Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
My Winery Series Super Tuscan went into the Vadai yesterday without significant issues. I did overflow by a couple ounces, but count that as a rookie mistake. I took out just a bit of wine (maybe an ounce or two) to make room for the stopper and closed it up with an 8.5 stopper and airlock. A couple hours later, I had some wine in the airlock, so I switched that out and removed another ounce or two from the barrel. All has been well since, but I'm wondering now just how full I should try and get the barrel. Obviously, you don't want too much headspace, but as warmer temps arrive in spring, I'd imagine you would want to allow for a bit of expansion. So, how much room is the right amount, and how can you tell if you're there?