# When making wine in a barrel, do you need an additional barrel for racking?



## abefroman (Aug 29, 2013)

When making wine in a barrel, do you need an additional barrel for racking?


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## lawrstin (Aug 29, 2013)

Yes, the term racking means transferring the wine off the lees (sediment) from vessel one vessel to another. Just curious what you are trying to do?


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## Thig (Aug 29, 2013)

abefroman said:


> When making wine in a barrel, do you need an additional barrel for racking?



Wouldn't most people put the wine in a barrel only after it has been racked a couple of time to get most of the sediment out. Are you starting it off in a barrel?


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## Arne (Aug 29, 2013)

If you are starting it in there, you could rack it to another container of some kind (bucket, carboy or whatever) clean the barrel out and rack it back in. Arne.


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## Rocky (Aug 29, 2013)

I might be missing something here but I believe there is no problem in racking from a barrel into a carboy, cleaning our the barrel and moving the wine back to the barrel.


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## JohnT (Aug 29, 2013)

Thig, 

The answer is NO, you do not need an additional barrel. 

If you need to rack, Just rack (initially) into your clean/empty primary fermentor, clean the barrel, then rack back from the primary into your clean barrel. 

Barrels are expensive and need to be soaked prior to use. You will also have the issue of storring an empty barrel for an extended period of time.


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## Rocky (Aug 29, 2013)

Arne & John, just goes to prove that great minds think alike!


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## Thig (Aug 29, 2013)

JohnT said:


> Thig,
> 
> The answer is NO, you do not need an additional barrel.
> 
> ...



John, thanks for the reply but I was not the one that posted the question.


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## Gwand (Aug 29, 2013)

When bulk aging wine in a barrel does one fill the barrel all the way up to push out the air? Do you have to top it off after you sample periodically?


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## Rocky (Aug 29, 2013)

Gwand said:


> When bulk aging wine in a barrel does one fill the barrel all the way up to push out the air? Do you have to top it off after you sample periodically?


 
I currently have two barrels. I have seasoned them and they do not leak. I named them "Anthony" and "John" after my Grandsons so I could keep track of what I had in them. Currently, Anthony is filled with Valpolicella and John has k-meta solution in it but will soon have a Carmenere. I try to keep them "topped off" as much as possible. People talk about the "Angels' share" but I think I have more Angels in John than I do in Anthony! I also have bungs with airlocks on the barrels and I can see the effect of changes in barometric pressure in the airlocks. (BTW, the little barrel to the right is aging Rye Whiskey).


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## DaveL (Aug 29, 2013)

Rocky,
I am considering getting a barrel later this year maybe a Christmas present. I thought you had to keep them full. I assumed that meant with wine but you have K-meta in yours. Just a short term stop gap? Does this weaken the toast? Or the Oaking capacity? 
If you leave them empty you have to treat them or season them again? How many natches do you get through a barrel before it goes neutral? 4-5?
Thanks
I like the idea of naming them.


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## Gwand (Aug 29, 2013)

Thanks Rocky. One picture is worth many words. Did you distill the whiskey? Hard to believe you have grandchildren unless that photo is from 1980.


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## abefroman (Aug 29, 2013)

Rocky how much k-meta solution do you use in the second barrel?


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## Rocky (Aug 29, 2013)

*DaveL*, I try to keep them full and I moved Zinfandel out of these barrels two a week ago and put the Valpolicella in Anthony. The Carmenere had just been treated with fining agents so I wanted to let some of the sediment drop before I moved to the barrel. I will probably do it this week. Both of the barrels have long since been "neutral" as far as oak is concerned. I add about 4 oz. of oak cubes to the barrels when I add the wine. I would guess (without actually checking the numbers) that both have seen 10 or so batches. I don't imagine either has been empty, since I finally got them really tight, for more than a couple of weeks. If I don't load them immediately, I will add about a half gallon of k-meta sanitizing solution (3 T k-meta in 1 gallon of water).

*Gwand*, no, I did not distill the Rye. It is _Wild Turkey Rye_ and a new charred oak barrel. I plan to leave it in for a few years. The picture is of my Bride, not me. We will be married 48 years in December.

*Abefroman*, I have about a half gallon of k-meta sanitizing solution in there at present. When I am ready to use the barrel I will rinse it well with hot water.

Thank you all for the interest and the questions.


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## JohnT (Aug 30, 2013)

*Thig:* Sorry, my bad. 

*Rocky*: Nice looking barrels. And yes, great minds do think alike.


Additional comments (just to expand on what the others have posted)..

- You need to keep the barrel filled and, yes, you do need to top the barrel off often.

- Time you age in the barrel (first time) as a rule of thumb should be about 1 wee per gallon of capacity. For example, wine should age in a 5 gallon barrel for 5 weeks and should age 60 weeks in a 60 gallon barrel.

- as you use the barrel for subsequent batches of wine, you will find that oak extraction will be less and less. At some point, the wine will not extract any oak flavors at all. This is the point where it is called "neutral".


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## Thig (Aug 30, 2013)

JohnT said:


> *Thig:* Sorry, my bad.



Not a problem at all John. I liked your answer, just wanted to be sure "abefroman" saw it.


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