# Rotate carboys in and out of barrels



## NCWC (May 24, 2016)

We barrel age our wines,9 months to a year, 30 / 60 gallons. Most of the time there are 1-2-3 carboys with wine that didnt make it into the barrel.

Just curious, I rotate out the carboys to the barrels about every 4 months.
That is, if I have 2 carboys and a 60 gallon barrel of X wine. I siphon off 2 carboys from the barrel and pour the 2 full carboys that have not been in the barrel into the barrel. 4 more month rinse and repeat.

Then when we bottle I blend evenly the carboys and the barreled wine.


Does anyone else do this and if so how do you rotate them


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## Boatboy24 (May 24, 2016)

NCWC said:


> We barrel age our wines,9 months to a year, 30 / 60 gallons. Most of the time there are 1-2-3 carboys with wine that didnt make it into the barrel.
> 
> Just curious, I rotate out the carboys to the barrels about every 4 months.
> That is, if I have 2 carboys and a 60 gallon barrel of X wine. I siphon off 2 carboys from the barrel and pour the 2 full carboys that have not been in the barrel into the barrel. 4 more month rinse and repeat.
> ...



Only once, when I had 9 gallons of Zin for my 6 gallon barrel. I went 8 months total, removing 3 gallons at the 5 month mark and replacing it with 3 from the carboy. I then blended the entire batch together in a BRUTE for bottling, along with a gallon of finished Petite Sirah I had.


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## Steve_M (May 24, 2016)

Boatboy24 said:


> Only once, when I had 9 gallons of Zin for my 6 gallon barrel. I went 8 months total, removing 3 gallons at the 5 month mark and replacing it with 3 from the carboy. I then blended the entire batch together in a BRUTE for bottling, along with a gallon of finished Petite Sirah I had.



Jim,
Were you happy with the results?

Steve


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## Boatboy24 (May 24, 2016)

Steve_M said:


> Jim,
> Were you happy with the results?
> 
> Steve



From a barreling perspective? Yes. I bottled in Feb. The wine is 19 months old, and I think it still needs time. Though I'm pleased overall so far.


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## sdelli (May 24, 2016)

I do the same but with smaller barrels.... Works great for me.


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## NCWC (May 25, 2016)

So 4-5 months looks like it?
We have some new French oak barrels and I want to try only 4 months then move the wine to 2nd year oak and put some new wine in the New French now only used for 4 months and see if it picks up the flavor.
They are expensive (2-60 2 30 gallon cost $1600 with shipping)
but the flavor can't be beat


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## Boatboy24 (May 25, 2016)

NCWC said:


> So 4-5 months looks like it?



Keep in mind, my barrels are 23 liters. Yours are much larger, so I'd assume more time would be appropriate.


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## NCWC (May 25, 2016)

Actually a smaller barrel is much faster in the oaking process
The general rule is that the aging process can be sped up from about two to six times, depending on the size of the miniature barrel. As a result, aging for a year in small oak barrels could impart the same flavor as aging for two to six in an industry-standard barrel


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## NorCal (May 25, 2016)

I blend any extra carboys with my 30/60 barrels at bottling and don't bother trying to rotate it in during the year.


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## Boatboy24 (May 25, 2016)

NCWC said:


> Actually a smaller barrel is much faster in the oaking process
> The general rule is that the aging process can be sped up from about two to six times, depending on the size of the miniature barrel. As a result, aging for a year in small oak barrels could impart the same flavor as aging for two to six in an industry-standard barrel



Right. So my 8 months would be equivalent to, say, 16 months in yours. In the case of this particular barrel though, it is neutral, so I was only getting micro-ox/concentration. Oak flavors were obtained with cubes post barrel aging.


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## JohnT (May 26, 2016)

A rule of thumb I normally use is 1 week max per gallon of capacity. So, for a 23 liter barrel, I would expect to age for 6 weeks. A 60 gallon barrel, I would expect to age for 60 weeks. 

Ultimately, though, I let the taste decide if I need more or less time.


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## sdelli (May 26, 2016)

I age for almost a full year in my 6 , 10 , and 15 gallon barrels. Of course they are all around 3 years old... But the main problem with these small barrels is evaporation. I must top them every 10 days or risk oxidation.


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## Johny99 (May 27, 2016)

Pretty much the same for me. I use 50l barrels and try to match with 15 gal beer kegs, never seems to but that gives me topping wine. I've purchased one barrel a year so I watch the oak pickup and move the wine to a more neutral barrel as I get what I like. I try for at least 2 years in barrel(s) total to get the concentration. We are dry here ave about 30% rh so I top once a week. Anyone use a humidifier in the barrel room?


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## NCWC (May 27, 2016)

JohnT said:


> A rule of thumb I normally use is 1 week max per gallon of capacity. So, for a 23 liter barrel, I would expect to age for 6 weeks. A 60 gallon barrel, I would expect to age for 60 weeks.
> 
> Ultimately, though, I let the taste decide if I need more or less time.


Do you ever swap out carboys if so how much time do you give it


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## NCWC (Sep 3, 2016)

Just bottled up some finished wine. WE had 60 gallon barrel and 3 - 6 gallon carboys. I rotated the carboys after 6 month and it was new oak barrel. Very slight difference in taste. When we bottled we use 6 gallon Gott water coolers with a spigot to fill bottles. WE fill 3/4 gallon carboy wine and then fill to 5 gallon mark with barrel wine


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