Oak barrel sterilization help please.

[jubby]

I have a 15 litre oak barrel which i used last year to age cider. When I emptied it, i rinsed well and filled with water to keep it hydrated. I now want to sterilize it for use again this year. Last year I steamed it (it was new) but lots of melted wax came out of the tap hole, so I assume that it's probably not a good idea to do this again. I have searched the internet for answers but all of the stuff recommended is not available to the public ( sulphur dioxide, formaldehyde, sulphur strip burning)

Anybody got any idea what to sterilize it with??

I will be soaking the barrel in dark rum for a few weeks before racking cider into it. Will that be enough on it's own, or should I sterilize it as well?

[escapizm]

DO you have a wallpaper stripper, steam that bad boy...



Turn it upside down and let condensed water run away...

Job done

[jubby]

Yes, that's what I used last time, but the barrel is sealed inside with wax which started to melt and run out with the condensed water. I am a bit concerned that if it all melts away, the barrel will leak. What do you think?

[escapizm]

Ooh couldn't say...

[GARYSMIFF]

I read a Sulphur Candle is the way to go?

http://www.cider.org.uk/part3.htm

[yogester]

I will be soaking the barrel in dark rum for a few weeks before racking cider into it. Will that be enough on it's own, or should I sterilize it as well?

Not to be picky but the correct term is sanitization... just a little pet soap box of mine.

Having had to sanitize lots of barrels for wine the best and safest sanitizer for oak is SO2. Since SO2 is present in molecular form when at a low pH adding some Citric acid to your sulphur rinse would help.

1. Fill barrel to 1/3 with boiling water. Bung it up tight, roll it around and leave until temperature drops to around 70 Celcius.
2. Empty Barrel.
3. Make up a sulphur rinse of 10g of Citric Acid and 20g of Sodium Metabisulphate (NaMBS) per Gallon up to half way. Bung up tight and roll the barrel as many times as you can handle.
4. Top with water to the brim and rebung.
5. Leave for 48 hours.
6. Rinse thouroughly.

Please open all the windows before playing around with SO2... you'll thank me.

If you ever have the barrel unfilled, fill with a 5g of Citric + 10g of NaMBS per Gallon solution all the way to the top. Such treatment keeps the barrel swelled and also helps reduce the chance of any Brettanomyces or Saccharomycodes etc hiding away snacking on wood pentoses waiting to ruin your next fill of sugary apple juice.

Also nasties love to hang around the bung hole and so always keep it meticulous. I always give mine a spay with isopropyl alcohol (or vodka) every time I take the bung out.

Edit: Noticed you didn't know where to get SO2 from. You should be able to get it in powdered Sodium (or Potassium) MetaBiSulphate form from most home brew stores or on ebay