barrel age brett saison: after cleaning getting some greens

[Pdaigle]

Hi,

Did this brett saison and aged it for 10 month in a red wine oak barrel and it went fine. After cleaning my barrel, I noticed some green color forming around my bungs and wondering if this is normal.
To me it doesn't since I'm thinking mold.

Need help. thx
Patrice

 

[goodolarchie]

Can you post a photo? Usually my bungs get a few black rings from the toasted wood, or red if there was wine in there.

 

[Pdaigle]

Photo

 

[Pdaigle]

Can you post a photo? Usually my bungs get a few black rings from the toasted wood, or red if there was wine in there.

Below

 

[goodolarchie]

Yeah, looks like mold to me. Not just because it's green, mostly because it's fuzzy.

 

[Pdaigle]

Below

Yeah, looks like mold to me. Not just because it's green, mostly because it's fuzzy.

Anything I can do?

 

[goodolarchie]

Anything I can do?

How much time do you have on your hands, and how much do you want to rescue this barrel? I'd be more concerned with how mold formed in the first place, it assumes a moist environment. You could end up restoring the barrel and then it forms all over again, so take care to treat the disease not just the symptoms.

Best advice is empty the barrel, pull that spigot and scrub that port with near-boiling water. You'll have to really work at it. Then you're better off installing something like this: Barrel Sample Valve or even better Threaded Barrel Tap | Tri Clamp 1 in. for 1.125 in. Bung Hole - SS304

Make sure the boiling water can really swell in and out of the pores, you don't want any spores surviving.

 

[mashpaddled]

Yeah, definitely mold.

Is the mold just at the exterior wood? If so I'm not sure I would be concerned about trying to eliminate it. A small amount of moisture is seeping out but if it's not getting past the wood personally I would just try to tap the bung in a little harder with a rubber mallet at most.

If it's getting in and growing between the bung and the hole I would drain, sanitize as best you can with taking out the bung and then try to tap the bung in harder with a rubber mallet. I'd also consider using hot wax to seal around the bunghole to try to keep mold spores from setting at the joint.