Using small barrels to age wine and head space/ o2 exposure

[Bubbles2]

Thanks for looking in,
I am on the fence here as far as buying 5 liter barrels to store wine in with a spigot to dispense.

Now when making wine, o2 is bad, yet a red likes to have a low slow breath hence the cork. TMI?
So what is the deal with head space/o2 in the barrel? I could purge the o2 via my co2 tank from spigot out the top.
Anyone here using barrels and can enlighten me please?

 

[Seamonkey84]

From the reading I’ve done on the subject. Some wines benefit from wood aging, others are more of a drink or now.
When aging in barrels, the idea is to have it filled as much as possible and the breathing is done through the wood. Pros and cons of small barrels, cheaper and the aging is done faster since there’s more surface area to volume. That same surface area to volume will also make any evaporation and air space much more noticeable. Let alone any leaking that may arise. Make sure, if you get one, that it’s made for storing drinks, and not just a decorative piece being marketed to brewers.
Another note, many wines that are bottle aged get their individual character through the cork. Good and bad.

 

[Bubbles2]

Seamonkey thanks for the vid, very painful to watch...LOL
yes of course real barrels....soak em before use, yada yada yada

From the 5-6 sites I've checked out and read about their barrels, I got the impression One wants the barrel a little bigger volume, then the batch.... Hence me thinking of running Co2 through the spigot and purging out before I bung it, use spigot to test for oakyness and bottle from there too.
Now you shared fill it up for more contact and little to no head space?
One Cooper stated that by using a smaller barrel for smaller batches that the wine is affected greater than a standard large barrel, where 3 months in a small is = to 1 year in a large...aging.

I would have thought there would be more here who use barrels. since on the beer side they have beer equipment set ups equivalent to something out of Breaking Bad...

 

[Blacksmith1]

That's because the beer guys are a bit nuts....

 

[Bubbles2]

I'm gonna share this link, if anyone comes along or is thinking about what I was, key word WAS.
I'll go with a carboy, oak stick, floor corker and call it a day.
https://winemakersacademy.com/glass-carboys-oak-barrels/

 

[Seamonkey84]

Yep, I’m going with spirals and cubes myself for anything I’m going to oak.

 

[Bubbles2]

Yep, I’m going with spirals and cubes myself for anything I’m going to oak.

Yeah 3 gal carboy glass, buy a plank of cedar or Oak, toast it with a propane torch and put it in the racking order. @ 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and use a good cork. I have a mis match of used equipment I bought and found some corks LD Carlson they state on the package 9 x 1 1/2 and 9 x 1 3/4 are those the #9's people refer to? Is the length for longevity?

 

[Seamonkey84]

The size is diameter, but the longevity is a different rating. As for toasting your own, I’ve looked into it, but there’s a special tempering and controlled heating required to get the right amount of caramelization in the wood, not recommended for DIY.

 

[Blacksmith1]

.... are those the #9's people refer to? Is the length for longevity?

Yes, those are the 9's. The length is about how hard it will be to put them in. 1 1/2 inch will seat a bit easier than 1 3/4.

 

[Bubbles2]

The size is diameter, but the longevity is a different rating. As for toasting your own, I’ve looked into it, but there’s a special tempering and controlled heating required to get the right amount of caramelization in the wood, not recommended for DIY.

Some times it is a Great mistake... I also was thinking about cold smoking the corks...

 

[Blacksmith1]

Also, my hand corker works great with most bottles. however, because it grabs the band at the top of the neck for leverage, it leaves a bit of cork hanging out of some. A floor corker can be adjusted to stop that.

 

[Bubbles2]

Also, my hand corker works great with most bottles. however, because it grabs the band at the top of the neck for leverage, it leaves a bit of cork hanging out of some. A floor corker can be adjusted to stop that.

When I started brewing I popped for the bench top and glad I did, as I will Pop for the floor Corker. Good to know about the adjustment tho. Thanks