How to Get Oak Barrels Ready for New Wine

Wine barrels

Oak barrels are used to add an oak flavor to wine before it is bottled. The oak barrels can be purchased from online and local wine barrel manufacturers and distributors. Before using properly tightened and cleaned oak barrels, the barrels must be prepared for the "oaking" process according to tested wine-making methods. The barrel is prepared using a sodium metabisulphite solution and then flushing the barrel with water to avoid over-"oaking" the batch of wine.

Things You'll Need

• Sodium metabisulphite
• Oak barrel

Instructions

1. Pour hot water into the wine barrel until it is half full.

2. Mix in one tablespoon of the sodium metabisuphite for every gallon of liquid that the barrel can hold. For example, for a commonly used 10-gallon barrel, pour in five tablespoons of the sodium metabisulphite. The sodium metabisulphite can be purchased from local and online wine-making supply shops.

3. Move the barrel back and forth, rocking it gently to mix the sodium metabisulphite with the water.

4. Pour hot water into the barrel until it the barrel is full. Insert the bung into the top of the barrel and allow the barrel to sit with the sodium metabisulphite solution for a full 24 hours, making sure to turn the barrel over every six hours.

5. Take bung out of barrel and allow sodium bisulphate solution to drain out of the barrel. Fill barrel with clean water and empty the water from barrel three times. Fill the barrel one last time with clean cold water and allow the barrel to sit for another 24-hour period.

6. Drain barrel of water and fill barrel with wine that is ready for the "oaking" process.

References

• Leeners.com: New American White Oak Barrels
• Winebarrels.com: Barrel Care
• Mayerscidermill.com: Preparing Your Barrell
• Thebarrelmill.com: Premium Wine Barrells