30L Break in Schedule

[Boatboy24]

I'm seriously considering acquiring a 30L Vadai later this year, but am wondering what might be an expected break in schedule. I know it's all subject to the wine, your desired oak levels, etc. But if anyone has a ballpark estimate, I'd appreciate it.

My last two barrels were 23L and I got about 5 weeks in for the first wines there. I'm thinking 6-8 weeks on a 30L for the first run. Then 10-14 weeks on the 2nd.

Of course, then I'll need to figure out what to do with my neutral 23L.

 

[ibglowin]

Jim,

The 30L is a weird size for carboy owners with lots of 6G carboys. I am thinking the 40L would be the next size up to get and its only $12 more than the 30L. That way you could do a double kit in it if you were making kit wines still or basically almost 2 full carboys (11G) if doing fresh grapes and then you have a full gallon for the angels share.

I bet you could go at least 3-4 months on a new 40L barrel right out of the gate.

 

[chefken]

I have a new 40L Vadai barrel and my first wine was in for 7 weeks with a light oak taste. It may go back in later on. This new 40L turned out to be very tight as opposed to my 20L which seems to leak a little. A 40L should give you about 1.5gal. of topping up wine, or at least that is what I'm getting after making 2 kits at one time. I love both of my barrels. Get the 40 and you will be glad you did.

 

[ibglowin]

I may order a 40L this Fall and start phasing out my 23L one by one......

Or two by two!

 

[Boatboy24]

On second thought (maybe 3rd or 4th - I've been mulling this over for a while), it may be better to simply go with another 23 liter. I've got 3 kits backed up waiting for barrel time, so I could run two of them through a new barrel to break it in. I'm going to have ~7 gallons of Cab and Syrah from Lanza and could then run both of them through it, before letting each spend some time in a neutral barrel. And last year's Zin could have a go in there as well. That'd easily carry me to next summer, when I could run the 2016 Chilean(s) through. Yep, sounds like a plan. Christmas may come a little early this year.