I pulled the trigger on a 6 gallon Vadai!

[Pumpkinman]

I pulled the trigger on a 6 gallon Vadai!
I had to do it...lol At least while I wait ion the 5 gallon barrels, I can have one of the kit wines in oak.

 

[Boatboy24]

You're gonna love it! Got my first in December and already thinking of a second.

 

[shoebiedoo]

I pulled the trigger on a 6 gallon Vadai!
I had to do it...lol At least while I wait ion the 5 gallon barrels, I can have one of the kit wines in oak.

I am SOOOO CLOSE!!!!! I usually make triple batches of juice but don't think I could keep a 15 gallon busy enough, which is what I really want...at least for the 6 months Can I assume a 15g would have the same basic time tables as a 6g? 2 weeks the 1st batch 4 the second, and so on?

 

[robie]

I am SOOOO CLOSE!!!!! I usually make triple batches of juice but don't think I could keep a 15 gallon busy enough, which is what I really want...at least for the 6 months Can I assume a 15g would have the same basic time tables as a 6g? 2 weeks the 1st batch 4 the second, and so on?

No, it is not the same. However, I don't have the table before me; maybe someone who does can chime in. I suspect it will be a fairly linear value, like 2.5 times, but not sure. Vadai should be able to tell you.

 

[robie]

I pulled the trigger on a 6 gallon Vadai!
I had to do it...lol At least while I wait ion the 5 gallon barrels, I can have one of the kit wines in oak.

You won't be sorry. Take care of it and it will work for you for many years. Even after its oaking ability is gone, you can add oak spirals,cubes and still take advantage of the barrel's micro-oxygenation and concentration capabilities.

 

[ibglowin]

I would say a 15G would be more like 3mo, 6mo, 9mo.....

Always taste along the way and remember that the oak will fall back after a few months of being back in a carboy.

 

[shoebiedoo]

I would say a 15G would be more like 3mo, 6mo, 9mo.....

Always taste along the way and remember that the oak will fall back after a few months of being back in a carboy.

That's kind of vadai eluded to when I called. I'm thinking one if each eh? I make small batches too
Thanks Mike

 

[Pumpkinman]

.
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Here it is filled with water while prepping it.
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.Yep, that my homemade Ghetto Barrel Stand...LMAO! I forgot to order one.

 

[ibglowin]

Looking good. Love the stand!

 

[Abrnth3]

my stand is pretty cheap but barrel works exceptionally, 2 weeks in barrel and wine is supperbly oaked in flavor. Hope it will keep up.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Nice looking barrel, where did you get it?
Mike, I cannot believe that I forgot to order the stand...lol...I was all excited when I was ordering the barrel...lol....like a little kid in a toy store...lol!
The stand is solid, not pretty, but solid...LMAO!!!

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I am just plain jealous that you guys have a barrel !!

Looks great !!

 

[Pumpkinman]

I'm still a bit nervous, maybe more excited!
My rotation is planned as follows:
Eclipse Zinf - 4 weeks
Eclipse Merlot - 8 weeks
Brunello - 4 months
Montepulciano - 8 months
if i dont have the 5 gallon barrels by then, my Amarone will get 16 months in the barrel.

 

[ibglowin]

You may need to adjust that schedule when you get to the Brunello. I am not sure the third rotation can go for 4 months. More like 12 weeks but obviously taste it and make sure it can take another month. For kit wines I have found the 4,8,12,16 week schedule pretty nice. Anything longer than 4 months in a small barrel is like a year in a full size barrel (oxidation wise). Remember your SO2 levels will be nonexistent at just 3 months so you will need to test and add a large dose of KMETA.

Enjoy!

 

[Boatboy24]

My third kit went into my barrel two weeks ago. First batch went five weeks, second went 8. I'm expecting this one to go 12. I think I'll probably stick to a ~12 week rotation from this point on and add cubes as needed. I'm really pleased with the concentration I got on the Red Mountain Cab with 8 weeks.

 

[ibglowin]

I am starting to hit my kits that spent from 4 to 16 weeks in a Vadai and now have 2 years of age on them since the BOD (Born on Date). The 4 week kits are really good but the 12-16 week kits are amazing. You would be hard pressed to tell them apart from a commercial bottle of wine. We all worry (or seem to anyway) about oxidation when in fact it is just that (controlled oxidation) that turns a wine into something really special.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Mike,
Thanks!!!!!! My barrel seems to have no trace of any leaking, I'm going to put the first wine into it tomorrow!

 

[ibglowin]

Sounds good!

Don't be surprised if you see a bit of seepage in a few spots. Remember that wine is much thinner than water so it will find ANY tiny crack out there and start to drip a drop or two. Don't panic, go buy some canning wax and rub it in to the spot thats seeping. I warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften it a bit. Barrel wax is better (softer) but also more expensive where as you can find a bar of canning wax just about anywhere and it works just as well really.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Great info!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, it's tips like this that will keep a very over excited barrel newbie like me from getting overly tense...lol!
Anything that you can think of that might help, I am ready and willing to learn.
Thanks again!

 

[ibglowin]

I have four of them Tom, two are neutral now so I just add 3 oz of French or American Oak beans in to the barrel with the wine. A couple still look almost brand new, the others look like they have been through a wine war of sorts with staining here and there. Some will leak more so than others that is for sure. Always spray KMETA around the stopper. It will keep the staining down and the bugs away. Probably the one thing you need to do is see about getting a little inert gas of sorts. Not for the barrels really but for your top up wine. Each week you will need to top up the barrel and that wine either needs to be back filled with gas and stoppered or...... drunk after a couple of times using it for topping up you will have a half empty container of wine that will oxidize unless you rack down to a smaller bottle or add marbles etc to reduce the headspace.
Something to think about!