How to Store Wine Barrels
As you might expect, the best way to store a wine barrel is to fill it with wine. The particular chemistry of wine prevents mold and bacteria from forming on the wood. If you wish to store only the barrels, however, a few simple steps can keep your barrels from spoiling and allow you to use them again to store and age wine. Every wine enthusiast knows that the taste of oak-aged wine is unparalleled, but preserving that taste requires that you tend to both the wine and the barrel itself when it is not in use. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Rinse the barrel multiple times with hot water followed by cold water. This process is not only intended to clean the barrels, but also to insert some moisture into the oak.
-
2
Drain the barrel completely and dry the wood. Make sure there are no pools of water left in the barrel, as these will interfere with the rest of the process.
-
-
3
Burn a sulfur stick or pastille in the barrel. Light the stick, place it in a non-flammable container and lower it into the barrel. Quickly proceed to the next step.
The oak in wine barrels is actually preserved by the sulfur dioxide dissolved in wine. When your barrels are stored empty, you need to recreate those conditions in order to protect the wood from bacteria and mold. You will need about 5 grams of sulfur (1/3 of a standard sulfur stick) for every 60 gallon barrel. Cut the amount in half for a 30 gallon barrel.
-
4
Close and seal the barrel. Make sure your sulfur stick is safely suspended inside the barrel and will not burn the wood before closing the barrel. If you are concerned about fire damage, use a sulfur burner with a bung to safely distribute the smoke.
-
5
Repeat the process every six weeks to replenish the sulfur in the barrels. You should detect a light sulfur smell around the barrels at all times during storage.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If you live in a very dry climate or do not have a properly humidified cellar, rinse the barrels in hot and then cold water every time you replace the sulfur in order to keep the wood from cracking.
While some experts recommend using solutions of dissolved sulfur to store barrels, liquids will drain the oak flavor from your barrels and shorten the useful life of your barrels.
Sulfur dioxide is a dangerous chemical. You should work in a well-ventilated area when applying the sulfur, wear protective gear to avoid inhaling large quantities of the gas and open your cellar or storage room to ventilation before you enter to inspect or move the barrels.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit wine barrels image by Brett Bouwer from Fotolia.com
