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Paul E. Lehmann[_7_]

wrote:

> I am about to bottle a 50-some gallon barrel of wine.
> After cleaning the barrel, I can add about 35 gallons of wine from
> demijohns that I can use to replace the bottled wine. That would leave
> me with a huge amount of air in the barrel and that obviously can't
> work. Any suggestions or should I just abandon the partial barrel
> aging idea, clean the barrel, fill it with water and sterilizer then
> wait until next year?
> Orlando
If you anticipate this happening again in the future, you might consider
rigging up a system for adding Argon to the barrel.

Another solution would be to buy another barrel - say a 120 liter barrel
which is approximately 31 gallons and transfer your demijohn wine to the
new barrel. The excess could be used for topping up.

You can clean and store your barrel dry. You do not have to store it filled
with water. That would just make the barrel "neutral" with respect to
oakiness sooner. just clean real well the best you can and burn a sulphur
wick occasionally in the empty and bunged barrel. Refill the barrel with
water to swell the staves and then empty after it is tight before filling
with wine.