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Farm boy
26th November 2005, 11:39 PM
hi guys
i bought a 4 litre port barrel on e bay that has been dry for a while and have revived it by soaking in a tub of water for 3 days.
It was a wax lined barrel as a fair few flakes of wax came out
As it was wax lined,when i fill it full of port could i add some brandy to soak into the wood to enhance the flavour?or would the wax that is remaining in the barrel stop it from soaking into the oak:eek:
thanks in advance to your replys
greg

ozwinner
27th November 2005, 07:38 AM
Wax? :confused:
Sounds as though it is an ornament only.

Never heard of it in side a coopered barrel.

Al :confused:

Munga
27th November 2005, 07:40 AM
No barrel should be wax lined as it needs fluid seepage into the wood to keep it tight
As far as the brandy goes toss in 250 ml brandy, 500 ml rum and top up with good port, immerse a stick of cinnamon for 4 days then discard stick then let it mature will warm the body no end on cold night, day, morning, evening.

Cheers Arch.

PuppyPaw
27th November 2005, 01:48 PM
just out of curiosity.
how long can post stay in a port barrel for before requiring to be drunk?
or can you just leave it indeffinatly?

Iain
27th November 2005, 02:08 PM
About 5 minutes:D
DEpending ipon the quality of the port and the integrity of the barrel one would have to say several years.
Ideally stored in a cellar with minimal temperature variations.
We once went away camping and had a two litre cask of port which we tried at 8.00pm, it was pretty ordinary but by midnight it had improved dramatically, as did our headaches the following morning:(

scooter
27th November 2005, 04:49 PM
I thought I read somewhere that port doesn't improve with age?

Or maybe vintage port doesn't? Tawny port mebbe?

Bit dry 'round here :rolleyes:


Cheers.............Sean, over a barrel

Termite
27th November 2005, 05:41 PM
I thought I read somewhere that port doesn't improve with age?
Or maybe vintage port doesn't? Tawny port mebbe?

Vintage does, the rest don't.:(

Iain
27th November 2005, 07:24 PM
Vintage does, the rest don't.:(
You obviously didn't read my response, which proves you are wrong:D :D

ozwinner
27th November 2005, 07:28 PM
How the hell can you lay down a good port.
Drink it!!!!!:D

Al :o

Daddles
27th November 2005, 07:51 PM
Come on gentle men. The man asked a serious question.

Mate, the life of a cask of port is related to the size of the tap and hence the rate at which it can flow through said tap. Mind you, one must consider the swallow rate of the clown lying upside under the tap with his mouth open - while drowning in port is fun, it does tend to ruin the computations :D

Richard

Termite
27th November 2005, 07:52 PM
You obviously didn't read my response, which proves you are wrong:D :D

Reminds me of a couple of mates who travelled overland from Aus to England on motorbikes quite some years ago.
They were buying wine in Italy for 30 cents a litre and reckoned that the second 500cc tasted a hell of a lot better than the first 500cc.

And I did read your response, it's just that my short term memory is a bit wonky.
There's a name for it, Als.... Als? Ah yes, that's it Al's Crapatorium.:D

Termite
27th November 2005, 07:54 PM
Come on gentle men. The man asked a serious question.

Mate, the life of a cask of port is related to the size of the tap and hence the rate at which it can flow through said tap. Mind you, one must consider the swallow rate of the clown lying upside under the tap with his mouth open - while drowning in port is fun, it does tend to ruin the computations :D

Richard

Richard you are indeed a gentleman, giving him a serious answer like that.:rolleyes:

Auld Bassoon
27th November 2005, 08:03 PM
Reminds me of a couple of mates who travelled overland from Aus to England on motorbikes quite some years ago.


Interesting challenge, that!:D :D

Termite
27th November 2005, 08:13 PM
Interesting challenge, that!:D :D

The wet parts were the hardest. :D

AlexS
27th November 2005, 10:16 PM
Port Drinkers advice needed
Sorry, cant give you advice.
Now, if you ever need help...

Farm boy
28th November 2005, 08:11 AM
thanks for all your advice guys
the cask has berri estate wines in brass on the front and holds 4 litres so it must of come from the berri winnery as a promotion gimmick?
with the wax inside i heard ages ago that some barrels were lined in wax and thought this may be the case.
in regards to port can you recomend a effectve cheap but drinkable beverage i can put in the barrel with a touch of brandy please.
i have some grandfather port but fear this might be to nice to put in a barrel
cheers for now
greg

bennylaird
28th November 2005, 08:44 AM
My Dad had a similar barrel and the advice with that was to age it with some cheap port for a month then pour it out and try some good stuff. Best thing is to have a nice bottle of good tawny (Cos it lasts, vintage must be drunk soon after opening) and have the barrel full of a cheaper tawny.

That way you can start off on some nice stuff and then keep drinking the barrel till your legs get weak. We used to take a big plastic barrel to Barrosa to get the barrel stock at a good price.

We had a barrel of the starter port at work which is used as the catalyst for a new batch. You then add later vintages too it. It was so good though that we bottled some off and enjoyed it, lol.

Termite
28th November 2005, 12:00 PM
There aint no bad port, just sums better'n others.:D

Ashore
28th November 2005, 12:15 PM
Don't put the Grandfathers in it just some cheep stuff
I think Draytons still do bulk port at a decent price
You can add brandy, Rum , Whisky and each will give it a diffrent taste
Experiment with small amounts to get the taste you want
If you need an experianced tester let me know and I will get you one free of charge ;)


Rgds


Russell

Termite
28th November 2005, 12:52 PM
If you need an experianced tester let me know and I will get you one free of charge ;)

Pick me up on the way Russell, two opinions are better than one. :D

journeyman Mick
28th November 2005, 02:18 PM
Greg,
no point putting good port in the barrel, it's there to turn bad port into good port! I've got two little port barrels, here's my procedure:
Get a cask/flagon/a few bottles of the cheapest port you can find and a bottle of cheap brandy. Throw about half a bottle of brandy in and top up with the port. Shake well to blend. Now, get a small glass and taste it, just for reference. It will be absolutely disgusting, real paint stripper stuff. Check it again in a month's time, it will be better but still not drinkable. After three months it will taste quite pleasant and it will keep improving. You can add a handfull of raisins and/or a cinnamon stick for more flavour. Just start drinking it when it tastes good enough to you. Having two barrels is good, one to drink from while the other matures.

Mick

ozwinner
28th November 2005, 03:49 PM
I never knew there was so much to drinking post? :confused:
I just buy Chatau Cardboard and drink it.
I may have to become a connisour and add cinnamon sticks etc, but wont the bag in the box leak?? :eek:

Al :D

shaunburgess
29th November 2005, 09:43 AM
Guys,

Having a 20lt port barrell and having lived in the Barossa for a little while. Here are some rules with port barrells

1. Vintage port is aged before putting into glass, technically it will not get better so drink it.
2. Use Tawny in your barrell, $4 - $8 per litre bulk will do nicely. Don't add anything usually just taints the wood.
3. Leave it where it won't be in the humidity of NSW or the heat.
4.

shaunburgess
29th November 2005, 09:44 AM
Guys,

Having a 20lt port barrell and having lived in the Barossa for a little while. Here are some rules with port barrells

1. Vintage port is aged before putting into glass, technically it will not get better so drink it.
2. Use Tawny in your barrell, $4 - $8 per litre bulk will do nicely. Don't add anything usually just taints the wood.
3. Leave it where it won't be in the humidity of NSW or the heat.
4. Hide from SWMBO.
5. Wait 2 months and check continue this process until you need to go to number 2 again.

Jack E
29th November 2005, 08:39 PM
Ideally stored in a cellar with minimal temperature variations.
I have heard that port ages better in differing climatic conditions.

I have a 9 litre barrel which has "Rons keg blend" from Tanunda.
I'll let you know if it is any good in a few years.
It is aging in my bar in Townsville, just sitting in the open.
I do have a 160 bottle wine storage fridge I could put it in but there is no room.
If it is no good in a few years I will just drink my bottle of 1983 Seppelt Para Liquer Single Vintage Tawny:D :D

Cheers, Jack

scooter
29th November 2005, 10:19 PM
....
5. Wait 2 months and check continue this process until you need to go to number 2 again.

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Bugger that homemade port, sounds like it really binds you up... :o :D


Cheers.............Sean, regular, thanks for asking :)

Kiwi Mal
17th April 2007, 11:18 AM
hi guys
i bought a 4 litre port barrel on e bay that has been dry for a while and have revived it by soaking in a tub of water for 3 days.
It was a wax lined barrel as a fair few flakes of wax came out
As it was wax lined,when i fill it full of port could i add some brandy to soak into the wood to enhance the flavour?or would the wax that is remaining in the barrel stop it from soaking into the oak:eek:
thanks in advance to your replys
greg

F.Y.I. I have been searching for a port barrel and someone told me you could buy one filled with Tasmania Whisky. I rang the distiller and he said the barrel is lined with WAX to slow down evaporation of whisky. So the animal you have is originally for spirits by the looks of it. hope this helps

Santalum
17th April 2007, 12:03 PM
hi guys
i bought a 4 litre port barrel on e bay that has been dry for a while and have revived it by soaking in a tub of water for 3 days.
It was a wax lined barrel as a fair few flakes of wax came out
As it was wax lined,when i fill it full of port could i add some brandy to soak into the wood to enhance the flavour?or would the wax that is remaining in the barrel stop it from soaking into the oak:eek:
thanks in advance to your replys
greg
Greg about 12 months ago I was a given a very nice 10 litre oak cask that had been filled with port approx 8 years prior and then not been touched until it was passed onto me, the contents had reduced to about 2 litres and flowed like honey, the flavour had intensified unbelievably but it was too thick to pour let alone drink, so what I did was add 1.5 litres of good brandy then topped it up with good tawny port and gave it a slosh around to mix, the result is brilliant

johnc
26th May 2007, 10:19 PM
I've got a slightly larger oak barrel, 200 litres. Originally bought in 1981 we draw off 20 litres each year and top up with a ruby port (nice and young) Its never had brandy added and just gets better with more kick every year. Evaporation is a curse and every so often its 20 out and 40 in. Bit large to sit on the counter so it lives happily in the shed. Nothing wrong with tawny, the base just keeps getting better, the young stuff added seems to help the process.

John.

tameriska
27th May 2007, 02:53 AM
So, Farmboy, How did the port come up?
It should nearly be ready to drink by now? :grin:

Farm boy
4th February 2008, 09:45 AM
to finish this off
i bought a bottle of the cheapest port i could find every week when i took my step daughter to guitar lessons (i had to do something sitting around for an hour)and put it in the barrel with a small flask of brandy
so the blend was left for a few months to do what it does and man it was nice ,the brandy and the 6 bottles of different branded ports come up a treat
i now have a 20 litre barrell that needs to be put together (i was given it from a guy at work as he let it dry out) i think i will just use a bulk port wth a 700ml bottle of brandy and see how it goes
greg
ps has any one got a recipe for home brew port?

Andy Mac
4th February 2008, 10:34 AM
Hi Farmboy,
Did you have any problem with the small cask leaking when refilled after being dry for so long? Did the staves swell up and seal properly? I've had a bit of a problem with my mine, bought new about 8 yrs ago, which strangely never remained full of Port for long:wink:. It dried out, the wood shrank and I had trouble with it seeping from the joins. Tried filling it with boiling water and all that. Eventually I handed it to a cooper who pulled it apart, did a bit of tweaking them bashed all the rings back on. Alas it has been emptied again...:rolleyes:
He made a couple of observations: never let it get below about 2/3 full, otherwise the top staves dry out; and as its only a small cask, about 5litres, don't keep the Port in there for too long. He reckoned there is too much surface area to volume, so the oak flavour becomes too strong too quickly. The best idea is to age the Port for 6mnths then decant into bottles (for drinking) then refill. The added advantage of this to my mind is the level remains constant, with no worries about emptying the cask too much.
I initially had a problem too with the tap slowing down to a mere trickle. In the end I discovered it was blocked with oak shavings left inside. Haven't worked out if that was deliberate, to add quick flavour, or just an accident during construction. BTW it was made in Bundaberg, using old rum keg timbers.

Cheers,

journeyman Mick
4th February 2008, 12:00 PM
.............. BTW it was made in Bundaberg, using old rum keg timbers.................

That would've been at Schmieder's cooperage then Andy? Interesting place, had a wander around with a mate who lived in Bundy for a while and befriended the owner of the cooperage. The rum barrels start off as french wine barrels.

Mick

Bleedin Thumb
4th February 2008, 06:29 PM
just out of curiosity.
how long can post stay in a port barrel for before requiring to be drunk?
or can you just leave it indeffinatly?

Vintage port only lasts a day or too but your normal tawny, muscat or tokay's will last forever if they are not cooked in the sun etc.

Edit sorry just realise this was an old thread and PuppyPaws qestion had been answered 2 years ago.

Andy Mac
4th February 2008, 06:35 PM
That would've been at Schmieder's cooperage then Andy? Interesting place, had a wander around with a mate who lived in Bundy for a while and befriended the owner of the cooperage. The rum barrels start off as french wine barrels.

Mick


Yep Mick,
that's where its from, but I haven't been there myself. It was a 40th present from some mates! I'd love to see those specialist cooper's tools in use though.

Cheers,

Farm boy
6th February 2008, 01:34 PM
no problem with leaks andy,i filled the laundry tub up with water and soaked it for a few days.
i have noticed the brass tap gets a bit stiff so i will give it a clean before i fill it again
greg

joven
20th December 2015, 11:53 PM
Hi Gents, I have a 5 litre keg which I have treated, and now enjoy an awesome port, I have had this for about 2 years now, my question is what other spirits can I put in the keg to enhance it, and how much, in the meantime cheers,,

Foo
24th January 2016, 07:05 AM
You can add rum, bourbon and scotch but at what quantity I don't know as it really is a taste thing.

Foo