Barrel Fermenting Tips and/or Tricks?

[Boatboy24]

After the mishap with my barrel, a new one is on its way. The delays in getting this gave me time to realize I really should barrel ferment a Chardonnay before putting a red wine into it. As luck would have it, FVW has the Renaissance kits on sale this month, so I grabbed an Aussie Chard.

Since the barrel is 23 liters and the kit is 23 liters, there is theoretically no headspace for the ferment. I'm wondering how folks deal with that (if at all). Any tips or tricks you care to share? One thought I had was to simply leave a few cups of water out and add them back in after racking into Secondary.

Thanks for the advice!

Jim

 

[ibglowin]

Some barrels will be more like 24L so you may want to measure it first with water to see what it holds, then do just like you say, leave a little water out if need be so you have enough headspace to ferment, then add the water back when you transfer back to glass.

 

[robie]

That same chard kit fermenting in a new barrel for me didn't foam at all. Of course I used D47 yeast, rather than the MM supplied yeast.

Same for a CC Yakima Chard kit in a new barrel, no foam with D47.

Fermenting in the barrel, Tim V. of Winemaking Magazine recommends leaving out the bentonite.

 

[tonyt]

I barrel fermented a Mosti Meglioli Chardonnay in my new 23 ltr Vidia barrel. I started the fermentation in a plastic primary bucket for the first 18 hours or so until a nice fermentation had begun. Then I gave it a good stir and racked all but one gallon into the barrel. The gallon went into a glass jug to ferment on it's own. After fermentation barrel and jug were racked into glass carboy for a week or so of secondary then cleared. Eight months later it's cold stabilizing at about 40 degrees and will get bottled in a few weeks. Here is the link to a nice discussion of barrel fermenting, Bzac's comments posted by Wineman were very helpful. http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f74/another-ferment-barrel-thread-36513/

 

[robie]

I started mine in the fermenter bucket, also.

I set the barrel in a plastic tub partially filled with water to keep the temperature down. That's not absolutely necessary, though.

I hope you purchased a vented bung for your barrel. If not, you can place a clean towel over the bung hole. For secondary, move the wine out of the barrel and into your glass carboy.

Don't put the kit supplied oak n the barrel. The new oak barrel during fermentation, compared to aging in the same barrel, won't supply as much oaking as you might think. So, you might save the kit-supplied oak chips/power and use it either in secondary or while clearing. Two types of oak can provide some nice layering.

 

[tonyt]

Don't put the kit supplied oak n the barrel. The new oak barrel during fermentation, compared to aging in the same barrel, won't supply as much oaking as you might think. So, you might save the kit-supplied oak chips/power and use it either in secondary or while clearing. Two types of oak can provide some nice layering.

Yep, I'd say the Chard came out with barely any oak at all. But very nice mouth-feel.

 

[Boatboy24]

Thanks all!

I use a #8.5 stopper with an airlock in my current barrel, and will continue the practice with the new one. I hadn't heard about not using the bentonite. I guess it makes sense, as it could potentially make a mess in there.

Robie: do you recall what yeast the kit came with? EC-1118?

 

[robie]

Yep, I'd say the Chard came out with barely any oak at all. But very nice mouth-feel.

Fermenting in a new barrel adds lots of special characteristics to the barrel, itself and to the wines aged in them afterward.

 

[robie]

Thanks all!

I use a #8.5 stopper with an airlock in my current barrel, and will continue the practice with the new one. I hadn't heard about not using the bentonite. I guess it makes sense, as it could potentially make a mess in there.

Robie: do you recall what yeast the kit came with? EC-1118?

Sorry, I don't recall, but I'd suppose it is EC-1118.

 

[Boatboy24]

Thanks again. It arrived today - EC-1118 and all. I like your idea on the D47 though.

 

[tonyt]

FWIW
I used the Bentonite and it did not cause any extra effort cleaning the barrel after racking out the Chard. While in glass I tweakid with 30gr of French medium oak cubes. I did not use the provided oak shavings in primary. Total days in barrel was eight. Ferminted to SG .993. Started at SG 1.096. So I guess its about 12.5%.

 

[Boatboy24]

Thanks Tony. Can't wait to get this one fired up!