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Picking up a new 53 gallon barrel tomorrow for $194...

Gotta work on filling it...bourbon would be logical choice. But considering the oat, wheat, rye whiskey. Any thoughts?

Hambone wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2020 4:35 pm Picking up a new 53 gallon barrel tomorrow for $194...

Gotta work on filling it...

You've definitely got your work cut out for you if you're planning to fill a 53g. Do you really have that kind of capacity?

But the question, do you really want to gamble so much on a single product/barrel combination? You might consider breaking it down and using the staves.

Don't wish to diminish your excitement!

I'd do a bit of math here. Not going to do it but say you make 3 Gals a week to age. Fill to angels share is a bit of time. New barrels at that size and price are hard to turn down. I live on a wine trail and think I would offer it up to a winery to make the first fill and try like hell to fill a 3 some of 15.5s with age stock when bottle day rolls around. Nice buy though.

I've got several smaller ex-bourbon barrels, this is first new barrel. Couldn't resist the price, and no delivery cost.

30 gallon boiler, but yup...I've got my work cut out.

Expat wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2020 4:46 pm

Hambone wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2020 4:35 pm Picking up a new 53 gallon barrel tomorrow for $194...

Gotta work on filling it...

You might consider breaking it down and using the staves.

I actually will hit up the cooperage for picking up "cull" staves that are already aged. The cooperage is in my home town, only an hour from where i live now...

Hambone wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2020 5:01 pm

Expat wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2020 4:46 pm

Hambone wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2020 4:35 pm Picking up a new 53 gallon barrel tomorrow for $194...

Gotta work on filling it...

You might consider breaking it down and using the staves.

I actually will hit up the cooperage for picking up "cull" staves that are already aged. The cooperage is in my home town, only an hour from where i live now...

Dam, that's a boon. Would be nice to have that kind of access.

To your other question, I'd go for Honey Bear Bourbon, it's an excellent drop!

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=67346

I'm pullin' for ya, Hamboner. Just don't get hooked on your drop, white. It'll just make for more batches!

That's over 200L you sure have bitten off a big bit there.... best get chewing.
My biggest barrel is 98L .....I know how much work has gone into filling it. Wish you luck

Dude.
53 gallons of homemade hooch and you asking “any thoughts”?
Nice barrel, but just not practical.
Possible, but almost certainly not the best way to discover your best spirit.

Make a good whiskey, hone your skills, then I’ll support your madness.

hello,
sounds cool! but will take a hell lot of time to fill that elephant..Anyway, pls do share the pic of brand new barrel. i never seen one in my life.........

cheers
Ravi

Put down a 5 gallon barrel first. Then you can celebrate filling the 53 gallon barrel with some nicely aged Whiskey from your first barrel. Otis

Best get about 30 L into that barrel asap so that it doesn't dry out.

I've been filling 5 gallon barrels using two 15 gallon kegs as a boiler/thumper and 2 fermenters. It takes me over 2 weeks going as fast as the ferments are done to fill a 5 gallon barrel. When I move next year I plan on starting up 3 soleras with a 25 gallon, 2 10 gallons and 3 5 gallons. One solera for Bourbon, one for rum, and the 3rd for Scotch. When I did a though experiment about filling the 25 gallon barrels I realized the ENORMOUS cost of raw ingredients and propane.....A full sized barrel would take me almost an entire half year of flat out distilling, and a huge financial loss from my divorce that would likely happen! If adding the cut distilled spirits directly to the barrel after every spirit run, then by the time I've made enough to be technically half full the loss to the angels from too much head space might set me back weeks of distilling....poof!


But good luck to ya!

Hambone, I read a thread a few years ago, thinking it was on Pint's website where a guy was embarrassed about buying only a single 53 gallon barrel from the Cooper, so he ordered two and he said "they still seemed a bit annoyed that anyone would want only two barrels". Sounds like you found a great source!

Next, the guy said he went on to fill one of his new full-size barrels with sugar shine and if I remember him correctly he said he worked very hard all summer and spent $600 on sugar.

Very impressive project you have going, definitely fill your new barrels with bourbon.

It’s obviously a once in a lifetime volume. I’ve had small barrel stuff I’ve made and said “I wonder if traditionally aged would be different”. Figure might be something special 10 years from now.

Going to be a lot of work. But it’s like they say: the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. So I’d better get cracking if I’m ever going to do it...

That is an awfully big barrel.
Think about just the logistics of moving, storing, filling and draining that barrel.
It will take a very long time to fill and during that time a large portion of the barrel will be drying out causing leakage and a greater angels share.
I like a ten gal barrel as it is not to hard to fill and I can make different grain bills to try different combinations. Also a lot easier to handle.
I know it seems like a great price but in the end maybe not so much.
I use Barrel Mill barrels and they run $175.00 for a ten gal
https://www.whiskeybarrel.com

Got several Barrel Mill barrels and they’re great. But I got a wild hair to do it, so...

Maybe this will be the first really stupid thing I’ve done in my life....

get a few empty kegs and fill them first, that way you won't have to combat the angles so hard.
just rehydrate the barrel when you think you're about ready to fill it at least half full

best of luck to you, it's a tall order

Going to store the product in carboys until I’ve got over half volume. Gonna be a long summer...

Hambone wrote: ↑Wed Jun 17, 2020 6:10 am Going to store the product in carboys until I’ve got over half volume. Gonna be a long summer...

30 gallons whiskey in glass?

Please start a thread on your progress!

Beerswimmer wrote: ↑Wed Jun 17, 2020 8:02 am Please start a thread on your progress!

Why should he start a new thread?
Just stick with the one he has already started here

How's the filling going Hambone?

Yeah hows the filling going we want to know with that 30 gallon pot over there

Been a little under the weather for a bit...the hot weather. Have held off on fermenting as my last rum ferment is hanging at 87.5 degrees. Doubt that's optimal for a bourbon. Until then, I'm using the barrel for a hot tub....

Ok, so we're 1.5 months from last update! How's it going???