aging in 5ltr oak barrel

[MuleKicker]

my shit in the bottles looks great, tastes.......not so great. I know its early and im being impatient. But it scares me. I just need to wait longer......and forget about it. soon I will have sampled it all away and have nothing good left.

[Kentucky shinner]

soon I will have sampled it all away and have nothing good left.

LOL

[GreyGambler]

I let mine sit for 33 days at 55% abv in first barrel, turned out good now have second batch in and its been two weeks slight color strong taste this might take awhile longer

[Kentucky shinner]

What size barrel did you use GG?

[mikeac]

Just found this thread! I have two 5 liter barrels and a 1 liter barrel. I've used the 5 liter ones a few times and am just trying the 1 liter one now with some UJSM. Thought I'd add what I've found out so far:

I tried rum in the 5 liter to start with, and it kills the rum, the new barrels and the large surface area just doesn't work out [well didn't for me ] It started tasting like wood without doing anything beneficial (and I tasted every other day...)

Next I tried DWWG in the 5 liter: I really didn't know what to expect so my process was a little convoluted. I made sure I had enough white dog to fill both the barrel and an extra wine bottle. Every few day I took a taste of the keg and a taste of the wine bottle, if the barrel tasted better, I took a bottle worth out of the keg and topped it up with the first wine bottle. So in total I was really aging 5.75 liters. This seamed to work really well for me and it's what I'd continue to do. The spirit in the wine bottle doesn't age much, so you get an idea of how the flavor develops with time.
If you get to a point where the stuff in the wine bottle tastes better, empty your keg, she's done!

I'm trying to tire out my barrels a little then try rum again... Might put some wine in there for a few days before the run, I think many rum barrels are old wine barrels...

PS While you start the process with 5.75 liters, you may find you only have the 5liters left by the end

[Kentucky shinner]

I made sure I had enough white dog to fill both the barrel and an extra wine bottle. Every few day I took a taste of the keg and a taste of the wine bottle, if the barrel tasted better, I took a bottle worth out of the keg and topped it up with the first wine bottle. So in total I was really aging 5.75 liters. This seamed to work really well for me and it's what I'd continue to do. The spirit in the wine bottle doesn't age much, so you get an idea of how the flavor develops with time.
If you get to a point where the stuff in the wine bottle tastes better, empty your keg, she's done!

I'm trying to tire out my barrels a little then try rum again... Might put some wine in there for a few days before the run, I think many rum barrels are old wine barrels...

PS While you start the process with 5.75 liters, you may find you only have the 5liters left by the end

Let me get this right.You filled up your barrel and every few days basically you drained out 750 ML and added the new to it and then just rotated out until the taste was where you wanted it?

[MuleKicker]

hows yer stuff coming shinner? Gettin better or what?

[Kentucky shinner]

pretty damn rough right now.. I going to drain one and just leave the other and see what happens with it.. It just taste like wood to me. I am hopping it will smooth out once I put it to bed. I plan on bottling it and leaving it for a year,( if i can)
KS

[MuleKicker]

Tastes like wood? Thats no good. I never had any yet that got the wood flavor and lost it later in life.... Not to spoil yer hopes. Is it loosing the bite?

[mikeac]

Yup, that's exactly it. The first couple of batches oaked really fast (I think my one liter batch is done and it's been a week...) after that it slows down a lot.

[Kentucky shinner]

ya the bite is better

[Mud Mechanik]

Damm KS, I hate your having trouble with the barrels, I feel responsible for you buying them, I have just had good luck with them. MM

[Kentucky shinner]

A hell dont worry about it MM I was going to get me some anyway. Have yours ever tasted like wood? I am hoping if I leave it longer maybe it will fade
what do you think..

[Dnderhead]

that is one of the problems with small barrels they "flavor" more than age.
also to high of ABV will bring out more "wood" flavor.
best at or about 50-55% you mite try even lower it those small ones.

[MuleKicker]

So can you take it out of the barrel early and finnish in an open bottle?

[Dnderhead]

yes that is what Id try. but let me say that I do not use barrels that small. after you build up some barrels on hand maybe try the soaera system.
with what Iv read about them there just not worth the money.if it just flavors then you mite better just age on wood.

[blind drunk]

For me, I'd rather a barrel with almost no oak left in it and use it only for its breath ability. Then I'd oak with stick. Just a thought, bd.

[Mud Mechanik]

A hell dont worry about it MM I was going to get me some anyway. Have yours ever tasted like wood? I am hoping if I leave it longer maybe it will fade
what do you think..

As Dnder said, I don't think the wood taste will ever fade, though the bite will dissapear with time. You could try and dilute the oaked stuff with a good neutral of the same proof, that may help. MM

[Kentucky shinner]

I think after doing more research the wood taste it my fault. I put my barrels in the freezer for about 1 week the second week after filling them. I have read this is called distressed aging which is really not recommended. experiment that did not work for me.
I think I am going to dump what is in my barrels into a stripping run with some ujsm wash then try it again without putting in the freezer...
KS

[NcHooch]

So, whats the consensus here on the aging period? ...
I just filled mine up this past weekend with NChooch's 60% ABV Carolina bourbon.
I'm thinkin either somethin like 2-3 months or 2-3 years
NChooch

[Kentucky shinner]

Well Rockchucker My hooch is still in the barrels. I pulled a little sample day before yesterday and I honestly think the flavor is starting to smooth a little. It does not taste so woody to me now. I have stopped sampling it every couple of days. It has been two weeks since I pulled a sample. I guess I am going to let this experiment go for one year and see what happens. If you use them I would suggest the first batch to only leave in for about 2-3 weeks then pull you a sample if the taste is to your liking then empty it and refill. I really think I screwed the pooch on mine by trying to force age it in the freezor to 2 weeks... Damn it really got oaky.. so decided to just leave it in the barrels for 1 year and see what happens. Kind of my little experiment with ageing in the little 5 liter cask. The color is great it looks wonderfull in the glass.. the flavor is really not what I am looking for though.. guess I will find out next June..

[Kentucky shinner]

Ya fill up your barrels and just make sure and sample it I would say every week. When you start to taste the oak. I would drain it and age it in a jar where it can air out some. The refill the barrel with more spirit and again taste it each week. I think you will find the second aging will be better.

[NcHooch]

Ya fill up your barrels and just make sure and sample it I would say every week. When you start to taste the oak. I would drain it and age it in a jar where it can air out some. Then refill the barrel with more spirit and again taste it each week. I think you will find the second aging will be better.

KS, you make it sound like we's got gallons of white dawg layin around just waitin to be aged ....Dang, took me a whole month to collect 5 liters of 60% to fill it the first time.

NChooch

[Kentucky shinner]

You will.

[MuleKicker]

Ya know, they say the second aging with them small barrels is better. I wonder if a guy could use heads/tails junk likker to age the first time to burn it out a bit before puttin the good stuff in. Or if that flavor would wreck the barrel all together.
maybe a dumb idea...... I have those sometimes.

[Kentucky shinner]

I have been wondering the same thing Mulekicker. I thought I read on here somewhere that Rockchucker said he filled one of his barrels with some sacrificial hooch.. I am guessing it's just some shit he had laying around.

[Kentucky shinner]

Ill tell ya the shit that came out of my barrels after 2 months, hell I would rather suck a fart out of a chickens ass than drink that shit....

[Rumstill]

Would it do damage to put a high ABV in the barrel to fade the wood tastes out of it? just basically put a neutral 60-65 in there for a few months to slow it up so you could run rum in it for a lot longer to be able to age rather than flavour

[NcHooch]

Would it do damage to put a high ABV in the barrel to fade the wood tastes out of it? just basically put a neutral 60-65 in there for a few months to slow it up so you could run rum in it for a lot longer to be able to age rather than flavour

That's normal aging strength, so it's safe to say that you wouldn't be damagin it.

NChooch

[Kentucky shinner]

I think Im gonna dump one of these little barrels in my next fients run... and start over with it. I just dont believe the wood taste will go away. I will let you know how it comes out.