200 Ltr/55 Gal oak barrel

[rednose]

A friend of mine offered me a 55 gal oak barrel which cointained boubon whiskey before.

We closed the deal in 100 USD and a gallon of fine UJSSM hooch.

Now, how to use it?

It didn't have any likker in it for about a year or so and needs to be cured, I was reading that you do that with water untill it get completely sealed.

I want to fill it with UJSSM hooch, take out what I need at any time and refill it when distilling, would you make it like that?

I don't plan to burn it inside as I simply don't have enough knowledge of that.

Thanks for any comments

Joe

[rednose]

Bump

Nobody use oak barrels?

[rubber duck]

I don't use barrels that big but a barrel is a barrel. I fill mine full of dechlorinated water and keep it topped off till it quits leaking. When it stops leaking I let it sit for 24 hours then I dump it and fill it with my hotch. Simple as that. One thing that might differ is that I fill my barrels in one shot and keep them topped. I don't know if it's good for the barrel to slowly fill them op over a few months, seems like it would dry out.

[rednose]

Thanks for the comment Rubber Duck.

I filled it yesterday with fresh rainwater (we are in raining season) and water got out faster than in, lol.

Today it looks like a little cured, not many leaks are detected.

I wouldn't take out more than 1/3 of the hooch but I was thinking using the same receipt over and over the variation between one run to the other wouldn't be any biggy mixing the new with the already aged stuff.

I'm stilling twice a week actually with a total of 300Ltr wash and don't know where to store all that stuff, one 50Ltr beerkeg is full of 75%ter now, even with heavy testing parties running.

Selling is no good idea until I have the official permit but storing in oak will help for better flavor.

May you store aligned (40%) in foodgrade plastic vessels? They do that here with the local sugarcane spirit (about 50 to 60%) but is that safe?

I don't use barrels that big but a barrel is a barrel. I fill mine full of dechlorinated water and keep it topped off till it quits leaking. When it stops leaking I let it sit for 24 hours then I dump it and fill it with my hotch. Simple as that. One thing that might differ is that I fill my barrels in one shot and keep them topped. I don't know if it's good for the barrel to slowly fill them op over a few months, seems like it would dry out.

[Fester]

i've worked with barrels before but they were new and not used ones.
the way i was told and what i followed was simple and worked for me.
fill the barrel with water as hot as you can make it and plug the barrel. then roll it around for about an hour.
it will seal up quickly but be careful because it will be under pressure.
when you knock out the bung it can pop like a champagne cork and hurt you.
and yes, basically you want to always keep the barrel full to prevent dry staves/leaks. but beware that after 2 days water can sour in a barrel so you don't want to keep water in a barrel for very long.
and 200 liters is closer to 53 gallons than 55.

[rednose]

Thanks for the hot water tip Fester, my homework for tomorrow.

The guy who sold me the barrel was talking about 200Ltr and later 55 gal but I guess he don't know exactly what it holds.

I had 4 of those antic french oak ones but cut 'em in half 2 years ago for decorating my bar, could bite me in the a$$ now.

[Fester]

I had 4 of those antic french oak ones

if you had french oak (wine barrel) it may be closer to 60 gallon. but a 200 liter barrel is "trying" to be 52 gallon. a barrel is handmade and not precise but the target is 52 gallons or about 200 liters for whiskey. it is a bitch to fill it, i know cause i did it and i keep it full spite the angels. next time get something reasonable like a 20 gallon barrel. a 52 will make you work your ass off. but it is so very cool when you do fill it, huh?

[Dnderhead]

throw that sucker in a pond.

[Fester]

i am thinking mr. dnderhead is right. throw it in the pond like the ole boys do if you got a pond close by. it is wood after all and will swell up when wet real good. but i don't have a pond close by so i used the hot water. wishing i had a barrel pond though. two or there days submerged in water would swell up the wood really good I recon.

[rednose]

Don't have pond but pool, pool has chlorine.

Hey wait, my neigbor has a Tilapia (fish) pond.

throw that sucker in a pond.

[Dnderhead]

could ya rap that thing in plastic so you don't loose so much water? going to take some time to soak that up.
had some that I patched with cattail.beeswax also helps.

[blind drunk]

I have a same size barrel (empty) and what I do is keep the outside of it wet with a hose in the summer and leave it out in the rain during the rainy season. Working fine as I check it once in a while. bd.

[rednose]

The beewax trick they use here for pechiche (a wood, but don't like the taste) barrels.

I'm sure that with the pond it'll be ok, hope the wikki won't taste fishy later on.

could ya rap that thing in plastic so you don't loose so much water? going to take some time to soak that up.
had some that I patched with cattail.beeswax also helps.

[Dnderhead]

you just put the wax on the outside of the leaks, to hold the water in until it does soak up.

[rednose]

Oki, will do that, thanks Dnderhead.

you just put the wax on the outside of the leaks, to hold the water in until it does soak up.