Make my American 10L barrel go neutral

[marino]

Hi everyone,

I'd like to know how to speed my new American oak barrel to become neutral. Before you ask me why I would want to do this and tell me that I am being impatient and maybe wasting the possibilities of what new oak can do for me, let me explain the situation:

Before I knew about Vadai barrels, I bought a few small American medium toast barrels (in June 2014) to put port kits in. I've had cheap commercial port in these barrels since February but have just noticed that the wine has become over-oaked (yes, I checked in on it every month and it seemed fine). The trouble is that I have made a few its now but have more barrels than wine to put in it. so I'd like to help one of my 10L American barrels go neutral a little faster so that I won't have to worry about pulling my Porto Corinto kit out of it to avoid over-oaking and have to make more kits to keep something in the barrel.

I have had the Porto Corinto kit in the 10L American for about 6 weeks and it is already showing signs of "spicyness" from the oak. I really like how that wine started out and would like to see it progress nicely. I have the LaBodega kit in a Vadai barrel and that seems to be going along pretty slowly, which is great.
I am starting an Amarone now that I've read can go into neutral oak

The ultimate goal is to have one of the barrels as a blending barrel I can drink from every once in a while but I am obviously unable to do that yet.

I talked to some port people in portugal who tell me that this overoaking would have been slowed if I had fermented wine in the barrels first, before putting anything in for ageing.

So the question is, what can I do to move one or two of the barrels closer to neutral to avoid over oaking? Will I be forced to keep putting new wine in them until they go neutral? Will I be forced to take the wine out and find some way of storing it dry? Should I just put brandy that will eventually be used fortify port in the new barrels?


Thanks for sticking with the post and thanks in advance for your insight.

Marino

 

[sour_grapes]

Why not just put water in it? (Sulfited to protect against nasties.) It won't speed up the neutralization, but then you don't have to worry about overoaking something you care about.

 

[marino]

Thanks sour grapes. I didn't realize this was a possibility, long term. I thought it was a done just for a few days until we could get wine in it. What does of sulfite do you think I should go with? The ratio for sanitiizing? 2oz per gallon?

thanks,

Marino

 

[JohnT]

Alcohol is a much better solvent than water. Being that you are using this for port anyway, I would suggest that you oak age some cheap brandy. This would extract more out of the oak in less time and might also turn your cheap brandy into something a whole lot more drinkable.

 

[marino]

Thanks John,

So my question there is, won't I be bring that oakiness into the port I want to not overoak? I hadn't considered this part until I read your comment..It really isn't a trap.. Or do you think that the brandy will help leach the oak but not overpower thhe port?

 

[sour_grapes]

I don't think John meant to use the brandy that you oak to then make the port. I think he meant to use cheap brandy, and then drink it as brandy. (Correct me if I am wrong, John.)

 

[marino]

Oh I see, Paul. Thanks. Well, since I don't drink brandy, I guess I'll just put in sulfited water. Now I just have to figure out that the sulfite dose is for this kind of operation.. I think I can let the wine stay in there another month, at least...

 

[JohnT]

I don't think John meant to use the brandy that you oak to then make the port. I think he meant to use cheap brandy, and then drink it as brandy. (Correct me if I am wrong, John.)

That's Right. Oak age the brandy, remove the brandy, then use the barrel for your port.

 

[marino]

Thanks, John. I guess I'll have to find someone that likes to drink cheap oak-aged brandy.

 

[sour_grapes]

Thanks, John. I guess I'll have to find someone that likes to drink cheap oak-aged brandy.

Me! Me! ME!!