"infernot" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Well, I filled up the barrel with wine... However, I am a bit
> concerned...Yesterday when I got home from work the barrel wasn't
> leaking any more...It was a little damp around the head but no leaks...
> So I emptied the water and filled it up with wine... Everything looked
> good until this morning...The barrel isn't leaking, but it looks like
> there is some wine seeping through the head at one location and the
> barrel looks damp on those staves right to the second band. Besides
> this spot the barrel looks dry...My concern is MOLD! Do you think it
> will stop seeping? I spray wet spot with a little 10% SO2, good or bad
> idea?

Good idea. That'll keep mold at bay. The barrel will probably continue to
swell and seal itself up (assuming the hoops were tight to start with). If
not, you may have a leaking sieve tube. Blot the area dry with a paper
towel and see if you can tell _exactly_ where the leak is. If it's coming
from the end of a stave you'll need to plug it. If it's coming from between
the head boards it's likely that the hoops weren't tight enough to begin
with - but that may resolve itself.

It's possible that it'll be OK by tomorrow. Or not. If worst comes you
could empty the barrel, tighten the hoops (using a drift punch and a small
sledge) and check it with water again. That's not that bad with a 5 gallon
barrel, but a PIA if it's a 60 - especially if it's in the middle of a
stack!

Tom S