Dan - I have similar size barrels. I put top up wine in completely full
beer bottles and cap them. I don't top up every week. Every time you open
the barrel you let air in. Even tho. there is evaporation of wine in the
barrel a vacuum is formed...air is not drawn in around the cork. Try
waiting at least two weeks between top ups. I find that one beer bottle of
top up wine can fill my two small barrels on that schedule.

Bill Frazier
Olathe, Kansas USA

wrote in message
ups.com...
I've got a 50 litre barrel that I have a Cabernet in. I put a second
run wine through the barrel before putting in the cabernet so I could
get the initial oak out. Now I have my cabernet in it and it is doing
fine. MLF is over, the wine is sulfited. I have to add around 50 ml
of wine every week to top up.