Harry - size matters

Rocky_Creek · Post by **Rocky_Creek** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:19 pm

Since you appear to be one of the most knowledgable posters around on many subjects, how about this; you said that 6 years was the optimum age for bourbon I believe. This would be in a 53 gallon ( 200 liter) barrel. How about a table or breakdown for diffferent barrel sizes?

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:37 pm

Rocky, I don't think that possible. Too many variables to consider (world climates, variations in processes between producers, the list is endless).

However 'generally' speaking, you can take that 6 year figure as a starting point, and if you apply the commonly held view amongst distilleries/wineries that 'bigger takes longer, smaller is quicker', you should be somewhere in the ballpark. I've seen a small batch aged in 5 litre casks that was too woody after a year, another from the same batch was opened at 7 months and was near perfect.

Whether this size/time aging relationship is linear, I don't know. I think it has more to do with the amount of wood surface area exposed to a given volume of liquid. Add in that factor and it 'may' be possible to work up some sort of formula or table. It certainly would be an interesting exercise, and one that hobbyists could pool knowledge on. Who knows? In 3 or 4 years we may just arrive at a usable graph. Now THAT is cutting-edge stuff!

Post by **Grayson_Stewart** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 4:48 pm

Anyone have drawings that show the dimensions of different size barrels?

Post by **golden pond** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 5:21 am

Grayson_Stewart wrote:Anyone have drawings that show the dimensions of different size barrels?

Gibb's Bros has that information on their webb site.