynot, 
I've been successful at fully hydrating a barrel in 2-3 hrs, it has worked on the last two barrels that I've received, my last one just a few days ago. I use a plastic storage container, Rubbermaid type that is big enough to fit the barrel inside and the walls need to be 6 inches high or more, I have several pots of water boiling and ready to go, I'll start to prep the barrel as per their instructions, I start by adding boiling water and placing the barrel on its head, I add boiling water on the head that is in the air, and then add several pots of boiling water to the plastic storage container that the barrel is in.
I continue to keep the pots filled with water and boiling, and I continue to add more water to the barrel and rotate it so the other head is exposed and add water to that.
After this i lay the barrel flat and add more boiling water to it, and to the storage container. I'll literally start to baste the barrel with the hot water in the storage container in an attempt to hydrate the staves, I'll slowly rotate the barrel, trying to get the entire inside and outside of the barrel in contact with the boiling water.
After 2 hrs or so, I make sure that I fill the barrel with boiling water and put a solid bung in it and put it on the stand.
I usually don't see any leaking. 
The barrel actually kept the water hot (the barrel was warm to the touch) for over 15 hrs.


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## whynot (Jan 13, 2014)

Thanks (as Always) P-man.. to answer my 2nd part.. how long can I leave it with only water in the barrel? again, making sure I time my other batches I want to know what to do when one batch has to leave but the other's not ready for the barrel yet?


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## Pumpkinman (Jan 13, 2014)

I believe that Vadai says 3 days, any more and you need to add meta.


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