Robert Morey

Hi, I can't seem to download the pictures... but I have a friend who is interested. Could you please send pictures to me and to her at robertjmorey@gmail.com and davoaracely@yahoo.com. Also, where is this forklift located? Thank you! Robert

For regular wine barrels, you can use steam or hot water to wash off titrates and remnants from prior uses. For general cleaning, though, you can "barrel clean" which is basically Oxy-Clean. Make sure that you rinse well afterwards and then neutralize with citric acid and then potassium metabisulfite, and then wash more. For the outside of the fermenter, there are mildewcide coatings that you should consider because, if it gets mildew on the outside, it may eventually work its way inside. Let me know if you have any specific questions, and good luck! Robert

Hi, We have one as shown here: http://www.tcw-web.com/Products/Labelers/Labelers.htm. We don't use it anymore because it's a wet glue machine and we now use pressure sensitive labels. We're in Napa--please contact me at 707-225-4829 or robertjmorey@gmail.com. Thanks, Robert

Hello, Could you let me know what the price is? Thank you, Robert

I have a Schaefer labeler as shown here: http://www.tcw-web.com/Products/Labelers/Labelers.htm. It's used but in great condition. Since I no longer use glue labels, I would like to sell this one. Please contact me at robertjmorey@gmail.com.

Hi Phil, I agree with Rusty--if you suspect something is wrong, don't use it. Weigh the risk versus the possibility of losing that batch. Is it worth it?... Soda ash followed by citric acid, potassium metabisulphite, and hot water should clear everything out but there is always the chance that bacteria could come from between the staves. I assume you're talking about used barrels and so you should be able to afford other ones. Barring this, put some water in the barrel for a week or so, and then submit 750ml to a lab to test for bacteria, brett, and other items. It's the only way you would know for sure what is in there. If you're looking for new barrels and/or oak products, please contact me. Thanks, Robert

Hello, I am an agent for Canton Cooperage out of Lebanon, Kentucky, and have oak chips and other oak products available. We ship out of Kentucky, if that helps. Where are you located? Kind regards, Robert robert@xtraoak.com

Hi John, Leaking is never good... was this a used barrel? If so, you may have titrates between the staves or, if it dried out completely, it could have become deformed. Rubbing flour on the outside won't do anything to fix the problem. Ideally, you'd have take the bourbon out and have a professional separate the staves and figure out what's going on but that's not usually cost-effective. If the leak appears to be a hole rather than a slit, you can hammer in an oak cone (they're about 1.5cm long) and can be found at most wine supply shops or from a cooper--I have some I can send you, if you'd like. There are also chemical sealants that some people apply on the outside but, as someone who sells barrels and oak products, I can't recommend that because they may have an adverse effect on your bourbon. If you can live with the loss of bourbon, that's probably your best bet. If not, I'd suggest moving the bourbon to another barrel. Sorry--I wish I could have been of more help. Robert

I don't have much of a suggestion other than for tequila but thought I would suggest that you consider using oak alternatives like chips if you would like to use neutral barrels and save on the production costs. As for size, I believe that it only has to do with the volumes you are producing: if you don't have 60 gallons of something, use smaller barrels. Part of the reason I mention this is that smaller barrels are typically much more expensive, per capita, than larger barrels. Robert

Hey D, I used to sell corks for a living but moved on to other things (barrels and oak alternatives). I still buy corks for my own wines and currently buy them from ACI (Alvaro Coelho e Irmaos; www.acicorkusa.com) and heartily recommend them to clients of mine. They have always worked with small(er) and distant clients, and that's important to me. Plus, their corks have always come out clean. Here's my advice on buying cork: - request samples from the bale where your corks will come from (not the generic, cleaned up samples); preferably, pull those samples yourself - do your soak tests and make sure they smell good; grade them - buy your corks and then compare the grading to the samples you received and do another soak test to make sure you're happy with what you got; if you're not, make sure that your sales order allows you to reject the lot - ask for documentation on your particular bale and make sure that it's not more than one year old; QA reports should be specific to your bale and not to the general harvest year or forest they came from - personally, I don't trust the re-humidification process on dry corks but I haven't come across problems because of that, either - keep track of corked wines, complaints from clients, and complaints from your tasting room; two years from now, look back at those data and see if you still want to deal with the company you bought from - if you're getting a cheap/good deal, you're not--there's a problem with those corks I hope that helps. It's extraneous work that we winemakers wish we didn't have to do but, with a dwindling market and salespeople losing commissions, you have to do your due diligence. Robert

Hello, Pretty much any glass company or distributor you buy your bottles from can give you leads on cardboard companies, particularly if you need a custom size. The one piece of advice I have is to make sure that you are NOT buying Chinese cardboard. Chinese cardboard is both very flimsy and also be made of recycled materials that, when in contact with water, quickly develop molds and mushrooms. I had to re-package an entire vintage/varietal because there was black fuzz growing on my boxes due to the humidity of the warehouse. And the warehouse was not particularly humid, probably around 70%. Robert P.S. You're not related to Janine Garofalo, are you?!

Hi Wes, You probably mean barrel "racks" because pallets, at least in the wine industry, are squares made of pine wood and are typically used for storing/transporting cased goods. I don't have any preference or representation for Western Square but they popped up first in Google. Here's a picture of how to store barrels full of liquid: http://www.westernsq...rel_racks.html The highest I've ever seen is 6 sets of barrels when using racks. If you are just laying barrel on top of barrel (well, sideways), the highest I have seen is 3 layers but, in Tequila (Mexico), they go much higher: http://www.tequilaso...ela/index.html If you use racks and there's the possibility of earthquakes, here is a sobering test: http://peer.berkeley...ummer/wine.htm In order to avoid this, there are several ways to minimize the damage and you can find the options online but let me know if you'd like me to help you with that. I hope this helps! Robert

Hello, For "finishing," a growing number of distilleries are using new and used oak wine barrels, as well as Port and Sherry used barrels. Does anyone have any experience with new wine oak barrels and/or alternatives likes chips and staves? Or anyone interested in doing some trials with us? Please let me know. Thanks, Robert

Hi, Because the bottle may be exposed to temperature and humidity changes, you should consider using label glue, i.e., glue that is actually used on labels. Napa Fermentation Supply in Napa, California, has it--that is where I buy mine. Works great on the labels and would certainly work well on the seals. Good luck, Robert

What sort of closure is it? If it's a screwcap, I'd look primarily at defects in the bottle--Chinese bottles have been known to have uneven ridges which could allow for leakage. Check the bottle that's leaking as well as the screwcap as it's possible that the material of the screwcap got cut through during application (but that's pretty rare, IMHO). You have confirmed that the leakage is a spirit and not condensation, right? Either way, I'd take the leaky bottles back to the bottle and closure manufacturers and have them do some research. If they want to keep your business, they'll do the research... Robert