Small barrel aging time

[HDNB]

try using about 1/4 of a vanilla bean per gallon, split. it knocks the corners off a raw whiskey fast, without changing the flavour profile too much from the vanillins the oak introduces.

[RedwoodHillBilly]

try using about 1/4 of a vanilla bean per gallon, split. it knocks the corners off a raw whiskey fast, without changing the flavour profile too much from the vanillins the oak introduces.

Not sure that I would agree, but it won't be too bad. There is a difference, but if you are in a hurry, go for it.

If you want vanillin, you can use the "synthetic" vanilla that you can get at most supermarkets. It is made from wood (lignan actually). This is a simpler flavor, but more similar to what you would get from barrel aging. It still isn't the same. Your choice.

[OtisT]

Hi. I’ve been playing with a few small barrels recently. All med toast, med char. I’m no barrel aging expert. I’m just sharing my personal experience.

2 L Barrels. Yesterday I pulled a Bourbon after only 2 weeks in a new small 2l barrel. It smelled great, but tasted like it has gotten enough oak. I plan to age this longer in glass, adding a small amount of once used lightly toasted oak sticks to half of the batch, while letting the other half sit in glass as is. I like to smell these every few weeks for enjoyment, with the added benefit of letting out some vapor and introducing some oxygen now and again.

I recently pulled another Bourbon from a new 5 L barrel after 7 weeks. I could have let this one set longer, but I was being overly cautious and wanted to pull before I went too far with the oak and knowing I would finish these in glass. Half of this batch is in jars now with some light toast Cherry, and the other half is in jars with small amounts of light toast oak. Like with the smaller barrel, the smell is fine while the taste was heavy on the oak.

I typically age in jars with sticks, so I know theses will continue to age out in the glass. Wish I had more BadMotivator barrels to finish these in. Their low SA/V ratio along with the breath ability seems perfect for a slow finish, IMHO.

[amdamgraham]

Do I understand right that you are only putting the product in the barrel a few weeks? I have aged multiple 1L and 2L casks that are medium char from barrelsonline.com. I used to pull it after 2 months but the liquor was only pale yellow and weak oaking. Only after three months am I getting the color comparable to off the shelf liquor and it does not suffer from over-oaking at three months but I would not leave it longer mainly due to evaporation issues not flavor. As the casks age I will let product sit a little longer but I figure that 4 months is max with these little casks before I will just get impatient and also not be willing to lose volume. Who is your barrel provider - or - are you sure they are medium char?

[bitter]

+1 to der wo on the Oak aging the T-pee way.

Another option is it use Corny kegs and us sticks like you do the T-Pee way. I have 5g of Sweet Feed in one about a year old. I used less oak than the T-pee way and resulted in something oaked along the lines of some scotch.. (It is still a sugar head whiskey though) Its smooth now...... I'm sorry I left the other 2 g I have of it in gallon jugs thinking I could over oak it... well.. it almost needs more oak to me... I think I am going to finish it with sugar maple thats char'd should be really good in another year if I keep my mitts off it.

As mentioned above small barrels can over oak.. and also not the desired results... To top things off those angels for the small barrels are drunks...

B

[OtisT]

Do I understand right that you are only putting the product in the barrel a few weeks? I have aged multiple 1L and 2L casks that are medium char from barrelsonline.com. I used to pull it after 2 months but the liquor was only pale yellow and weak oaking. Only after three months am I getting the color comparable to off the shelf liquor and it does not suffer from over-oaking at three months but I would not leave it longer mainly due to evaporation issues not flavor. As the casks age I will let product sit a little longer but I figure that 4 months is max with these little casks before I will just get impatient and also not be willing to lose volume. Who is your barrel provider - or - are you sure they are medium char?

To start, I’m not claiming to be a barrel expert. After a few years of stick aging in glass, I am working with my first three small barrels (2l, 2l, 5l) and a Badmotivator barrel. I was gifted three small barrels that came from OakBarrelsLtd. Great service. I had one with a leak and they promptly replaced it. They are listed as med toast, med char. I can’t vouch for their level of toast/char other than what is documented.

Aging time: I recently pulled a Bourbon from a first use 2l barrel after only two weeks. I found the color to be thin, the smell was wonderful and had a great balance, but the taste was a whole lot of young oak. Knowing I would be aging this after barrel time, I decided to pull it out a bit early so it could finish slower, and I’d have less chance of over oaking it. I used a high ester yeast and some specialty grains for a really nice nose and I don’t want to rush it. Still in jars today, and I’m not 100% sure on my finish yet. Likely half the Bourbon will be put in a jar with half a med/light toast stick, and the other half of the Bourbon will go in an a jar with a half stick of toasted cherry. Ill check monthly, and I expect these to sit 6 month’s or more. Right now, I’m content smelling these jars daily until I am inspired to do something with them.

I recently aged another batch of honey bear bourbon in a 5l barrel for 7 weeks. Same results as above: color is almost there, the nose is good, and the taste again is heavy with young oak. After the little barrel, I threw this bourbon into a Badmotivator barrel to finish. The SA/V ratio of the badmo is close to that of a large barrel, so it can sit there some time to mellow.

I put a Bourbon/rum hybrid I call Bourbrum into a new 2l barrel for 6 weeks. I think that was a bit too long, and I have that rum on glass now mellowing. I put a second batch of Bourbrum into the same barrel, and it’s going way slower on this second use. It Has been 2 weeks in now, and it has barely picked up any color. It has a lot more time to go in that barrel.

What I’m doing with the Barrels next? It’s just my theory, but it seems the alcohol in these small barrels just does not sit long enough with the oak to produce the type and quantity of esters I want that come with longer oak aging. After I empty these barrels I am wrapping them up in plastic wrap so they stay wet (saturated with alcohol) and esterfication continues in storage. I’ll let them sit 3 to 6 month’s more before filling them again. This should create more esters in the barrel and I’ll capture some more mature esters in my next drop. I may be all wet, but that’s my theory and I’m sticking with it until I prove myself wrong.

[Worm_Drippinz]

The 2l barrels i used really aged it quick. Second time around i left them in tnere longer, but lost alot to angels share.

Bigger barrels for me from here on out or stick aging....i gave the little ones away as x mas gifts.

[OtisT]

Hi. Just an PSA to all on this thread.

The chart posted in this thread on Sept 3rd, listing barrel surface area numbers, is not accurate. There was a thread started recently listing barrel surface area numbers from many sources and the chart posted on this thread is different than all the others, with SAs more than double for each barrel size. We also did our own math and verified the consensus.

Here is the post if interested.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =4&t=68297

Otis

[Worm_Drippinz]

Hi. Just an PSA to all on this thread.

The chart posted in this thread on Sept 3rd, listing barrel surface area numbers, is not accurate. There was a thread started recently listing barrel surface area numbers from many sources and the chart posted on this thread is different than all the others, with SAs more than double for each barrel size. We also did our own math and verified the consensus.

Here is the post if interested.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =4&t=68297

Otis

I dont go by numbers myself...i just experiment here and they are to figure out what I like personally and what my friends and family like. It's funny because usually my friends are family don't give a crap they just like the free booze!

[ben stiller]

My limited experience with small barrels seems to mimic most. Too much oak and the angels take their share and then some.
I found the best use of the small barrels was to cut them up and use the oak to age the tee pee way. My 2 cents anyway.

[Worm_Drippinz]

My limited experience with small barrels seems to mimic most. Too much oak and the angels take their share and then some.
I found the best use of the small barrels was to cut them up and use the oak to age the tee pee way. My 2 cents anyway.

Yup! I didnt mean "aged" really quick. I meant OAKED.


Huge frikkin' difference.

But the angels share was STUPID. 1 qt after 1 MONTH.



Way way way to much IMO.

[The Baker]

I 'oaked' some brandy with oak ...well, splinters, really.
In little cloth bags.
Took three days.

Geoff

[OtisT]

Hi all. I was just at the local grain store and noticed their selection of new small oak barrels, from 1L to 5L. The brand is Thousand Oaks Barrels. I was surprised to see those barrels looked varnished, or waxed, or something. I've not seen any form of coating on a barrel before and I was left scratching my head as to why? The store did not know what the hell I was talking about (damn brewers , and I only got voicemail when I tried calling thousand oaks myself to get an answer.

If it's varnished or oiled, that would be just plain stupid on several levels (IMHO). The only positive thing I can think this could be is some marginally breathable wax that helps retain much of the moisture while still letting the oak breath a bit, or it's a temp coating for storage to retain moisture.

Just curious if anyone else has any idea what this mystery coating is.

[The Baker]

Shiny barrels look pretty so people who know nothing about barrels buy them.
As a man sort of gift, for their men.
Who do not really want them and they get neglected....
But that is why they are shiny, I think.

Geoff

[Antler24]

one of the tastiest bourbons I ever made was in a new 5L barrel. I put it in the barrel @ 120 proof, and left it in there for 6 months. I still think it could've gone a little longer, but it was really fine just the same.

+1. I age in 1 gallon jugs with sticks and have had ujsm that I thought was way over oaked at 6 months, so I pulled the oak. Tasting it 6 months later I decided to add another stick.

I'm starting to think that over oaking is really difficult to do, but the amount of oak corresponds with the amount of time needed to mellow. I read a blog post about a craft distiller doing aging tests with 5g barrels. They'd filled 3 barrels with whiskey and allowed to age, but due to lack of storage 1 barrel was stored elsewhere and forgot about. Tasting at 1yr didn't show much promise and tasting at 2 yrs they decided to dump the barrels and call it a loss. 4-5yrs after the barrels were filled they stilumbled upon the third and forgotten barrel, and it turned out to be a great drop of whiskey.

[kimbodious]

I'm using stick in glass for at least three months plus four weeks in a two litre cask - it seems to be workng out well!

[MarvinSutton]

StarGazer & NcHooch - thanks for the tips. I was getting frustrated because I was coming to the conclusion that I can't make a good bourbon.

I have moved to all grain (from uncle jesse) - but it takes me 2 mashes (6 gal at a time) to make enough for a 3L barrel. So it takes me a long time - and not getting anything I liked was discouraging.

This run - while still harsh on the front end - finally had taste that I liked. A lot. I don't mind putting in glass for a bit as well - but does anyone sell bad motivators? I just don't have time to make one.

[HDNB]

I don't mind putting in glass for a bit as well - but does anyone sell bad motivators? I just don't have time to make one.

congrats on getting closer to your goal. airing helps that front end bite...as does barreling.

have you tried Pm'ing Bad Mo for your other problem? and nothing against bad mo, he's a long term contributor in good standing...but since i got a green jacket atm, i gotta say i'm not promoting or advocating commerce between members, and the site bears no responsibility for my suggestion.