Barrel Storage

[BoisBlancBoy]

Just thought I would share this info as it might help someone out in the future. If you get an empty barrel and you need to store it for some length of time, try to store in a higher humidity place.

Reason I say this is because for Christmas 2015 I received 4- 5L Red Head barrels. One of which I used right away and the other I set up on top of my kitchen cabinets and looked great. The one I filled right away I filled with water first to cure it and check for leaks. Couple drips here and there but sealed up within 30 minutes.

Now fast forward to almost Christmas 2016, took down one of the empty barrels and tried to fill it with water! No such luck, it was leaking faster than I could put water in it. So what I ended up doing was submerging it in a bucket of water, it took 2 weeks to seal.

But the problem is my house has very low humidity especially during the heating months as I use a wood stove. So those other barrels really dried out. I checked all the empty ones and you can damn near see through them, literally in a couple spots.

[NZChris]

I woulda thought it was a bad idea to be aging a barrel for a year without it having any likker in it.

[DFitz]

No so bad really. I find filling them with hot water, 150ish degrees and soaking them in hot water over night will swell them up just fine. I find this the case unless the barrel was unfit to hold liquid to begin with.

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

Ha. I think he was referring to the travesty of losing a year of ability to age liquor.

[Deerhunter]

I would have to say barrels need to be filled with spirits for long term storage. I wouldn't want a barrel sitting around for a year filled with water. That In my opinion is the only down fault with using them. I have one 20L barrel whichtakes me quite some time to fill. I have to run 15gal of low wines to fill it. No easy task to do. That's why I'm leaning on oaking in glass jugs from now on.

[BoisBlancBoy]

I agree I would have fathered filled the barrels I just didn't have the time and product to do it. Also I didn't want to use water to keep them full while storing it, what a waste of flavor.

Basically I'm just trying to saw what not to do if you have to long term store them empty.

These Red Head barrels are not of high quality if you ask me as well.

[rgreen2002]

Leaving barrels filled with just water for an extended period of time can lead to bacterial infections (like Acinetobacter). The infections can become deeply seeded into the barrel too causing the barrel to basically become useless.

[BoisBlancBoy]

Leaving barrels filled with just water for an extended period of time can lead to bacterial infections (like Acinetobacter). The infections can become deeply seeded into the barrel too causing the barrel to basically become useless.

Good to know. High abv alcohol couldn't neutralize it?

[rgreen2002]

Leaving barrels filled with just water for an extended period of time can lead to bacterial infections (like Acinetobacter). The infections can become deeply seeded into the barrel too causing the barrel to basically become useless.

Good to know. High abv alcohol couldn't neutralize it?

I don't think so, particularly when I becomes embedded in the wood. Also.... putting too high a proof will lead to different taste profiles.

Have a look here: http://barrelbuilders.com/wp-content/up ... Manual.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

This is about wine barrels but I think most of the maintenance stuff would be translatable.

[KCbrew]

What about leaving a new barrel empty and wrapping it in saran wrap? I received a small 1 gallon barrel for Christmas and won't be ready to use it for another month or so. I have seen new barrels stored at small distilleries that are wrapped, but I don't know if they are filled with water or empty.


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[Truckinbutch]

What about leaving a new barrel empty and wrapping it in saran wrap? I received a small 1 gallon barrel for Christmas and won't be ready to use it for another month or so. I have seen new barrels stored at small distilleries that are wrapped, but I don't know if they are filled with water or empty.


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Anything like that will help . Just got 2 new Gibbs barrels last week for me and SRD . I'm an experienced woodworker and can see the changes in them in my dry living room in just a few days . I'm going to take mine to the stillhouse and wrap it in cloth . I'll keep that cloth damp to keep it swelled from the outside until I'm ready to presoak and fill it with likker .

[Oldvine Zin]

Those Gibb's barrels are so nicely made I doubt you will have any leaks in them unless you wait a few years to fill them

OVZ

[Truckinbutch]

Those Gibb's barrels are so nicely made I doubt you will have any leaks in them unless you wait a few years to fill them

OVZ

Damn fine barrels . When I know what to do to take care of them it would be sinful on my part to not do so .

[Oldvine Zin]

[
Damn fine barrels . When I know what to do to take care of them it would be sinful on my part to not do so .

Just fill them and wait a year +++

OVZ

[Truckinbutch]

[
Damn fine barrels . When I know what to do to take care of them it would be sinful on my part to not do so .

Just fill them and wait a year +++

OVZ

We are holding that thought . Thing is , me and SRD took advantage of our respective SOH's at Christmas time . We gifted them so well that they couldn't refuse us the indulgence of a couple of barrels . Now we got to still like hell to get enough to fill them . We got to keep them from getting too dry in the mean time .(The barrels I'm talking about )