Clean wine barrels in between fillings.
Wine barrels are commonly used to produce large amounts of wine. Once each batch is finished, the wine must be drained and the barrel must be cleaned. Cleaning the barrels is necessary to release the built-up potassium tartrate crystals. In addition to keeping the wine from becoming contaminated with bacteria, Purdue University states that a properly cared for wine barrel will last five to six years. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Empty your wine barrel completely before cleaning it. Set it on a barrel cleaning stand to keep it sturdy during the cleaning process.
2. Use a hose with a pressure sprayer to rinse the wine barrel out with hot water, concentrating on the walls of the barrel. The hot water will help dissolve the potassium tartrate crystals.
3. Fill the barrel half full with cold water.
4. Dissolve your sodium percarbonate cleaning solution in a bucket of hot water. According to Okanagan Barrel Works, you will need 3/4 cup of cleaner for a 60 gallon barrel, 1/2 cup for a 25 gallon barrel, 1/4 cup for a 12 gallon barrel and 1/8 cup for a 6 gallon barrel.
5. Add the ingredients from the bucket to the barrel and mix well. Fill the barrel the rest of the way with cold water. Let it sit for 24 hours.
6. Drain the barrel and rewash the barrel with your hose using hot water.
7. Rinse the barrel one final time, but this time use cold water. Cold water cools the barrel off and is helps stop bacteria from growing. Bacteria prefer warm, moist environments. You will also need to use citric acid during this last rinse to neutralize the wine barrel. Use 3 cups of citric acid for a 60 gallon barrel, 1 1/2 cups for a 25 gallon barrel, 2/3 a cup for a 12 gallon barrel and 1/3 cup for a 6 gallon barrel.
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