50ltr

[dablyth]

Just a quick question, I have a 50ltr barrel and I want to bulk make 50ltrs of wine, if I do this how much yeast and sugar do I need to produce Thu amount

 

[tonyhibbett]

2 heaped teaspoon of dried wine yeast will do., plus 11 kilos of sugar, including any natural sugar present in the ingredients. Are you intending to ferment in the barrel?

 

[dablyth]

Yes I'm hoping to ferment in the barrel then when fermentation is done syphon and bottle up , is this possible to do

 

[tonyhibbett]

I seem to have lost my reply. I considered fermenting in my new 50 litre barrel to condition it, but it's not in a warm enough place. Primary fermentation usually takes place in a vat. The must is then racked and put in a barrel for the final, far less vigorous stage, then racked after a month, for which you will need another 50 litres of storage capacity. The barrel then needs to be cleaned out and refilled asap, to prevent it drying out. It will also need topping up, to replace the dregs and losses from evaporation, which in itself amounts to 2 litres. What happens next depends on the type of wine. What are you planning to make? Is this a new barrel, and if not, what was it previously used for?

 

[dablyth]

Its not a new barrel but it is very clean , think it was used for transporting vegetable oil, is it safe and ok to use

 

[tonyhibbett]

If it is empty, the first job is to lay it on its side, supported with wooden wedges large enough to hold the belly clear and prevent rolling. Completely fill it with water. It will almost certainly leak. Keep it topped up and allow the wood to swell and hopefully it will be watertight after 48 hours. If not, you will have to plug the leaks, which is not easy. The inside must be thoroughly cleaned and sterilised using stuff from a homebrew shop (eg Chempro). Finally get a bottle of cheap dry red wine and slosh it around in the barrel so that it contacts all parts of it. It will come out tasting disgusting, but will have conditioned the wood. The barrel should be kept full to prevent is drying out and becoming leaky.