Traditionally, the wine was stored in oak drums, but increasingly, it is aged in giant stainless steel tanks. Steel drums have become a very economical option for winemakers, and they can always add distinctive oak flavor by using oak chips, chunks suspended inside the tank.
With a stainless steel wine barrel, winemakers reap double benefits. First, they can age wines without adding oak flavor to the wine (if they’re looking to change the flavor), and second, they can add oak chips to the steel barrel to get the exact amount of “oak” they want. If a winemaker chooses to add stainless steel barrels to her winemaking process, she will have the option to experiment and create wines that were not possible before. For example, they can make white wine by avoiding exposure to oak, and they can also closely monitor wine development with a steel wine barrel. Winemakers may use different yeasts or grapes from different plots. They can even blend the wines, oak and tank fermentation can be blended in various proportions to achieve that distinctive flavor and maximize complexity. Winemakers can now create new styles of wines, thanks to this added flexibility.
The other benefits of a stainless steel wine barrel, aside from them being truly sterile, are that winemakers don’t have to deal with issues like a floating lid with a fail-prone gasket. Steel barrels are really easy to clean with hot water, a barrel washing head, and then for a perfect finish, steam sterilize. They are designed to fit perfectly into standard wine racks and are quite easy to handle. Some winemakers choose to ferment the wine in stainless steel tanks with temperature control and aging on the lees, without the influence of oak or oxidation. This technique involves more interaction with the lees to produce a wine with richer or more complex flavors. In the case of smaller barrels, there is a guarantee of more contact with the lees compared to larger tanks (where they sink to the bottom).
Winemakers can use stainless steel wine barrels for fermentation, experimenting with flavors, storing “off-cuts” of wine under gas, and refilling the barrels. These barrels can be easily used in the transport of small volumes. Additionally, winemakers can source them according to their requirements, opting for custom sizes that can be made to order. Most wine barrels are made from 304 or 316 stainless steel and are manufactured using hydroform technology. Since they are blown with hydraulic pressure, they are highly hygienic and smooth with crack-free surfaces. These stainless steel wine barrels are available in the capacity: 5-55 US gallons, they have a steel thickness of 0.9-1.5mm which is 20-16 gauge.
Stainless steel wine barrels have become an inexpensive option for most winemakers. Oak barrels are required in large numbers for commercial winemaking. Now, since oak has a higher price, plus it is used only once or twice for storage (the wood loses its flavor and also has a short shelf life), getting oak barrels becomes an expensive affair. A winemaker can buy stainless steel wine barrels once and use them over and over for years, making them a very affordable option that requires a one-time investment and guarantees years of service.