Oak Barrel Aging Progression

[chrislea]

Happy New Year!

So, I have been busy last year and have 3, 6 gallon kits ready (bulk aging in carboy) for oak barrel (5 gal. barrel) aging and one in the barrel right now (barreled yesterday).

I'm planning on 2 to 3 weeks duration for the barrel's first aging.

Questions:
I am looking for advice for the subsequent aging times.
I.E. Next use 4 to 6 weeks?, next use 8 to 12 weeks?..etc.

I know it's a matter of personal taste but looking for a general guideline...I want to have enough wine in the pipe line to maximize the barrel's wine aging life span.

Next question:
What is the likely length of the barrels effectiveness? I.e 8 uses, 10 uses?

Final Questions:
Last use of the barrel....any recommendations..i.e Port wine aged for a year..etc.

Thanx

C.

 

[robie]

If the kit wine had oak, which was supplied with the kit, already added, you want to be careful how long you leave the wine in the barrel. You don't want to over-oak your wine. I would taste test the wine after the first week to make sure it is going OK.

Two weeks in the barrel for the first use is a pretty good amount of time, as long as you do the taste test after the first week.

Typically, for each batch of wine run through the barrel, you double the amount of time from the previous batch. If the first batch went 2 weeks, the second should go about double that - 4 weeks and so on.

How long the barrel is useful for oaking the wine depends on how long you want the wine to set in the barrel. Just keep doubling the time in the barrel until it gets too long for you to wait.

In my opinion, especially where kit wines are concerned, the "real" usefulness of the barrel only begins when it becomes neutral - when very little or no actual oaking takes place. At this point, the barrel does something very special to kit wines, that only a neutral barrel can do.

Each week or two, a cup or two of the water in the wine will evaporate out of the barrel. So, when you top off the wine, you are replacing water with wine. Over time, this concentrates or thickens the wine. Thinness of the wine is a problem with any wine made from a kit.

Next is micro-oxygenation, the barrel allows a very small amount of oxygen to be absorbed into the barrel; an amount small enough to not harmfully oxidize the wine but just enough to really round out the wine.

Leaving your kit wine in a neutral barrel for an extended amount of time will do more to make your wine more like a comparable commercial wine than anything else you can do.

 

[Rocky]

Chrislea, I have seen more than one progression for use of barrels, e.g. 2, 4, 8, 16, ... and 3, 6, 12, 24, ... etc. These progressions ususally refer to the oaking contribution made by the barrel but there is another benefit of barrel aging, i.e. allowing very small amouts of oxygen into the wine which softens and improves the mouth and flavor of the wine. As long as you care for the barrels and make sure that they are sanitized, you can add oak cubes to them for the oaking, even after the barrel no longer contributes this flavor.

 

[rhoffart]

Welcome to the forum C.

+ 1 what they said ...

 

[robie]

I agree with what Rocky added. You can get your oaking from sawdust/chips/cubes/spiral/..etc. and a neutral barrel should last for many years, as long as you take care of it.

 

[chrislea]

Thank-You for your expert advice

Interesting aspects of barrel aging that I was unaware.
Very helpful and even more encouraging!

Thank You all!

Regards
C.

 

[Teamsterjohn]

Last year I bought an oak barrel, and the first time I used it, I left the wine in there for 2 weeks. 8, 9 days would of been better. I over oaked it by just a little bit. Now im used to that batch. The next wine that went in came out great. Just be extra careful for the first time useing it... Taste and taste again,