My first AG is (almost) in the barrel

[japsinok]

Finished the last spirit run of my first AG project (Carolina Bourbon) this weekend. It'll need to be watered down to 62.5% ABV. Sealing a 20L barrel with hot water today, and hope to fill it with spirit Monday or later this week (whenever no leaks are seen). Still have some 6-row and rye on hand, enough for maybe another gallon of hearts from a spirit run, so may go ahead and ferment two more times, enough for a small spirit run and age that in glass with toasted/charred to compare with what comes out of the barrel.

[Still Life]

Sounds great. Enjoying some Honey Bear bourbon myself and have some sitting in a tiny 3-liter barrel.
I think I have barrel envy-itis.

[japsinok]

Honey Bear Bourbon is next up for me. I have HBB envy-itis!! Though that one will likely go in a used barrel.

My very first 20L barrel has seen 3 uses aging UJSSM, and it's third filling took nearly a year to impart character/flavor. So, last summer I took the heads off, scraped and recharred inside, and made two new 1/4 sawn white oak heads (one of which is charred). Somehow I was fortunate that it did not leak after re-assembly.The new heads will hopefully impart some flavor, and the recharred staves will at least filter and color that HBB that is next in line!!.

Gotta love barrels!! Though I do love the sticks n glass too!!

[robdouglas]

Honey Bear Bourbon is next up for me. I have HBB envy-itis!! Though that one will likely go in a used barrel.

My very first 20L barrel has seen 3 uses aging UJSSM, and it's third filling took nearly a year to impart character/flavor. So, last summer I took the heads off, scraped and recharred inside, and made two new 1/4 sawn white oak heads (one of which is charred). Somehow I was fortunate that it did not leak after re-assembly.The new heads will hopefully impart some flavor, and the recharred staves will at least filter and color that HBB that is next in line!!.

Gotta love barrels!! Though I do love the sticks n glass too!!

You can also add fresh sticks in the barrel. Join them with stainless steel wire so you pull them back out again. I also age on sticks in glass until i have enough to fill a barrel. You can also put and take using glass aged to top up as you draw off.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[japsinok]

Honey Bear Bourbon is next up for me. I have HBB envy-itis!! Though that one will likely go in a used barrel.

My very first 20L barrel has seen 3 uses aging UJSSM, and it's third filling took nearly a year to impart character/flavor. So, last summer I took the heads off, scraped and recharred inside, and made two new 1/4 sawn white oak heads (one of which is charred). Somehow I was fortunate that it did not leak after re-assembly.The new heads will hopefully impart some flavor, and the recharred staves will at least filter and color that HBB that is next in line!!.

Gotta love barrels!! Though I do love the sticks n glass too!!

You can also add fresh sticks in the barrel. Join them with stainless steel wire so you pull them back out again. I also age on sticks in glass until i have enough to fill a barrel. You can also put and take using glass aged to top up as you draw off.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Thanks Rob, adding sticks to the barrel has crossed my mind, though linking them with ss hadn't occurred to me.