An improved weight for use in fermenting vessels (e.g., glazed ceramic fermenting crocks) comprises a multi-sectioned weight made from a non-porous material. The non-porous material is preferably glass, and the glass is preferably non-leaded. In one embodiment, a number of sections of the multi-sectioned weight is 2, and in another embodiment, the number of sections is 4. Use of non-porous material renders the weight impenetrable by the fermenting liquid, and also by mold, harmful bacteria, and/or foul smells that may occur if something goes wrong during the fermentation process.

The present invention relates to a barrel lid, such as a wood wine barrel lid, that inhibits and withstands warping and/or deformation. In one embodiment, the anti-warping wine barrel head comprises a plurality of adjacent slats, a plurality of staves where at least one stave disposed between each pair of adjacent slats, a plurality of grooves disposed on a top and/or bottom surface of the barrel head where each groove is oriented at an angle with respect to the plurality of slats, and a plurality of rods disposed in the plurality of top and/or bottom surface grooves where at least one rod is disposed in each of the plurality of top and/or bottom surface grooves. In some embodiments, staves are double flanged or rectangular, and rods have a half-round cross-section or triangular cross-section. In other embodiments, a gasket may span the periphery of the barrel lid, for example, along a lip thereof. In some embodiments, a locking ring is utilized to secure wine barrel lid to the container or drum.