28 replies to this topic

[cathykw]

I bought a 3-gallon oak barrel from a fellow AWS member (got a really good deal on it!!). It has never been used, and was actually still in its original shipping container. However, it is 15-20 years old, so it is very dried out.
I got it on Monday and immediately rinsed it out and filled it with water to try to get it hydrated/swelled up. This is Thursday, and it still has a leaky section. I keep re-filling with water, and I also threw in some campden tablets, although I dilute that each time I top-up with water.
It quickly leaks so that the water level goes down about an inch, and then it seems to stop leaking.
So, I've been topping up and splashing water all over the outside for three days, now.
Is there any hope? Do I just keep topping up and splashing? Should I submerge the whole thing in a primary fermenting bucket?

Any suggestions would be most appreciated!!!

-Cathy

[Doyle]

You didn't say where it was leaking.    
  
Zac Brown advocates filling a bathtub and put the barrel in the bathtub.  Clearly doable with a 3 gal barrel. Much easier to rotate the barrel and make sure it is staying wet.

[cathykw]

Thanks, Doyle. Should I submerse it in the tub?

The leak appears to be on the flat side in the seam where it connects to the circumference of the barrel slats. Not sure how to describe it any better than that. I read someones earlier post on a different thread about a barrel and they mentioned tapping it with a rubber mallet. I'm wondering about doing that.

Or maybe it is just going to take more than three days to get all the way swelled up...

[Wade's Wines]

I think your idea of submerging it in a primary is a good idea. Tapping gently might help too. But I have not as of yet bought a barrel so listen to Doyle.

[gregorio]

When barrels are assembled, the croze to head interfaces are sealed with wheat paste or softened river reed. If the barrel is indeed that old, it might be very difficult to seal no matter how much it is rehydrated.

[cathykw]

@ Gregorio - that makes me not glad - I hope it isn't so. Although, it was cheap enough to gamble on.

It sure SMELLS good!!! Seems like the leak has slowed down a lot and is stopping quicker - maybe a half inch from the top instead of a full inch...

@ Colonel Wade - I can't believe you don't have a barrel, yet!!! But, maybe oak is not your favorite thing, right?

I have a meritage fermented almost dry, and I was hoping to put half into this barrel and the other half in a carboy, but I can always put it all into a carboy if need be...

[gregorio]

Sorry ;(

[cathykw]

@ Gregorio - sometimes the truth hurts. But, it is always good to know what it is. THANKS for sharing.
I can't believe how much ignorance about wine making that I possess. I think I could live to be 100 and I still would not know stuff about making wine...

[kakeeler]

If the bathtub isn't close to where you have your barrels, if you have fermentation bins, you can fill one partially with water, same theory. Good luck,

[Bar Barrique]

If this barrel does not "hold water", you can always use the oak staves in your wine. You can toast them on your BBQ.

[Wade's Wines]

No barrel yet, maybe this year. I love oak and use lots of oak products. Bought a truck load of white oak aged 2 years, this year. Could have bought a barrel!

[gregorio]

@ Gregorio - sometimes the truth hurts. But, it is always good to know what it is. THANKS for sharing.
I can't believe how much ignorance about wine making that I possess. I think I could live to be 100 and I still would not know stuff about making wine...

The solution to that problem is easy - make more wine!

[Tomer1]

Isnt there some kind of bentonite trick to seal small leaks? It might worth a shot.

Bentonite and barrel leaks

A small amount of bentonite can be directly added to

any wine and used to seal small leaks in a barrel that

was previously dry-stored or has a more leakageprone,

e.g. fortified, wine in it.

Make an acidified sulfited solution and add a very large dose of slurry (100 g\hL).

[cathykw]

@ Tomer - that's a cool idea!!

[Powelln]

The leak appears to be on the flat side in the seam where it connects to the circumference of the barrel slats.

If it's leaking all around the croze due to what Gregorio describes this might not help, but my first 11 gallon barrel had a croze leak caused by (I think) something hitting it during shipping. Leak was localized in a particular area. After trying to swell shut for days, I ended up using food grade epoxy (from Presque Isle) to create a seal along the exterior. 5 years later, still chugging along tight as a drum.