first racking directly to oak
 

Hi,
Relatively new to winemaking and wonder why first racking is
recommended for carboys before going to oak? I have a neutral 20
gallon barrel from repeated uses (from another winemaker).. I have a
cab franc that is ready to be pressed (MLF appears to be near
completion) and wonder why can't I skip the carboys and go directly to
the barrel with a couple carboys for topping off; I'd re-rack after a
couple of months and use oak chips in successive rackings. What
problems do you see with this idea?

I have another 35 gallons that I was considering racking directly to
a brand new 30 gallon barrel but again what are the risks? Thanks.
john

first racking directly to oak
 

I don't see any reason not to go straight into the barrel at this
point. Be advised that any remaining MLF
bacteria may take up residence in the barrel. That may be to the
benefit or detriment of future batches.
Certainly you won't want to use the barrel for wine kits in the
future. MLF could throw them off balance,
and if you add sorbate to the barrel before MLF takes off, you'll have
wine that smells of geraniums.

With a brand new barrel you'll get plenty of oak flavor. If the 35
gallon batch has never seen any oak
and the new barrel in question is Hungarian or French, it should be
fine. Do a taste test periodically though
and rack it to another vessel if the oak becomes too strong. If the
new barrel is American, you'll need to
proceed carefully. It's easy to over oak a wine in a new American oak
barrel.

Greg G.

On Nov 9, 9:23*pm, John > wrote:
> Hi,
> Relatively new to winemaking and wonder why first racking is
> recommended for carboys before going to oak? *I have a neutral 20
> gallon barrel from repeated uses (from another winemaker).. *I have a
> cab franc that is ready to be pressed (MLF appears to be near
> completion) and wonder why can't I skip the carboys and go directly to
> the barrel with a couple carboys for topping off; I'd re-rack after a
> couple of months and use oak chips in successive rackings. *What
> problems do you see with this idea?
>
> *I have another 35 gallons that I was considering racking directly to
> a brand new 30 gallon barrel but again what are the risks? *Thanks.
> john

first racking directly to oak
 

In article
>,
John > wrote:

> Hi,
> Relatively new to winemaking and wonder why first racking is
> recommended for carboys before going to oak?

I work in a commercial winery, and have never heard this advice. In a
winery, it would be racking tank to tank, and the main benefit is that
you can get a cleaner rack, without stops and starts which may disturb
the lees, and then transfer the wine to barrels.

> I have a neutral 20
> gallon barrel from repeated uses (from another winemaker).. I have a
> cab franc that is ready to be pressed (MLF appears to be near
> completion)

Grapes don't require skins for secondary fermentation, but the lees do
help. I've never heard of skins being kept in contact with the wine
longer than the time that it takes for the cap to sink. The problem is a
risk of acetobacter infecting any of the cap that projected above the
wine. Skins in a carboy?

> and wonder why can't I skip the carboys and go directly to
> the barrel with a couple carboys for topping off; I'd re-rack after a
> couple of months and use oak chips in successive rackings. What
> problems do you see with this idea?

No problem at all.
>
> I have another 35 gallons that I was considering racking directly to
> a brand new 30 gallon barrel but again what are the risks? Thanks.
> john

No risks. Adjust SO2 to 25 - 40 parts per million (depending on whether
it is a low pH, or high pH wine). You'll need to rack once of twice
more, but the wine will age more quickly because of increased surface to
volume ratio in the barrel. I'd suggest you get a silicone bung, and
once the barrel is full and bunged, roll the barrel to a 2 or 10 o'clock
position. This will create a vacuum in the barrel and reduce ullage.
Leave barrel closed until the following topping. Constant sampling will
damage the wine.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/7/2/maude
http://english.aljazeera.net/video/m...515308172.html