New barrel prep

[jburtner]

My new Vadai has some leaks which have developed after 5 or 6 weeks use. I just put my 3rd wine into it and see these leaks now.... Not terrible but I would like to patch it up if possible. Any ideas on best way to patch this up whilst full of wine?

Thanks!
-johann

 

[Johnd]

My new Vadai has some leaks which have developed after 5 or 6 weeks use. I just put my 3rd wine into it and see these leaks now.... Not terrible but I would like to patch it up if possible. Any ideas on best way to patch this up whilst full of wine?

Thanks!
-johann

Some of mine did the same for a while, every now and then I'll still get a little red spot showing up. I just spray a little mist of KMeta solution on it and it disappears, then wipe up the area a bit. As your barrel ages, it'll slow and stop.

I've noticed that my leaks typically show up right after topping up my barrels and have a theory. When I top up, and then insert a solid bung (which is what I use in my barrels), the insertion causes some pressure in the barrel and will cause a little wine to leak in those spots, I just deal with it.

 

[ibglowin]

Get some wax on those spots. They make a barrel wax you can purchase online. I use canning wax from the grocery store and warm up a small chunk in the microwave for 10 sec. Then just rub it in the leaking area. Problem solved.

My new Vadai has some leaks which have developed after 5 or 6 weeks use. I just put my 3rd wine into it and see these leaks now.... Not terrible but I would like to patch it up if possible. Any ideas on best way to patch this up whilst full of wine?

Thanks!
-johann

 

[jburtner]

This leak will pool like in the pics over a couple hours. I'll dry that up and try to rub some wax into the joint between barrel top and staves.

Interesting that it manifested after 5-6 weeks but maybe that's normal. It didn't leak for the first two red wines I had in it and then I rinsed it and put a chardonnay in and it started leaking...

Cheers!
-johann

 

[Boatboy24]

It didn't leak for the first two red wines I had in it and then I rinsed it and put a chardonnay in and it started leaking...

Cheers!
-johann

You're going to have an oaky Rose when you take it out of the barrel.

 

[ibglowin]

Remember on a new barrel you break in with water which has a SG = 1.000. Then you pour wine in with an SG = ~ 0.994 so thinner and thinner means it can make its way through seals that were once thought tight. I have (4) 23L Vadai's and all but I think one of them have wax on them in various places. Smaller barrels have a higher propensity to leak than larger ones.

 

[jburtner]

You're going to have an oaky Rose when you take it out of the barrel.

Really? I rinsed w/Hot water and let it sit for 1/2 day and the water was clear. I'm monitoring that and will take it out if needed.

Thanks!
-johann

 

[Boatboy24]

Really? I rinsed w/Hot water and let it sit for 1/2 day and the water was clear. I'm monitoring that and will take it out if needed.

Thanks!
-johann

Keep an eye on it - from those pics, the stuff that's leaking out already looks pretty red.

 

[ibglowin]

If you call Vadai and let them know they will be more than happy to send out some barrel wax. That cost them less than sending a barrel back

 

[jburtner]

@ibglowin Thanks! they sent barrell-wax with the barrel so I'll use that and post some snaps and procedure for anyone else that might have very similar issue with leak in similar location. Good to know about canning wax too.

@Boatboy24 It is red leaking but all "chardonnay color" in the barrel. This must be some red wine that has soaked into that leakage path from the inside which is now being forced out...

Cheers!
-johann

 

[AZMDTed]

What worked best for me is to dry the outside of the barrel, then rub the barrel wax where the source of the leak is, then touch the wax with a hot iron. The wax instantly melts, spreads and soaks in quickly. The key is figuring out where the leak is, it's probably well away from the 'pool' of wine.

 

[jburtner]

Here's some pics. This beeswax is the consistency of silly putty type stuff...

I tried a couple application methods (less wax and more wax) along with heating and melting the wax.

You can see in the last photo the bead that still forms pretty quick after drying the leaked wine up...

I can see that the leak is coming from the area around that stave where it has a darkened strip next to the bead/droplet.

Not sure how to get the wax in there when the leak keeps pushing liquid out...

Thanks!
-johann

 

[Boatboy24]

Hate to say this, but you may need to empty the barrel.

 

[ibglowin]

I used canning wax with a full barrel. Nothing moves that stuff. Its possible you have a hard to get to leaking area. Barrel wax may require an empty barrel as Jim said.

 

[jburtner]

I tried to empty it last night but only got two glasses in before I fell asleep on the couch!

***
Was hoping not to have to empty it but maybe back into glass is the key. I do have a large sink that I can soak it in for a while (inside and out). I followed the Vadai instructions for new barrel prep initially.

Cheers,
johann

 

[mainshipfred]

Not that I know anything about barrels but what if you put a rachet strap around the bung and stand the barrel to apply the wax or another product.

 

[Johny99]

It looks to me you have an issue right where the head joins that stave. In my limited, but successful wax fixing experience, you want the oak hot and then apply the wax. I'd try taking a good bit of wine out, stand it on end, tight bung of course. Then clean off what you have, sand it a bit and see if you can see the defect. Next, heat the area real good to dry it out and get the oak hot, then apply a small bit of wax. For reasons I can't explain, melting solids flow from cool to hot, that is why to heat the oak up. If you put the wax on, then heat, it flows but not away from the heat.

 

[jburtner]

Just an update on this and I'm out of town now so will need to move wine back in for the "chardonnay test" later next week.

- Moved wine out of the barrel into a carboy to continue with work on the barrel.
- Filled Barrel with hot hot water. Bung'd tightly - stood up on-end and filled head with hot hot water.
- Sit for a day or so and top up with hot-hot several times.
- Empty and dryhead. Hit it with the heat gun for a while. Sand with 180 grit down into the joint.
- Rinse repeat a couple times...
- beeswax....
- Heat the area very well so that the heat goes deep into the wood. Rub beeswax into the joint and suspect area. Cool / Dry. Remove excess wax and polish/buff. Repeat also with some light sanding and rehydrating to build up the wax into the wood. The wax does flow into the heated wood similar to solder and wick.
- Repeated this whole thing a couple times with water sand/buff wax.

Filled 1/4 with hot water (and 2tsp kmeta) now I see no leaks. Will fill with the chardonnay and see how it goes.

Cheers and thanks to all!
-johann

 

[jburtner]

Wine has been in for 12h. No leaks

Cheers!
-johann