I purchased a new barrel last year, but never got around to filling it with wine. Now, after about 18-24 hours of soaking with cold water, it's still leaking around one of the heads, where the groove meets the head. At what point do you consider it a faulty or leaky barrel? How long should I continue soaking? Should I add SO2 or citric acid, and if so, how much? By the way, this is only a 7 gallon barrel.
Any other suggestions?
Lee
Small leaks will generally seal up on their own as the wood swells. You might try tapping on the hoops until towards in the direction of the center of the barrel. This will tighten the head a bit. If you're soaking for no more than about a week.... in a new barrel, then plain water is just fine.
clyde
Clyde When swelling a barrel always adjust the ph and so2 levels of the swelling liquid (water&so2&acid). Give it two weeks to be sure the wood is saturated. Try to match that of the wine it will eventually hold.......dah! Hey, but be warned, once you feed the barrel (with wine). End of quote, and the beginning of maybe poor planning, always be prepared to feed the BARREL.If you leave your barrel, thinking it was full last time you checked. What the hell happened to the level since you last checked on it?, and it went bad.....Welcome!!! Your barrel (if new) is only SEVEN gallons and will impart a huge oak presence in no time.......Small barrels are more work.....have at least 49 gallons of unoaked wine ready.......Live and Learn.............Zinman
Personally, I just put must right into the barrel, but I pick mine up from the cooper's back door and have great confidence that he pressure tested it for me. Most of the time the barrels are no more than 24 hours old when I pick them up and they're usually filled within another 48 hours. Haven't had a leak yet.
clyde
I believe you will find the head leak will seal but if not, I have a friend who put wine directly into a new barrel and realized one of the staves was slightly _split_. Not being able to return the barrel now, he found an old timer Italian who recommended rubbing a chalk and fresh garlic mixture into the crack and voila! - it sealed up.
If the barrel leaked a year ago when you bought it, I'd say it was defective. Now, I'd say it's simply dried out and loosened up.
Empty it and tighten the hoops using a drift punch and hammer, starting with the bilge hoops and working toward the ends. Reseat the hoop nails to keep the hoops from backing off. Then fill it with water until it stops leaking. Might take a day or so. (For that short time, especially in a new barrel, you don't need to mess with chemicals.) Then empty it, fill it with wine and keep it topped up.
Tom S
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