What to do before barreling?

[s2000]

Hi Folks, the secondary is almost done with MLF and wanted to get going with Barrel soon. Besides prepping the barrel do I need to degass the wine or splash rack it into the barrel?

 

[ibglowin]

Add sulfites to protect the wine, rack to barrel. I am assuming this was fresh grapes of sorts? If so when you pressed that degassed things pretty much.

 

[JohnT]

Like he said, Add k-meta to help protect the wine. I would also fiter (if you do that sort of thing).

 

[Rock]

Like he said, Add k-meta to help protect the wine. I would also fiter (if you do that sort of thing).

Really John a wine this young filter already?Here goes a can of worms!!

 

[JohnT]

Really John a wine this young filter already?Here goes a can of worms!!

Talking about a corse filtration (blue).

 

[Manimal]

I would not filter. The light lees that precipitate during barrel aging will help improve the mouthfeel of the wine and may also keep the wine in a slightly reductive state which can help protect the wine against oxidation.

 

[s2000]

how much k-meta for 59 gal barrel?

we talking "Potassium Metabisulfite"?

 

[ibglowin]

Depends on the pH of the wine. A 6 gallon kit will come with a 4.8gm packet of sulfite. That's a lot of sulfite it seems but 50% will get tied up almost immediately and become bound.

If you extrapolate that out to 59 gallons thats 47gms of sulfite. I would add half, test, add 1/4, test, then add the rest depending on the results.

The level required depends directly on the pH of the wine though. Go to winemaker magazine and use their handy dandy sulfite calculator.

 

[s2000]

The ph on the 5 15gal demijohns vary from 3.5 to 3.6.

I'll take a look at that calculator

 

[Nobody_Special]

There's a useful sulfite calculator that I use here:

winemakermag.com/guide/sulfite

According to that, for a red wine at pH 3.6 going into a 225L Bordeaux barrel, you'd be looking to add 19.7g sulfite.

 

[s2000]

Just wanted to put an update out there. I Barreled the wine early December into a used 5yr old barrel bought at the local wine shop. It was used for aging "toasted head" wine. So far the barrel is holding up in last 3 months. Carefully just tipping off every week or so.

I tasted the wine last weekend. Had a nice flavor, still needs more time in the barrel to impart more oak flavor. But overall happy for the first time making it.

 

[robie]

Beautiful barrel!!!

That's a 5-year old, BIG! barrel, so it is not going to impart oak very fast. If it has been filled for that long, there won't be much oakiness left to impart.

If it doesn't seem to be adding any oak flavor, you can put a bag of oak chips/cubes in the barrel to add more oak flavor. Chips and cubes will add oak for about 6 weeks before they should be discarded. Tie a small string to the bag, so you can easily pull it out of the barrel.

You don't really need to top off that barrel on a weekly basis. That is pretty often to be opening it for such a big barrel.

 

[ibglowin]

Nice! What did you have to shell out for that guy?

 

[s2000]

Well its about 1/2 inch space to fill every week or so. Not sure if that is good or bad. I have 3 gallon jugs I set aside to refill.

I paid $150 at the local wine shop. He had a bunch. This one looked the cleanest of many.

I may just do that with a bag. I have regular oak chips as well as Vanilla and Mocha ones.

 

[Rock]

Most of my barrels that are 4 years or older are neutral.I use staves in these.You do not need to open the bung every week for topping off as a matter of fact you can go months as long as you do not open the bung and expose the wine to air you will be fine.You will get a big suction when you do open them up after a few months then you need to top off.Try to keep off of them and only check them monthly not weekly.

 

[s2000]

Hi Folks, Almost that time for me to bottle this wine in time for easter! How do you guys bottle from Barrel? I have an auto siphoning pipe setup. I've been reading up on pumps and filtering but used for carboys not barrels. Is this even worth me going down this path?

 

[Rock]

If it were me i wouldn't bottle this wine till next fall when i was ready to fill the barrel again.

 

[Calamity Cellars]

You never said what wine this is and I am amazed no one asked. Each variety has it's own characteristics but if this is a red, which I have to assume it is, you are going through this process WAY too fast. I haven't opened my barrels from the 2011 harvest yet. Part of the magic that a barrel provides is the mico exposure to O2 that happens very slowly. As the water in the wine evaporates there is a vacuum created in the barrel which draws outside air slowly into the wine. This is what 'ages' the wine. I would not consider bottling until, at the very earliest, this fall. I am thinking you should find a big ole' dose of patience on this one.

 

[s2000]

Oh man!!! I guess I will have to sleep on it for a little longer. I really wish to break open this wine for Easter. I may just do it anyways. Yes I know I maybe a bit impatient but next fall I plan on doing enough for two barrels so one I can open at easter and the other I can save for the fall.

The wine is a 75% Cab, 15% Merlot, and 10 Melbec blend. This was the first time making wine on my own since my dad passed on 2 years ago from cancer.

 

[s2000]

Ah f'it I opened and drank like 5 gallons of it during easter weekend with family. Had fun bottling. For sure the time consuming part was the bottle washing! Can't wait for this fall to do it all over again. The wine came out amazing!!!