How long can water with kmeta and citric acid sit in a barrel?

[Dabillskid]

Uploaded a picture of a barrel I got from Carolina wine barrels. Looks to be holding water very well. I didn’t plan to put my wine into the barrel until end of January. Is this ok to leave full of water with a mix of Citric acid and kmeta in which I put inside already for a month ? Just don’t want it to go bad. My wine completed beginning of November and I wanted to bulk age it for at least three months before adding to the barrel. Then my plan was to go back to the carboys for a couple months more since this is a new barrel and will pick up the oak quick. Thanks everyone.

 

[Johnd]

Uploaded a picture of a barrel I got from Carolina wine barrels. Looks to be holding water very well. I didn’t plan to put my wine into the barrel until end of January. Is this ok to leave full of water with a mix of Citric acid and kmeta in which I put inside already for a month ? Just don’t want it to go bad. My wine completed beginning of November and I wanted to bulk age it for at least three months before adding to the barrel. Then my plan was to go back to the carboys for a couple months more since this is a new barrel and will pick up the oak quick. Thanks everyone.

It can sit in there as long as you like, keep it topped up and your SO2 up to snuff, as it will dissipate. You won’t be putting your wine into a “new” barrel after three months, as the oak will be conveyed to the water mixture just as it would to your wine.

 

[balatonwine]

It can sit in there as long as you like

I made the mistake of storing k-meta and water solution in the barrels that came with the winery I purchased for two years (I did not need them as I was not yet around enough to be making wine as it was still a long distance relationship (with the winery)), and after that time the interior liquid became black. Something happened. Leaching? Else? I don't know. Maybe just lousy barrels. But they became firewood after that.

Personally, from that experience, I would wish I had drained the barrel after a year (or even 6 months) and refilled.

 

[FTC Wines]

I had a water Kmeta, citric acid solution in a newish Vadai barrel for 3 weeks. I was amazed how "oak tainted" the water was when I emptied it. I'll make sure only wine goes in my barrels in the future, lost too much good oak flavor. Roy