Wooden Barrels

Any hardware used for mashing, fermenting or aging.

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Grayson_Stewart
retired
Posts: 1030
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:56 am

Wooden Barrels

Post by Grayson_Stewart »

Brought over from old forum:

DrippingSprings
(stranger)
08/31/04 10:20 PM
Wooden Barrels



I made a discovery today that was the culmination of alot of sweat and tears all for nothing.

Four years ago I was gifted two of the once used barrels that can be bought from a certain distillery in Lynchburg Tenn.

I filled both up and set them in my celler and kept a watchful eye on them. I dont particularly like their original product especially the reg and have only a taste for their Single Barrel product.

I had a barrel that I bought new for the same purpose and I had it charred etc.

I opened them up today. The two once used barrels had some of the most vile crud I have ever tasted and my new barrel had some really good quality stuff in it.

Lesson learned. Dont put good stuff in a once used barrel from Ol Number 7. Over 100 gallons all the worst I have ever tasted.

I hope this will stop someone who may be considering using one of those once used barrels. Lotta good quality hooch just wasted.

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Blanchy
(enthusiast)
08/31/04 10:27 PM
Re: Wooden Barrels [re: DrippingSprings]



DS,

I gotta imagine that a lot of those barrels you described end up being used to store scotch. No offense, but are you sure it was a barrel issue.

100 gallons of hooch? How long did that take to make?

Chuck

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DrippingSprings
(stranger)
08/31/04 11:10 PM
Re: Wooden Barrels [re: Blanchy]



Well without sending it to a lab somewhere its the only thing I can figure. I have some in bottles from the same stuff that is fine. So is the new barrel. These two barrels were gotten by buying a barrel of Single Barrel from JD. You get a pallet with all the cases of JD and the barrel it came from. You can pick up the whole barrel of Single for 9 grand. They throw in the barrel for free when you buy the whole thing. So my friend bought two. He gets 10 bucks a shot for the single and makes about a huge return on the 9 spent.

At that time I was privy to a large setup. It didnt take very long. The propane is what got him caught as he had three boilers and was putting out about 600 a month. propane guy got curious over the high usage and reported him. I watched him get five years and re retired to making small scale for personal use. All came out of the same boilers etc. I just dont know what else it could have been.



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rebel
(stranger)
09/01/04 04:58 AM
Re: Wooden Barrels [re: DrippingSprings]



oh man that was a huge bummer.I'll never understand why some people gotta stick there big fat noses in other peoples business.

make beer not war

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theholymackerel
(enthusiast)
09/01/04 06:14 AM
Re: Wooden Barrels [re: rebel]



>>I'll never understand why some people gotta stick there big fat noses in other peoples business. <<

They do though. And that's why sellin' yer booze is a bad idea. With easier, faster, and legal ways to make $ why would anyone sell booze?






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pothead
(enthusiast)
09/01/04 09:13 AM
Re: Wooden Barrels [re: theholymackerel]



"They do though. And that's why sellin' yer booze is a bad idea. With easier, faster, and legal ways to make $ why would anyone sell booze? "

Exacly....I think its much more fun to make stuff for personal consumption anyway, that way when you let a friend try some, you know that it is the first time they have had anything like it. If it is overproduced, everyone has already tried it and it takes the fun out of it.


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DrippingSprings
(stranger)
09/01/04 09:19 AM
Re: Wooden Barrels [re: theholymackerel]



Its all acording to what the risk is worth for you mack. He will probably get out in three years or less and I guarantee you he wont have to work for several years. When I was alot younger I risked it because I could make about four times my state income level fairly easy. I was involved in good clean quality product so I had nothing to be ashamed of at the time. It all went to professional establishments and not to underage drinkers etc. When I had my children I decided it wasnt worth the risk to me. I made the three barrels and about a hundred bottles just to try it and see how well it would be after a few years of sitting. If the new barrel and bottles is an indication then I was on the right track just wrong containers. With what I have now it would take forever to fill the barrels lol. At my age recreational shining is more than enough for me. But at my friends age I was just as eager to do what he was doing.

Its common knowledge that most bars water down their hard liquor to make it stretch. I wonder why the feds dont go after them? They are paying taxs on say a gallon and selling a gallon and a half out of it. They are taking taxs away just like us.

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theholymackerel
(enthusiast)
09/01/04 09:25 AM
Re: Wooden Barrels [re: DrippingSprings]



I repeat: Why sell illegal booze when ya can MUCH more money legally and easier?

Makin' quality booze is alot of work and there isn't alot of profit in it.

I only work a couple of hours a week and make enough money for my wife and I to live nicely. We own our trucks and the house... we even added to the house this summer! All legal and just a few hours a week.




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theholymackerel
(enthusiast)
09/01/04 09:28 AM
Re: Wooden Barrels [re: DrippingSprings]



I'll tell ya somethin' else DS... if there are any law enforcement types moniterin' this board you've allready made enough remarks to warrant some closer attention.

I wish ya luck.




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cartouche
(member)
09/01/04 09:49 AM
Re: Wooden Barrels [re: theholymackerel]



Gee THM,
What do you do ? I work my arse off 7 days a week (except during hunting season) to make ends meet !
Would you mind sharing ?

C.

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tater
(addict)
09/01/04 09:51 AM
Re: Wooden Barrels [re: DrippingSprings]



what was youall makin dp?

Theres more old drunks then there are old doctors

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theholymackerel
(enthusiast)
09/01/04 02:27 PM
Re: Wooden Barrels [re: cartouche]



I'm a jewler. I like it and it pays great. If yer workin' yer arse off seven days a week I truly hope ya like yer job. If ya don't like it find somethin' ya do like.




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cartouche
(member)
09/01/04 05:13 PM
Re: Wooden Barrels [re: theholymackerel]



I am a furniture maker, I love my job but people don't have much money these days to spend on high end furniture.

C.

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DrippingSprings
(stranger)
09/01/04 08:36 PM
Re: Wooden Barrels [re: cartouche]



Well mack the only thing I am guilty of is making small quantities for me and family and friends. No more illegal than anyone else in here that lives in the US. As far as the law I aint worried about that. There are that I know of seven bootleggers (i live in a dry county) that sell hundreds and hundreds of cases of beer etc. I dont think my small set up would warrant a passing glance. I am the stereotypical southerner. My uncle is a State Trooper, Aunt is city Seond cousin is Sheriff of Walker County,. Tom Bevill congressman of more than half my life is second cousin. Hell with all the meth labs I am not worth the trouble.

So several years ago I was involved in a large setup. I cant be prosecuted for something I am not doing now.

According to Jim Underwood US Marshall from my area meth labs are the shine of the new millenium. Hesaid they figger for every lab busted there are a hundred going unnoticed. And they sure are busting them left and right. Not enough money in shine anymore I suppose. Once was a great market locally but most of the coun ties within a hundred miles have gone wet.

So meth is the rage now. They can have it.

Tate we used to make a quality sour mash whiskey at a large rate long ago. Now its just me and a few bottles here and there.

I havnt been near a large setup in twenty years til I boroowed the one that got busted for a short run to fill the barrels as a experiment.

Mack I made my living in auto parts and real estate. All legal like. I never depended on shine after I had kids that are grown now. I had a couple NAPA parts stores and bought real estate rentals for my retirement. So I DO make a legal living.

I take it from your comments that you question the quality because of the old quantity that we used to make. Quality isnt limited by numbers. If you can make a good whiskey one gallon at a time you can make the same on a larger scale. I dont see your comparison at all. You saying that you cant do simple multiplication to make on a larger scale?

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Blanchy
(enthusiast)
09/01/04 08:59 PM
Re: Wooden Barrels [re: DrippingSprings]



DS,

How do you handle the large amount of grain required on a large setup?

Chuck

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grayson_stewart
(member)
09/01/04 09:21 PM
Re: Wooden Barrels [re: DrippingSprings]



Woohoo...another Bama boy...and from my old stomping grounds at that.

Good things may come to those who wait. But only the things left by those who hustle.
Light travels faster than sound. That is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
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