How long in a 5 gallon barrel

[Paulie vino]

**it looks like I posted in the work g section, can one of the moderates move this to the appropriate section? Thanks


Assuming the barrel in neutral, how long can you leave wine in it to benefit from the microoxidation effect. Is there a point where it's too much oxidation? 1 month, 6 months, 12 months? Ideally I'd like to get a small barrel and keep it filled for a year until the next season of wine making. I'd rather not have to deal with storing it wet with the kmeta solution. Thanks

 

[wood1954]

if it's neutral you should be able to leave the wine in from season to season. Just remember to top it up regularly. My 10 gallon barrels are neutral and the wines don't get oxidised too much.

 

[winemaker81]

I have 55 liter class barrels and I bulk age typically 12 months.

The duration is going to depend on the wine. I barrel age all heavy reds and they handle a year just fine. I could go longer, but my process calls for crushing in October, then in November bottling the previous wine and filling the barrel with new.

You will need to top the barrel monthly. Taste the wine at each topup so you can gauge it.

FYI -- I use oak cubes as my barrels are long since neutral. Wine has no convection currents so I stir the barrel prior to topup each month for the first 5 months. I take a tasting sample after stirring so that the oak character from the cubes is distributed. The cubes are pretty much expended by month 3.

After that I don't stir as I want the sediment to settle.

 

[ibglowin]

Moved to Barrels and Oaking forum.