How do I care for my oak barrel?

Empty, unused barrels can usually be stored indefinitely. Once filled with wine, the barrels must either be always full or specially treated when emptied. To store a ten gallon barrel, use the following recipe: 1 tsp. citric acid, 1 tsp. sodium or potassium metabisulfite, and enough water to fill the barrel. Bung it tight until the next use. Considering the possible loss of tannin by leaching with this conditioner, other options for your empty barrel are outlined below.

Wash out the barrel thoroughly.

Let it dry for one week without bung stopper.

Burn a sulfur stick in barrel with stopper applied. (This should take care of the barrel for one year. There is a possibility that the staves will warp using this method, so be careful. You should also refill with storage solution several weeks before reuse.)