Barrel thoughts

[Johnd]

I top mine to the tippy top, using waterless vented silicone bungs. Just encircle the bung with a towel and push it in place, towel catches the overspill. Spritz with sulfite sprayer and it’s nice and clean.

 

[pgentile]

I’m gonna tag along on this misc barrel convo.

1. How high are we supposed to be filling barrels? Leaving a hair of headspace? Logic tells me as little as possible. I filled it to the bung-essentially zero headspace. But now I find myself cleaning up overflow each day since I filled it.
Pressure changes I assume. Is this pretty common?

2. also I had the barrel filled with Kmeta/citric water twice/ maybe 10’days in total. No leaks after the first day. But I’ve got wine seeping out in one spot at the bottom of the head. Hoping this works itself out. Also normal?

View attachment 51507

1. I had the same thing the first few days. Stopped after three or four days.

2. How many days is wine in barrel now? My bet is it works itself out. But if it doesn't here's a link from 5 years ago and quote from @ibglowin on how to deal with a leak "So get some canning wax and warm it up, spray the leaks down good with KMETA and wipe off the wine, then hit it with the wax good where it leaks. It may take a couple of times to get it sealed good but it will seal if you keep adding wax to the drip area. A small barrel leaks more than a big barrel so its just part of the process but it will be very worth it in the end I promise."

https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/5-months-in-my-barrel-has-started-leaking.38227/

 

[mainshipfred]

If it doesn't stop you might want to try tightening the hoops again. BTW, my barrels look like yours but it's from not being careful when filling.

 

[Ajmassa]

Reading thru the thread Paul posted, and then another I kinda got lost on the barrel research.
Pretty interesting stuff. For a stubborn leak the repair is actually pretty simple. Same idea as plugging your tire.
-find the source of leak
-ream it slightly with an awl
-punch in the wooden cone shaped “spile” plug
(Easily widdle your own plug with a golf tee or wood chip)

And in my multi level ADD style barrel research I watched that video again of the guy (and wmt member) re-cooping his own barrel at home.
Unless I meet my maker earlier then expected I don’t see myself ever NOT attempting that one day.
Recondition and toasting a used barrel
https://www.winemakingtalk.com/index.php?threads/Recondition-and-toasting-a-used-barrel.55886/

 

[baron4406]

My Syrah hit one month in the barrel , just tasted it and its fine and it does look like the level is down a tad. Gonna shot for two months then the next batch goes in. I'm wondering where to go with it when its done, I'd like to bottle age it for a year but finding a 6.6 gallon carboy is kinda tough. Also plan on filtering it also before bottling.

 

[FTC Wines]

AJ, I top off to almost the bung hole, then push in the silicon bung. Never had wine oze out after the bung was pushed in. But we only put stabilized wine into our barrels, not fermenting wine. As to wine leaking, I have prepped a barrel with no leaks, then when I put the wine in I had a slight leak. But bees wax always stopped it. Roy

 

[Ajmassa]

Thanks Roy. Yep the wax seems like the 1st step to take if needed. It’s only been filled with wine a few days now. Time will tell.
Need to find a vented #9 bung. It’s an odd size. Carboys #7 and demis are #11. Only vessel have that size is a 34L demi. But only have solid and drilled.
Baron- the 6.5’s are hassle aint they? Never in store. Only one I scored was from Craigslist. Why not just fill a 6 and bottle a couple?

 

[FTC Wines]

AJ, I got my vented, no s trap needed bung, and solid bungs from Vadi. Also got a 2 hole bung from Steve, Vacuum Pump man, so I can vac rack into the barrel using the lowest vac as possible. So they should be available. Roy

 

[Ajmassa]

AJ, I got my vented, no s trap needed bung, and solid bungs from Vadi. Also got a 2 hole bung from Steve, Vacuum Pump man, so I can vac rack into the barrel using the lowest vac as possible. So they should be available. Roy

Fortunately I had a couple drilled #9’s. (Things like bungs and airlocka I always buy more than needed for these situations). Sacrificed one for the AI1 and drilled another hole for it.
I’ll check out Vadai’s website and see what they got. Thanks

 

[baron4406]

My first barrel "top off" with the 30l I picked up from Fred at our barrel meet up, wells its working! I had to add nearly a whole bottle of wine which is a great evaporation rate. another month then filter-bottle and bottle age for a year

 

[mainshipfred]

My first barrel "top off" with the 30l I picked up from Fred at our barrel meet up, wells its working! I had to add nearly a whole bottle of wine which is a great evaporation rate. another month then filter-bottle and bottle age for a year

Yours is a 25l but holding closer to 7 gallons. Are you getting any oak yet? I filled mine 9-1 and I noticed it started giving some nice oak a couple of weeks ago. I think I have another month to go.

 

[baron4406]

oh ok thanks Fred. I noticed a little oak taste, so I'm gonna let in another month. Then next batch 10 weeks, then 12 weeks for the next batch. I think 12 weeks is the limit for this small barrel even after its neutral

 

[Johnd]

oh ok thanks Fred. I noticed a little oak taste, so I'm gonna let in another month. Then next batch 10 weeks, then 12 weeks for the next batch. I think 12 weeks is the limit for this small barrel even after its neutral

I leave all my red wines in my neutral 6 gallon Vadai barrels for 6 months.

 

[baron4406]

Really John? Well then I'll be doing the same. THANKS

 

[mainshipfred]

I'm still getting the feel for how long the wine should stay in the barrels. I still think the one week per gallon for a new barrel is on the side of caution. As far as neutral I agree with John and not sure if time matters. FWIW I just saw a wine maker coat a portion of his new barrels with something but don't remember what he said it was. His reasoning was it slows down evaporation. He may coat the belly and one head or some other portions. He told me it slows down but doesn't stop mirco oxygenation. Again he's a commercial guy with large barrrels and it's his procedure. Just sharing.

 

[pgentile]

I'm still getting the feel for how long the wine should stay in the barrels. I still think the one week per gallon for a new barrel is on the side of caution. As far as neutral I agree with John and not sure if time matters. FWIW I just saw a wine maker coat a portion of his new barrels with something but don't remember what he said it was. His reasoning was it slows down evaporation. He may coat the belly and one head or some other portions. He told me it slows down but doesn't stop mirco oxygenation. Again he's a commercial guy with large barrrels and it's his procedure. Just sharing.

Wasn't wax he was coating it with?

BTW tasted the sauv blanc today at 24 day it has a smidge of too much oak. Going one more week then pulling it. Pinotage up next.

 

[mainshipfred]

Wasn't wax he was coating it with?

BTW tasted the sauv blanc today at 24 day it has a smidge of too much oak. Going one more week then pulling it. Pinotage up next.

Could have been but I don't think so. It was a real thin coat of whatever it was.

Sunday will be 7 weeks for me but I think Cab and Malbec can take a little more oak then the Sauv Blanc. Been asking a lot of questions to the winemaker while helping with the crush and pressing. Another thing he told me was not to let the Sauv Blanc clear until a month before bottling. He told me to stir up the lees twice a week until then when I wanted to let it clear add Bentonite and put it in the freezer at 28* for a month, filter and bottle. His timeframe was 9 months. I know it's one winemakers opinion but if I'm going to try to make commercial grade wine I think I'll try doing as he recommends. I'm already going to let the MLF in the reds go for his 4-5 month recommendation on the fine lees.

BTW, not on the right thread but yesterday we crushed 17 tons and pressed 9 T bins with 3 people. I went from grunt to grunt, enzyme and labeling guy.

 

[stickman]

The old school barrel coating is boiled linseed oil, reportedly it doesn't affect micro oxygenation. The other typical coating is mildewcide.

 

[mainshipfred]

That is exactly what he said he used, O'Sullivan's Mildewcide. I think all he said was O'Sullivan's. Good one.

 

[pgentile]

Could have been but I don't think so. It was a real thin coat of whatever it was.

Sunday will be 7 weeks for me but I think Cab and Malbec can take a little more oak then the Sauv Blanc. Been asking a lot of questions to the winemaker while helping with the crush and pressing. Another thing he told me was not to let the Sauv Blanc clear until a month before bottling. He told me to stir up the lees twice a week until then when I wanted to let it clear add Bentonite and put it in the freezer at 28* for a month, filter and bottle. His timeframe was 9 months. I know it's one winemakers opinion but if I'm going to try to make commercial grade wine I think I'll try doing as he recommends. I'm already going to let the MLF in the reds go for his 4-5 month recommendation on the fine lees.

BTW, not on the right thread but yesterday we crushed 17 tons and pressed 9 T bins with 3 people. I went from grunt to grunt, enzyme and labeling guy.

Isn't stirring up the lees called 'sur lie"? haven't tried that yet with my whites. Bentonite, freeze and filter?

How much wine did you get out of 26 total tons? Enzyme guy huh?