Oak Barrels

[earl]

In a commercial winery how do they get the wine out of the barrel and into a bottleing machine. I would assume the little hole on top but if they turned the barrel to let the wine flow out wouldn't that stir up a bunch of sediment?? Could the home wine maker just use a siphon and get it out of there?


Has anyone made a kit and put it in a barrel for aging?? I was wondering how that would work with a Cab or Merlot.


earl

 

[smurfe]

From what I observed from a winery I visited in Tennessee while on vacation, they racked out of the barrel much like how we rack from the carboy. They had a large stainless steel racking cane that was hooked to a pump.


From all I have read up on it, sounds like a barrel for home use isn't really the way to go. They are a pain to maintain plus they extract too much oak into small kits like 5-10 gallon barrel. Yeah, I know it gives a feeling of authenticity but it isn't required for a kit wine.


These are just my opinions though. But from experience, I know how easy it is to over oak a 6 gallon batch with 2-3 oz of oak cubes in the carboy. Imagine a wine having much more contact with the oak. Plus the maintenance of the barrels. It is easy for one to go sour.


Smurfe

 

[OldWino1]

I can take the oak in my batches with the particle toated and un toasted. The reds love it with some aging time. I use the 2-4 oz bags. and they have been fine.