Barrel Treatment and Care
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If you have not purchased a brand new barrel or are using one that you know has only had wine in it, you need to smell the barrel. If it has a vinegar or moldy smell, do not use the barrel.
If the barrel has stored pickles, fish or any other substance other than wine, don’t use the barrel. The odors of these substances have been absorbed into the wood and there is no way to remove them.

Assuming your barrel has no off odors and is apparently sound, fill the barrel with cold water and keep it full for 48 hours. If it leaks, you might try hammering the hoops until they are tight against the staves and soak for another 24 hours. If it still leaks, look for another barrel. Once you have determined that your (used) barrel is OK to use, fill the barrel with a solution (read on) of barrelkleen. Barrelkleen is a combination of sodium sesquicarbonate, soda ash and lye. Mix one (1) pound of barrelkleen per five (5) gallons of hot water. A 30 gallon barrel will require 6 pounds of barrelkleen and 30 gallons of water. Leave this solution in the barrel for 24-48 hours. This removes the excess tannins and allows the barrel to absorb water and swell so it won’t leak. After 48 hours, drain the barrel and flush with water until the water runs clear. Then mix eight (8) ounces of potassium metabisulfite and one (1) ounce of citric acid with one gallon of warm water. For a 30 gallon barrel you will need 3-5 gallons of this solution. Close the barrel and roll it so the solution touches the entire interior. This neutralizes any remaining alkali. Drain and rinse out the barrel. Now the barrel is ready for your wine.

You may wish to drill a spigot hole before filling with wine. Different size spigots will require different size holes. Size your spigot in a hole cut in paper or cardboard first. Drill a hole in the head or end of the barrel near the rim. Place a tapered cork in the hole. Make sure your cork fits the hole chosen for your spigot. A #14 cork fits a 1" hole. When the cork gets wet, it will swell and keep the hole from leaking. Hopefully you don’t have a cat that will worry the cork until it comes out. (We winemakers can tell some of the most incredible horror stories!) When you are ready to transfer your wine from the barrel, cut the cork flush the head and drive the spigot into the barrel with a mallet. You may omit the spigot hole and transfer with a racking rod and siphon or a small pump from the travel bunghole which we assume you had a rubber bung in with an airlock.

If you are using a new barrel you may omit the barrelkleen step, or if you are more comfortable with its use, you may cut down on the exposure time to 12-24 hours. You must always neutralize the barrelkleen solution. (See above)

A small 5 gallon barrel will impart more than enough oak in 2 weeks or less. Wine in small barrels must be checked frequently for taste.

Finally, a barrel must  never be left empty. Keeping it filled prevents the barrel from drying out, growing mold or going sour. If you don’t have more wine to fill it with, flush the barrel with water until it runs clear. Fill the barrel with a solution of 1 tablespoon of metabisulfite and 2 teaspoons of critic acid for every 5 gallons of water. Replace this solution every three months or at least replenish the chemicals and top up the water.