Barrel Questions

[Wine Lover]

Have been making wine from juice for a number of years. I use 5 gallon glass carboys and have had excellent results. First time using a barrel. How often do you rack a barrel? Is there any easy way to clean it before returning the wine? With a carboy, you just siphon wine to a clean container and then clean the one with the lees. However, a barrel seems a little more difficult. Do you use a hose and turn it on its side? It is inmy basement and cannot be transported upstairs easily.Please help.

 

[Waldo]

I would not add the wine to the barrel until it has been stailized and is no longer dropping any lees. You do not want to be racking from the barrel..only bottling. Has your barrel been cured yet and is it charred?


I would think that once you have added your wine to the barrel that I would check it at least once a month to see if the oak flavor you desire has been reached. Once that happens, you would bottle it and then you can add another wine to the barrel.


This might help you too


http://www.finevinewines.com/Oak1.htmEdited by: Waldo

 

[Wine Lover]

I already made that mistake. I put the wine into the barrel after primary fermentation. The barrel is a used whiskey barrel that has been cleaned and recharred on the inside. I justhad to rinse it a few times to get out the small pieces of charred wood. After fermenting the 53 gallons of Cabernet, I racked it straight into the barrel. It has been in the barrel for 6 weeks and is starting to pick up some oak. Still has a long way to go but no off smells or color. Looks good. However, not sure what to do from here.

 

[Bill B]

Wine Lover,never have tried a barrel yet but I found this link It might help http://www.leeners.com/barrels2.html give a good breakdown on using a new barrel. Good luck


Bill

 

[Hippie]

Winelover, are you saying the wine is finished fermenting, oris itundergoing a MLF?

 

[Wine Lover]

Hippie, after primary fermentation of 9 days I racked the wine to the barrel. I did not initiate MLF. However, presently the ph is 3.63 @ 66degrees F. indicating that it may have already gone thru MLF on it's own. There is no bubbling of the airlock and I can see no bubbling inside. That's the one thing different with a barrel, you can't just look thru it like a glass carboy. I know there is sediment (lees) in the barrel. How much and what effect it will have if left sit is what I am concerned about. I am used to racking carboys and leaving them bulk age for 6 - 9 months before bottling. Right now when I dip with a wine thief the wine is clear and bright. It has been in the barrel for 6 weeks and is taking on some oakslowly. Do you think the barrel should be racked or it would be ok to let sit on the lees for 6 more months?

 

[Hippie]

If there is very much lees, I would rack it off them and clean the barrel out, or at least rinse it out with water then sulphite solution and let it drain out very well. What will you rack it to? If you would rather not rack, better keep them lees stirred up so as not to get a bad odor or taste from yeast autolysis, but sooner or later you have to let them resettle and rack.

 

[Wine Lover]

Thanks Hippie, looks like I got some work ahead. Even though I dread the idea I had a feeling this is the best way to proceed. Thanks again.