I just bought my first barrel and opted for a paraffin-lined model. Will this work or do I need charred barrels for wine aging?
TroubleShooting
B. Copeland • Rock Hill, South Carolina asks,
I have been making wine and other spirits for a long time and have even been known to drink wine before its time. This year I decided to age some of my wine. I ordered oak kegs for this purpose, but am now confused. I had two options when ordering the kegs. I could get charred kegs or paraffin-lined kegs. I know that distilled spirits are aged in charred kegs, so I ordered the paraffin-lined kegs.
Now, every time I read anything about aging in oak there will be something mentioned about toasting the oak. Is this “toasting” just a sophisticated way of saying “use a charred keg for wine as well as for distilled spirits?” Please answer soon. My wine is in carboys right now and I am afraid that if I do not put it away soon I will not have any to age.