Port Barrels and port

[Dissident]

Hey all

I want to get a port barrel for home. Does anyone know of a good place that sells them? I want something that is good quality and visually appealing (though I am unsure of size).

Also - I would then want to source a nice winery or otherwise to fill it on a regular basis

Cheers!

[gadj1976]

the keg factory (I think at Tanunda) have a good range. We just got my brother in law one for his birthday.

Moving juice have the best port I've tasted. Go there - and mix it with some brandy or similar - tastes fantastic!

[Dissident]

Isn't port already fortified with brandy or something similar during the initial process?

[godoubleblues]

we got one from the keg factory at Tanunda, cant remember the price as it was about 5 years ago, we got a 5 litre one
then just dropped into Grant Burge winery and bought 5 litres of port to fill it up

we just top up with bottled port of any type and it comes out quite good

[Dissident]

Yeah I've been scouting out the Keg Factory's site...
http://www.thekegfactory.com.au/

I'm in!

[gadj1976]

Isn't port already fortified with brandy or something similar during the initial process?

Dunno, but if you mix it with Brandy, and the keg gives off an oak flavour, it's pure liquid GOLD!

[gadj1976]

Yeah I've been scouting out the Keg Factory's site...
http://www.thekegfactory.com.au/

I'm in!

Diss, I should've added that we got the 20ltr which is huge. It cost us $12 to freight it to Adelaide, which I thought was pretty good.

[Pottsy]

I've got an old 20 litre, it's a cracker. Produces port you would have to pay bucketloads of cash for, with patience. The giant size lets you get good age into it. The longer the better!

A couple of tips...

- Towards the end of swelling your wood (woo-woo) , if you can deal with the shocking waste of alcohol, add a bottle of brandy to the water once the drips have stopped. It gives the wood a real headstart and will reward you for a long time to come. Then chuck more brandy into the port! (I use nearly a bottle per 20L)

- Give the raw product time. I find a great time to fill it is near the start of summer, when port's off the agenda for a while. By the time the weather gets cold again you've had a good few months of improvement happening.

- Some people top up regularly. I find this counter productive. Hammer it in the cold months, fill it when it gets warmer and leave it, then you'll always be drinking it with a bit of age.

- I let it get too low once. Oops. Nearly lost the barrel altogether. If it gets to a third full only, fill it.

- Langmeil winery in the Barossa produces some of the best bulk port in the state. It's already got a few years behind it by the time you buy, and with a bit of wood and time quickly develops into liquid gold.

[lesthemechanic]

I got a barrel from the Keg Factory, I think it is 9 litres . I have filled it twice with bulk port from Liebichwein at Rowland flat (they are up behind Orlandos ). I have also heard that Ross Estate Winery at Lyndoch have great port blends also.
There are plenty of wineries to choose from that sell bulk port.

[therisingblues]

Isn't port already fortified with brandy or something similar during the initial process?

Yes, it is fortified with brandy which stops the fermentation process, leaving a high amount of sugar still in the wine, hence its sweetness.
Sherry is also fortified with brandy, but it is done much later in the process, after most of the sugar has been converted into alcohol already, making a much drier wine.
I love wine.

[Alaska]

I concur with getting one as big as you can fit in great for the oak flavour, also careful about letting it get low. Beware some of the smaller ones are lined and you do not get the oak at all. Also I have had mine for over 25 years and it no longer gives the oak flavour so you can add oak shavings. Probably time to buy a new one.

[Gingernuts]

Got a barrell as a wedding present last year, love it!

Keys winery in the Barossa do a 'Bastardo' port which is awesome. Also Bleasdale in Langhorne Creek do some very nice bulk port, although you have to buy their containers, you can take your own. I think even Penfolds in Magill used to do a nice bulk at the cellar door, not sure if they still do?

[The Ash Man]

I have been doing my own for the last few years and I get my bulk port from Illaparra at Tanunda
Great gear
Im also in charge of the port at the club now!
Keg Factory would have to be the best around imo

[Hazbeen]

I bought my 25 Litre keg from Illaparra at Tanunda along with 20 litres of their 3 year old tawny which I topped up with a couple of bottles of 10 year old tawny.

Illaparra's kegs are made by a cooper in the Hills from recycled wine barrels and when pricing against the Keg Factory at Tanunda were 20% cheaper.

Adding Brandy to your Port doesnt help the flavour, only bumps up the alcohol %, best to add some aged tawny and let the oak do the work on the young stuff over time.

[Pag]

Bethany Wines, just outside Tanunda, do a white port. Different, but should be tried by you all you port-lovers out there.

[Mickyj]

Now I need a Port

[Alaska]

I am not one that wants to put you off port as I am a great fan of the taste but.
Back in the day, you know “.08” the Drug and Alcohol Agency put out a floppy disk with a drinking session and time to see where you ended up. The important part to them was the initial setting up of your data, sex, weight, etc that you keyed in first. You then put in the drinks and number and time elapsed.
At the time I felt I knew the equivalent of a 6 pack and .08 this confirmed that.
However, if I put in a session with the two of us and another couple over dinner and perhaps some cards afterwards and finishing with a couple of ports about 2pm, Wow. According to the program I was not able to drive (below 0.8 before 3pm the next day). You would not stay that long or you would start drinking again! Without the port you were ok in the morning!

[Dissident]

I am not one that wants to put you off port as I am a great fan of the taste but.
Back in the day, you know “.08” the Drug and Alcohol Agency put out a floppy disk with a drinking session and time to see where you ended up. The important part to them was the initial setting up of your data, sex, weight, etc that you keyed in first. You then put in the drinks and number and time elapsed.
At the time I felt I knew the equivalent of a 6 pack and .08 this confirmed that.
However, if I put in a session with the two of us and another couple over dinner and perhaps some cards afterwards and finishing with a couple of ports about 2pm, Wow. According to the program I was not able to drive (below 0.8 before 3pm the next day). You would not stay that long or you would start drinking again! Without the port you were ok in the morning!

yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda sex yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda port yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda

Hehe

Just taking the pi$$

[overloaded]

I have had a 9L keg for years. I fill it by alternating a flagon of port and then a flagon of muskat to give it a sweeter finish and this seems to work very well.