Small oak keg

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29th January 2012, 10:18 PM
plantagenon

Small oak keg

Not the right forum I know - but someone will know the answer.

I have two 30 year old oak kegs - one is 4 litres and the other is 8 litres. Great for port and whiskey, but they haven't been used for 20 years and when I filled them with cheap Sherry to expand the oak they leaked like a sieve. Now I keep topping them up iwth water to expand the oak again. The metal rims are in good condition but you can see the cracks in the dried oak. Is it Okay to put both in the kitchen sink, fill it with water and let them swell or will that damage them?

Any advice welcome-urgently.

Thanks

Greg
30th January 2012, 04:42 AM
Treecycle

Greg,
If no one has the answer for you here, it may be worthwhile putting it on the Timber Forums section. The link is in the panel on the left.
30th January 2012, 10:02 AM
Whaler1

Greg; I don't see a problem soaking them in the sink. Back in the old wooden boat days we would launch them in shallow water and let them soak and expand.
30th January 2012, 05:26 PM
Jack.Tar

I remember reading somewhere or being told that water does not work, I can' recall the reason but maybe it will come to me next time I'm drinking port.
30th January 2012, 06:44 PM
Rippa

Let the kegs dry out again then paint all the joints and cracks with hot melted beeswax, making sure that the wax pentrates into them. Let it set then fill it up with water again.

Rippa
30th January 2012, 07:27 PM
plantagenon

Thanks for your replies. I appreciate the advice. Jack, was it Golden Syrup or Bar's Radiator Anti-leak. Watch out for the taste of the port :doh:

Rippa - I will follow your advice. One question - Where would I get the bees wax? Is it the natural stuff from a hive or a product from a hardware store??
30th January 2012, 09:42 PM
3RU

If it helps, mine is presently full of water in the hope it will expand and stop leaking. All this is due to low port throughput. Rem to self....

Understand the issue with water is mould which will hopelfully be fixed using Sodium Metabxxxx (same stuff you use to clean bottles) providing it does not stand too long. If not its kindling.

Keep it short and treat it well.

Dave
30th January 2012, 10:44 PM
Lawriet

Quote:

Originally Posted by plantagenon

Thanks for your replies. I appreciate the advice. Jack, was it Golden Syrup or Bar's Radiator Anti-leak. Watch out for the taste of the port :doh:

Rippa - I will follow your advice. One question - Where would I get the bees wax? Is it the natural stuff from a hive or a product from a hardware store??

Do not follow that advice - please. Contact Roll out the barrel cooperage at Redcliffe. Roll Out The Barrel Cooperage You need to take the kegs apart carefully and replace the reed between the oak or they will do that for your for a small fee. If you leave water in a keg it will sour the timber. you then need to swell the timber with cheap sherry before adding port etc - please contact them and take their advice - they are the experts in kegs.
30th January 2012, 11:10 PM
fxst

the instructions that came with my keg from a cooper in the barossa valley says to fill with warm water and allow it to swell up and keep doing that untill it is sealed...do not use beeswax etc to seal it. A properly made keg from a cooper will not have reeds as they are designed to work on swelling to take up the very small gaps. A a good idea for info is to email a cooper and get exact and correct info. Cheap kegs are sealed with wax or have a liner in them.
Pete
31st January 2012, 10:51 PM
plantagenon

Thank you all for the replies. I filled the barrels with water a few days ago and they have sealed nicely. I change the water each day. Tomorrow the cheap sherry goes in. I checked the Lumberjocks website as well and the majority of replies were to soak the kegs in water in a sink to swell them but also to change the water each day. I didn't need to soak them in water but I hope the water I put in will not have tainted the barrels. Anyway, the sherry in for a month to re-season the barrels with kill off any mould, etc wit the alcohol content. Thanks again for the advice.
19th September 2022, 04:28 AM
GlennGriffith

“Pickling” or Preparing a Wood Keg

When “Pickling” of preparing a Wood Keg please consider the following:
Compare the Process to a Computer. GIGO. Garbage In, Garbage Out.
DO NOT USE THE CHEAPEST SHERRY YOU CAN FIND.
YES, You are going to discard the Sherry after the “Pickling” Process.
Please, DON’T DRINK IT! The Sherry removes Tanin and other Chemicals that are
present in the Wood & other products that may have been introduced during the Manufacturing Process. Drink it & I will Guarantee you will be very Ill. You are going to put a good quality Port, Rum, Bourbon or other Spirit into the Cask. Why Would You Use Cheap Quality Sherry?
Buy the BEST Quality Sherry you can afford. I Promise the Final Results will be worth it.
If you are going to fill a One Litre Keg then purchase a 750 mm Bottle of Sherry, pour it all in, then rotate the Keg 25 mm every day. The “MINIMUM” Time to Pickle your Keg should be not less than 90 days! Don’t fill the keg with Water first. That is of No Benefit at all.
The Sherry does the Work of Removing any impurities, unwanted toxins and other substances.
Yes, it hurts to discard a quality Sweet Sherry but the final result will be worth it.
I have over 50 Years of experience to call upon and still moan when I discard a Fine Sherry.
Most of my Kegs contain Bourbon from many Distilleries. I have Travelled Globally and spoken to a lot of Coopers. They all give the same advice. Use the best you can afford.
Like a Chef, use cheap low quality ingredients and the Meal will suffer from it.
You use Different Sherries for different Spirits. I use Dry Sherry for Dark Rum.
Put your best into the preparation of your Kegs and you will be rewarded with Superior Results. Best of Luck to you and I hope you have great results.

Quote:

Originally Posted by plantagenon

Thank you all for the replies. I filled the barrels with water a few days ago and they have sealed nicely. I change the water each day. Tomorrow the cheap sherry goes in. I checked the Lumberjocks website as well and the majority of replies were to soak the kegs in water in a sink to swell them but also to change the water each day. I didn't need to soak them in water but I hope the water I put in will not have tainted the barrels. Anyway, the sherry in for a month to re-season the barrels with kill off any mould, etc wit the alcohol content. Thanks again for the advice.