African Trading Co. - Oak Wine Barrels

REMINDER ... Always loosen the bung to let air in before you turn on the knob of the spigot.

Sealing the Barrel ...

If the barrel has not been used (stored) for a long period of time without liquid the wooden sections making up the barrel will dry and shrink slightly. This is to be expected. When you get your wine barrel you need to make sure it is not leaking before using your new wine barrel.

Fill the barrel with cold water and allow the barrel to sit over night. Check the barrel for any leaks and rotate the barrel 1/2 turn the next morning. If leaks are still found, submerge the barrel in a bucket of water - fill the barrel before submerging. Keep submerged for 24 to 48 hours and then test the barrel for leaks depending on how severe the leaks are.

Treating the Barrel ...

Drain all of the water out of the barrel and fill it half way with very hot water. Add 1/2 cup of Barolkleen per gallon of capacity and rock the barrel to mix in the Barolkleen. Barokleen is used to remove excess tannin from new barrels and to clean old unspoiled barrels. Fill die barrel to the top with hot water and tighten the bung. Allow the barrel to rest for 48 hours turning 1/2 turn every 12 hours. Drain the barrel and flush it out with cold water three times. Repeat this procedure one time and then fill the barrel with cold water and leave it until you are ready to fill it with wine.

Places to get BAROKLEEN:
www.brewcitysupplies.com/11/419.htm?765
www.homebrewers.com/product/800273
www.wineartindy.com/barolkleen1lb.html

To find more sites that sell Barokleen - type the word into a search engine such as GOOGLE and you should get a bunch more.

Preparing the Barrel For to Decant your Wine or to Mature your Wine ...

Drain the barrel and fill it half way with hot water. Add one tablespoon of Sodium Metabisulfate per gallon of capacity and rock the barrel to mix in the Sodium Metabisulfate. Fill the barrel with hot water and tighten the bung. Allow the barrel to sit for 24 hours, turning 1/2 turn every 6 hours. Drain the barrel and flush it out with cold water three times. Fill the barrel with cold water and let it sit over night. Drain the barrel and fill the barrel with your wine.

You can obtain Sodium Metabisulfate through the internet at:
http://www.chemistrystore.com/sodium_metabisulfite.htm
www.homebrewers.com

To find more sites that sell Sodium Metabisulfate - type the word into a search engine such as GOOGLE and you should get a bunch more. You may be able to get some at your local pharmacy.

Testing Wine ...

After about a week, sample the wine in the barrel to see how much oak taste it has picked up. Bottle your wine when the oak taste suits you.

Storing Your Barrel ...

Flush the barrel with cold water until the water runs clear. Fill the barrel with cold water and 1 tablespoon of Sodium Metabisulphite per gallon capacity. Top up with cold water and tighten the bung. Turn the barrel 1/2 turn every week. If the barrel is stored for more than 3 months between uses, repeat this procedure.

Vol.
Item # Price	wb-001 $30	wb-002 $40	wb-003 $50	wb-004 $65

Dimensions of the wine barrels ..
Diameter Length	4.5" 6.25"	5.25" 7.35"	6.0" 9.0"	7.25" 11.25"