Barrel thoughts

[mainshipfred]

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?

Again no expert but I thought sur lie was aged on the lees but maybe not heavily filtered. The limited sur lie I've ever had had lees in the bottle.

Don't know how much wine. The crush went to T bins and the press went to SS tanks. I'll tell you what is amazing though is how dry the skins are after being pressed, rotated and pressed multiple times in a horizontal bladder press.

 

[Ajmassa]

Again no expert but I thought sur lie was aged on the lees but maybe not heavily filtered. The limited sur lie I've ever had had lees in the bottle.

Don't know how much wine. The crush went to T bins and the press went to SS tanks. I'll tell you what is amazing though is how dry the skins are after being pressed, rotated and pressed multiple times in a horizontal bladder press.

Sur lie is typically done while routinely performing battonage throughout (according to wiki). Otherwise not really getting all the benefits of keeping the lees. Tho seems like tough thing to master to know when enough is enough. From what I’ve read you just stop when you notice any unpleasant aroma or tastes.

 

[Ajmassa]

I used some beeswax a few days ago to try and stop the leaky barrel. What’s happening now is the wine is just finding different exit point around where the head meets the staves. Bubbling up the wax and eventually still leaking out.
I’m not too concerned tho. I’m gonna tighten the hell out of the rings- clean out all the gunk, plug any visible holes if any, and then coat with a protectant. Not sure which one yet. Piwines sells the Mildewcide btw

 

[pgentile]

Ah yes, you guys are correct, read about these processes several years ago. Couldn't remember which was which. Battonage

So far no long term leakage with the barrel here, little seepage in the beginning but seemed resolved itself.

 

[Ajmassa]

Certain days this thing had wine seaping out in multiple spots. >6 diff spots maybe. Tough to tell on the heads since it runs down and puddles up at the bottom.
Between the beeswax and tightening the rings I think I got it. I tightened the SH*T outta them too. Not an easy thing on a full barrel.
Had the bright idea to put a solid stopper on so Nothing spilled. When tapping down the rings (and I had to really hit em hard) I didn’t think about the co2 releasing as a byproduct. That stopper shot out like a freaking bullet! Sprayed wine just about everywhere.

 

[FTC Wines]

My Malbec in a 40L barrel keeps expanding into the airlock. Back story, new Vidai barrel, 3 day prep their instructions had a few small damp spots, so put sulfite & citric acid per their instructions for another 5 days. Still had damp spots, no real leaks but knew the wine would seep out. So I bees waxed the spots and put water back in for 3 more days. No leaks or dampness. So I put the Malbec in. But now 3 days in A row I’m getting wine pushed up Into the air lock. Wine was sg .996 when I added the MLF 8 days ago, 1 day after pressing. Don’t see any bubbles in air lock. Anyone have an idea what’s going on? Temp is 69* and has been since pressing.

 

[whackfol]

Batonnage (with a caret over the first a) is the stirring

sur lie is just on the lees

 

[stickman]

@FTC Wines Wood provides nucleation sites for CO2 bubbles to form, so you probably have bubbles clinging to the inside of the barrel taking up some volume. Leave a little extra headspace until ML is complete and CO2 content drops.

 

[Ajmassa]

Hitting a snag in my search for vented silicon bungs for barrels. #9. And Vadai’s website is a hot mess.

If anyone has an online source could you please share the link? Thanks

 

[pgentile]

https://morewinemaking.com/products/silicone-bung-small-barrel-breathable.html

 

[Ajmassa]

https://morewinemaking.com/products/silicone-bung-small-barrel-breathable.html

Right on morewine. I’ll be damned. Thanks man.

 

[pgentile]

Right on morewine. I’ll be damned. Thanks man.

You got it dude

 

[FTC Wines]

Thanks Stickman, I did lower the volume a little, so far so good. It made a mess of my new barrel though. Roy

 

[pgentile]

Sauvignon Blanc is out of the barrel and Pinotage is in. The sauv blanc is over oaked at this point, hoping in six months or so the oak will subside a bit and balance out.

 

[mainshipfred]

Sauvignon Blanc is out of the barrel and Pinotage is in. The sauv blanc is over oaked at this point, hoping in six months or so the oak will subside a bit and balance out.

Was the over oaking intentional? I thought I remember you saying it was.

 

[pgentile]

Was the over oaking intentional? I thought I remember you saying it was.

Yes it was sir.

 

[Ajmassa]

Love the confidence

 

[mainshipfred]

Note to self, when making final adjustments prior to bottling don't add everything at once. I just added the mid range recommendation of Tannin Complex and Tannin Rouge EX plus a small pack of Heavy toast french chips 2 weeks prior to bottling the Norton. This is going to have to sit for a while.

 

[pgentile]

Note to self, when making final adjustments prior to bottling don't add everything at once. I just added the mid range recommendation of Tannin Complex and Tannin Rouge EX plus a small pack of Heavy toast french chips 2 weeks prior to bottling the Norton. This is going to have to sit for a while.

I have Tannin Rouge sitting in my frig for several months, still haven't used it.

Your late tannin additions is the second lesson I have learned this week from someone else. First was never tighten barrel rings when barrel is filled with non de-gassed wine with a solid bung.

 

[mainshipfred]

I have Tannin Rouge sitting in my frig for several months, still haven't used it.

Your late tannin additions is the second lesson I have learned this week from someone else. First was never tighten barrel rings when barrel is filled with non de-gassed wine with a solid bung.

Brother ain't that the truth. I have an ever so slight leak in one of my barrels. No liquid just a slight stain at the seam of the head. Thanks to AJ I'm letting it go until I do a tranfers.