Given old barrells. Now what?

[Christopher Anderson]

I was gifted with 1 30 gallon and 2. 5 gallon barrels. The 30 was left outside for years and was filled with rain water and debris. The two 5 gals were inside and filled with cider or beer until a few years ago. Now they are dried and the rings lose. What should I do next to resurrect the barrels?

 

[MiBor]

First, I think you should tighten the hoops on all of the barrels. If you don't have a cooper's hawk, use a masonry chisel and a regular hammer, than swell them with water and see what kind of shape they're in. If no leaks, use Barrel Kleen or just straight sodium percarbonate to get rid of the nasties inside. By the way they look, I don't think there is much hope for the bigger barrel, but the 2 smaller ones may be ok. Just my $0.02....

 

[winemaker81]

It may take a lot of soaking to swell the barrels. I would not be surprised if it took a week plus.

I'd be leery of risking 30 gallons of wine in the large barrel, but it's probably worth the effort to at least see if it swells.

It looks nasty, but it's been outside. You'd be surprised what pouring a strong One Step, K-meta, or Oxyclean solution over the outside will do in a couple hours' time.

For all barrels, power wash the inside as best you can. I have 90 and 135 degree extensions for my power washer (came with a 10' wand extension), so I can get the inside except around the bung.

Then clean them several times. I use Barrel Oxyfresh, but it's not a bad idea to use several different cleaners, rinsing well in between.

 

[Garagista]

To me, the two smaller ones look OK. I would follow the advice above and see how they hold. If they are not salvageable, you could always take them apart and have tons of prime Hungarian oak to add to your carboys.
IMHO, the big one should not be used for wine, it should be a planter, votive holder, wine rack, wine flight, etc.

Also, one of the photos appears to have a nail in the end. Get a spile, remove the nail and fill that sucker up.

Also, those are whiskey barrels and probably have a char inside instead of a toast.

 

[BarrelMonkey]

I agree with @MiBor and @Garagista - if the larger barrel has been left outside and is filled with rainwater and debris, I don't think it's suitable for wine. Congratulations on your new planter boxes (2 of them since you'll chop it in half) - those things are expensive at the garden center/farm supply!

For the small ones they are probaly worth some effort, particularly if they've held cider/beer relatively recently. Do they smell good? Regardless, they will need swelling, fixing any leaks and a good clean with peroxy and/or steam if you have it. Don't be discouraged if water pours out at an alarming rate when you first swell it - the wood will eventually soak up and seal most of the cracks. If there are small holes around the croze (where the head meets the staves) then you have probbly been visited by borers and will want to plug the holes. @Garagista mentioned spiles - these are the cooper's tool of choice but a similarly (conically) shaped chip of wood will do in a pinch. I think I recall someone on the forum mentioned using a golf tee?

Good luck, let us know how it works out!

 

[Ohio Bob]

Here’s a cool idea...

 

[Christopher Anderson]

Thanks to all: I do have the 90 and 135 attachments for the steam power washer. The big barrel does not stink as much as I thought it would. I have a steam power wacher and thought about really attacking the big barrel and cleaning, using Oxyclean, Star San, etc. Will do the same with the smaller barrels. I was thinking the smaller ones should soak in a 50-gallon Big Brute garbage can. The big Brute is not really that dirty and after some cleaning put both barrels in it after tightening the bands and hold them down with weights, letting them soak for a few weeks.
If the big barrel cannot be used, then the wine rack or garden planter. After all, life is a test, and we can experiment. I would not put 30 gals of wine in them but could try it and see if a small amount of wine stored in it for a few weeks turns funky. I have CO2 and argon gas to put in the big barrel.

 

[winemaker81]

I have a steam power wacher and thought about really attacking the big barrel and cleaning, using Oxyclean, Star San, etc.

That is a good choice.

After all, life is a test and we can experiment. I would not put 30 gals of wine in them, but couls try it and see if the wine stored in for a few weeks turns funky. I have CO2 and argon gas to put in the big barrel.

Alternately, put a holding solution in the barrel and let it set a month. If the holding solution is funky after that, it saves wasting even a few gallons of wine.

 

[Garagista]

Here’s a cool idea...

View attachment 118473

Whoa!. That’s very cool. Never seen that one.

 

[Christopher Anderson]

Update: Put the 5 gals in a Big garbage can. They leaked a lot. But letting them sit and swell. They smelled like beer We shall see. The one with the nail went all the way through. When they have swelled, I will patch it.
The 30 gallon has been power washed. More work to do.

 

[Christopher Anderson]

12.28.24. Small barrells soaked for ten days. Cleaned with power washer inside. Got a little funk out. Still stinks of old beer/cider/ booze. Plugged hole with stainless steel screw for now. Filled with 3 scoops of oxyclean and water. Will let it sit. Barrells seem to hold water ok

 

[Sage]

Nice salvage job. Should work out good

 

[Christopher Anderson]

Both barrels still have a funky beer taste and smell even after cleaning with StarSan, Oxyclean, rinsing and repeated twice.
I thought of adding a few bottles of wine into them and sloshing around.
Ideas?

 

[David Violante]

I think if they continue to have a funky beer taste and smell, if you add wine I think they will have a funky beer and wine taste and smell. I saw that you had steamed them previously, perhaps try that again and then a holding solution for a while to draw out what may be in the wood staves? I don’t have much experience with barrels so those with more experience will have to weigh in.

 

[Garagista]

It looks like you have done all the right things. If it were me, I would fill it completely with a holding solution and forget about it. At 6 months, I would dump and refill. If at the end of another 6 months it still smells bad, I would make it furniture. Just my .02.

 

[winemaker81]

I concur -- fill with a holding solution and give it 6 months. Adding wine is just going to ruin the wine.

 

[Christopher Anderson]

What type of holding solution.

 

[winemaker81]

What type of holding solution.

Odd that I don't know this off the top of my head. But to be fair, I've only been using barrels for 5 years and I keep 'em full, so it's not something I've done.

I found several references that said:

For every liter of barrel volume, you will need to add 1 gram of citric acid and 2 grams of Potassium Metabisulfite.​

I cannot recall why citric acid is specified. It must have properties different from tartaric.

You will need to top the barrel every 4-6 weeks, same as if it had wine in it. The amount of topup will depend on barrel size, ambient temperature, and relative humidity. On the plus side, assuming the barrel works out, you'll know what you need for topup wine.

 

[VinesnBines]

Odd that I don't know this off the top of my head. But to be fair, I've only been using barrels for 5 years and I keep 'em full, so it's not something I've done.

I found several references that said:

For every liter of barrel volume, you will need to add 1 gram of citric acid and 2 grams of Potassium Metabisulfite.​

I cannot recall why citric acid is specified. It must have properties different from tartaric.

You will need to top the barrel every 4-6 weeks, same as if it had wine in it. The amount of topup will depend on barrel size, ambient temperature, and relative humidity. On the plus side, assuming the barrel works out, you'll know what you need for topup wine.

I used the holding solution Bryan listed on a couple leaking barrels. It worked fine and after waxing the leaks, I have two usable 10 gallon barrels.
Give them time to leach out the funk. 6 to 12 months at least. What do you have to lose but space and a few chemicals?

 

[Christopher Anderson]

I used the holding solution Bryan listed on a couple leaking barrels. It worked fine and after waxing the leaks, I have two usable 10 gallon barrels.
Give them time to leach out the funk. 6 to 12 months at least. What do you have to lose but space and a few chemicals?

Patience. Yes. I know. But....