What do you use to clean the topping hole area? Mine is getting pretty dark, I don't want to ruin the wine an just don't know if this is an issue or not. The barrel is pretty rough and has a lot of grain for 'stuff' to grow.
Should I be topping to just the base of the bung hole? I'm using a rubber stopper to seal it and it just seems damp every topping, I'm getting the stopper in tight as I can, I twist it in now and that seems to seal well, it just seems wet. I rotate the barrel off center to make sure it's a good seal.
It's normal for the end grain that's visible at the bunghole to absorb more color (from red wine) than the side of a stave. Wood is a good deal more porous in that direction. That's why leaks often occur at the ends of staves where there are no joints present.
If the area smells OK when you pop the bung, don't worry about it. If it smells funny/musty, be sure your sulfite is OK in the wine itself, top the barrel, and before replacing the bung dip the end of the bung into bisulfite powder. When you then insert the bung that'll grind some of the powder into the wood. Repeat if necessary until the area smells normal when you pull the bung.
Silicone stoppers are the best for sealing barrels, but they don't come in every size. Gum rubber is next best, but if they're in direct contact with the wine they can impart a rubbery odor. That said, if topping with a silicone stopper it's safe to fill to within a quarter inch of overflowing before ramming and twisting the bung in. With gum stoppers you might want to just barely leave a little air space - say 0.15" or so.
Another alternative is to wrap the business end of the bung with Saran Wrap as a gasket. That'll keep the rubber odors away from the wine and is capable of an airtight seal. (I don't think I'd recommend rolling the barrel with wine in it though if using this method.) That trick also works to keep SO2 gas from destroying silicone bungs in empty, gassed barrels. Be sure to use Saran Wrap. It's thicker than the other brands, e.g. Glad Wrap.
and it just seems damp every topping, I'm
A little dampness around the bung is not unusual - especially if you roll your barrels. Also, smaller barrels will have greater pressure changes within from temperature variations.
TomS' reply is solid as always. Thought I'd add that a little dissolved metabisulfite does wonders to a bung hole. I routinely hit mine (once or twice a year is usually enough) to insure that little nasties don't attempt to take hold in this area.
I also use solid silicon bungs for aging reds.... Boswell sells them directly for as good a price as any. I top to the bottom of the bung hole but don't bother with rolling the barrel over.
I have found some #11's made of silicone but it looks like I need a #9. I'll figure out if an 11 will fit, it might. This is a 5 gallon barrel that was a gift so I better not ruin it... I'll do the sulfiting too.
When I age in carboy, I use a drilled stopper with an airlock. Why not use that in a barrel? Assuming you don't want to rotate the barrel, what is the advantage to using a solid plug in the hole?
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