Not sure if this is the right board but here goes.
I am a first-time barrel ager with a ten-gallon batch of an Avery Rumpkin clone sitting in a rum/ex-brandy barrel. It's been cranking with little issue since late August but recently I noticed a leak, which seemed to get slightly worse every time I tried to clean and wax it. The leak seems to have self-sealed with wort but I am concerned about secondary infections. To those advanced barrel aging folks out there: is this a dealbreaker, is there anything I can do, or is it safe to leave everything how it is?
Note: this clone ended up north of 19% ABV at around 1.023 FG; not sure how much that hinders bacteria growth.
I am a first-time barrel ager with a ten-gallon batch of an Avery Rumpkin clone sitting in a rum/ex-brandy barrel. It's been cranking with little issue since late August but recently I noticed a leak, which seemed to get slightly worse every time I tried to clean and wax it. The leak seems to have self-sealed with wort but I am concerned about secondary infections. To those advanced barrel aging folks out there: is this a dealbreaker, is there anything I can do, or is it safe to leave everything how it is?
Note: this clone ended up north of 19% ABV at around 1.023 FG; not sure how much that hinders bacteria growth.
