Barrel problems....
 

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?

Thanks,

Shawn

Good idea. You want to wait until there in no dampness next time, it
should be dry on the outside before putting wine in it.

You can use barrel wax to plug it up, but I would wait for someone like
Tom to respond before doing that. Is that hoop loose? Tightening
hoops on a full barrel of wine may not be a good idea, I never tried
it.

Joe

"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

"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

Thanks...
One question...If I find the leak what do I fill it with?

Shawn

"Tom S" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> "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
>
>

Barrel wax is used up here. It's pliable with your fingers so it melts
at pretty low temperatures.

Joe

Barrel wax is used up here. It's pliable with your fingers so it melts
at pretty low temperatures.

Joe

"Inferno" > wrote in message
...
> Thanks...
> One question...If I find the leak what do I fill it with?

If it's a sieve tube leaking out the end of a stave, you jam an icepick into
it and then hammer a tank spile into the hole. Tank spiles are just little
pointy pieces of wood. I've used a wooden toothpick on occasion. Cut off
~½" with a pair of dikes and hammer it into the leak, point first. A little
Wilhold carpenter's glue in the hole before driving the spile is a good
idea. Repeat as necessary. BTW, this trick is also good for fixing borer
(earwig) holes.

Tom S