Congrats on embarking on the ever-fascinating and (just as often) maddening adventure of using oak in home winemaking! You’ve discovered what many of your predecessors already have — that it is sometimes difficult to locate appropriate equipment, additives and supplies, especially in the smaller quantities and sizes that so many of us home winemakers require. Rather than waste any more time on the Internet (which we all need like another hole in the hogshead) looking for blueprints for barrel racks, I would just make like a Burgundian and get yourself some little triangular pieces of wood about 5”x3”x5”, and about 2 inches thick. I call these little isosceles wedges of scrap wood “chocks” (as I’m sure others out there do) and I use them all the time to keep barrels from rolling around in my cellar. You need four per barrel and all you do is position your barrel (bung hole up of course) on the floor where you want it in the cellar (or garage, or back porch, etc.) and then shove your handy wooden triangles under the barrel
This content is only available to members.Could you provide me some ideas on an easy and cost effective way to properly frame a stand for my barrels?
TroubleShooting
Roman Gorecki via email asks,
I am a novice winemaker who recently purchased a new 15-gallon (57-L) American white oak barrel. While going through the purchasing process, I realized that there are an abundance of products to choose from. However, it appears that the vast majority of barrels on the market do not come with a storage stand or rack. I have spent many hours (to no avail) researching on the Internet how to build a cradle or stand for my new barrel. I have come across some vague references, but no specific instructions. I am looking to build something at a height that is convenient for racking. Could you provide me some ideas on an easy and cost effective way to properly frame a stand for my barrels?
