Oak Barrel Aging??

Does anyone here use the smaller oak barrels for aging or do most use Carboys?


I was told that smaller barrels can be difficult to work with as they tend to leak. Is this true?

That was my experience Mr Robusto. I had a 3 litre I think it was that i was going to age some Port in. In spite of my following instructions precisely it still "would not hold water"

What do ventnors do to the barrels?

Oak barrels from what Ive heard are a lot of work but are worth it if
you know how to PROPERLY care for them. As someone who knows nothing
about them but would like to eventually get a 5 gallon 1 would, like
you hear from some of the experts with barrels about how to go about
prepping them to get them to hold water and how to keep them sanitized
and what to do to them when thers no wine in them awaiting the next
batch.

Wade:
Did you ever get this information? If not, I have some points on the care and feeding of your barrel...

Hi bovine, please PM me or email me or post if you want as Im sure
there are others that are or will be interested. I plan on getting a
barrel or 2 next year and hopefully venturing into some grapes next
year. Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

I guess this would be a good place to post an update on my 20L barrel. As some may remember I ordered this Hungarian oak barrel from Vadai a month or so ago. I paid $140, including shipping. The barrel was hydrated per the instructions on the website:

http://www.vadaiwinebarrels.com/index.asp?action=page&name=23

After about a week of hydration I racked a Cab Franc kit that I had begun ahead of time, in anticipation of using the barrel. The wine has been in the barrel for over two weeks now. I've topped the barrel once, but only added a couple of ounces at that time. You can see some stains on the outside of the barrel. These stains appeared after the barrel was hydrated and once, upon filling, and then again when it was topped. I believe that when the barrel was topped full and the bung was pounded back in, the pressure squeezed the wine through to the surface. However, there has been no leaking.

I'm very happy with this barrel. I plan to begin tasting the wine in a couple of weeks and will have another wine ready to put in the barrel as soon as I take the Cab Franc out. I'll give it a quick rinse with bottled water and put the new wine right in. I don't plan to ever allow the barrel to be empty. When I get all the oak flavor from the barrel (two years or so) I plan to put in a blackberry port and remove a gallon at a time, replacing it with new blackberry port.

Looks awesome Rule, You have not tasted it yet. Being that its a new barrel you might want to check it as Ive heard small new barrels will impart a lot of oak flavor very fast. Thanks for the update.

Wade, I've been in contact with others who have used this brand and size barrel and they indicated the lighter Hungarian oak in a new Vadai barrel takes a month to 5 weeks or so. I left out the oak that was supplied with the kit and supposed to have been added during the primary and Cab Franc can take a lot of oak anyway. I feel I'm safe at one month. The importer insists it's impossible to over-oak with this Hungarian barrel. Be that as it may, I plan to check it at precisely 4 weeks.

Sounds great, keep me posted as I want 1 next year. Thanks!

I also ordered a Hungarian medium toast barrel from Vadai, and have a Granbarola aging now, its on the second week. I will taste every week till I get the taste I want, then I will bottle.I have a nero D avola fermenting now and will try to work it,when I bottle the granbarola ill put the nero D avola all juice into the barrel. Thanks rule G for Vadai web site

Well I guess that answers my question about if you have any wines going, sounds great!

Hi Rule G. Thanks to the Vadai web site, I also bought a six gal. med. toast barrel, and love it. I wanted your thoughts on the aging. They say the smaller the barrel the less time the wine needs to be in the barrel, because the wine has more contact with the oak. I think i have read that four weeks in a new small barrel is close to one year of aging. I to am tasting every week and also topping up the barrel. My question is after you bottle how long do you think the wine will have to age in the bottle. Thanks again for the web site.

You're welcome, Ron. I love my Vadai barrel! Sandor Vadai insists that it's impossible to over-oak in the Hungarian barrels but you need to continue trying the wine every week or so to get the flavor you need.

It's my understanding that American oak barrels are the ones that really impart flavors very quickly and they must be watched carefully. Apparently, the French barrels take a little longer and Hungarian oak provides even more subtle exposure.

I had my first wine, a Cab Franc, in my Vadai barrel for five weeks and it didn't even come close to being over-oaked. My plan is to at least double the times in the barrel for subsequent wines. I have a Barbera in it now but I'll take it out after three weeks only because I have an unoaked Amarone I plan to put in the barrel for 2-3 months.

Thanks Rule G, sounds like a good plan. I too love my Vadai barrel and plan to keep it full with wine. Thanks again

Up date on six gal. Hungarian oak barrel.Have MM Granbarolo aging in barrel now one month, just sampled taste great.Will wait till my MM nero davola is ready, about two more weeks and then I will transfer the Granbarolo to a carboy and bulk age before I bottle. I will rack the nero davola to the oak barrel after I wash the barrel out with water and then order another MM all juice kit . What a great tasting hobby.

Ron, that was my experience too. I broke in my new Vadai barrel with a Cab Franc and left it in about 5 weeks.

Up date on MM all juice Granbarolo. I aged the Granbarolo in a six gal. Hungarian oak barrel for 2 months then transfered to a carboy and its been bulk aging for a month. I tasted it today and it was great medium bodied an had a smooth finish already, will let bulk age for 2 more months then take a so2 reading and add some k-meta before bottling. I plan on aging in the bottle for 8 months hopefully, if I can wait.

That is going to be 1 great wine.