barrel finely came

[copperhead]

got my barrel yesterday have two 15.5 gals kegs of low wines from striping runs. from uj sour mash recipe only i cooked the grain. ready for sprit runs. rocky creek how did you prep your barrels before filling them gibbs says fill with hot water till they sill empty and fill is that it?

[junkyard dawg]

I got a gibbs. I filled it with water for a couple of weeks. I poured this out and replaced it with 120 proof.

Highly recommended...

Recommended highly....

gets better all the time. It'll stand up to a few ice cubes now and still be an amazing drink. (about 4 months...)

I have a new 5 gallon ordered. just need some time to make the filling.

Some people use barrelkleen to remove some tannins.... I haven't tried it, but don't think I need to either. I'd rather use my whiskey to mellow out the barrel. doubt the old timers used barrelkleen...

[DBM]

copperhead; Just fill your barrel with water. Every day top it off, untill it quits leaking, usually 3 or 4 days. Make a roll of screen wire and stick it in the bung hole and drain the water out. (the screen wire will keep your chared bits in). Then put the barrel where you are going to keep it and fill with whiskey that is in the neighborhood of 130 proof. That's it, the people at Gibbs usually gives you these instructions when you are placing your order.
When you are through ageing your whiskey it will come out fairley dark in color but when you water it down to 100 or 80 proof it will be the same color as (store bought).
I usually have them to drill my barrels for a spigot and get one with the barrel. When I set my barrels up I have the back about an inch or two lower than the front. That way the carbon or bits of charred oak will settle toward the back. When I fill a bottle from my barrels it comes out perfectly clean all I have to do is water it to the proof I need. 80 proof is better for sipping or doing shooters. 100 proof is better for mixed drinks. An interesting drink is a shooter of 100 proof followed with a shooter of rootbeer. (i know it sounds funny, but try it once you get some good aged whiskey)

P.S. Keep about a gallon of whisky set by to top off your barrel with. About ever two or three weeks for the first three or four months pull the bung and top it off. You will be supprised how much whiskey the wood will absorb. If you run out of whiskey to top it off with it want hurt to use water.

Here's to younger horses, faster women, more whiskey, and older money.

[golden pond]

I bypass the water and just put the liquor in, might have a drip or two out of some kegs but nothing to get excited about.

[Rocky_Creek]

What DBM said as far as conditioning the barrel.

I like a lower proof but these are all personal decisions.

[copperhead]

thanks guys i'll get to work on fill it. by the way these are great looking barrels. i have anouther 2 gal barrel full of singel malt barely whiskey also sour mash method. hope to add a new one ever 6 mounths or so. going to make stands so they will rock like a rocking chair