One month of 120 proof on toasted oak cubes, vs 1 month in gibbs bros SCC 1 gal barrel.
Without watering down, the barrel distillate was a little sharp and had a spice (cinnamon) note to it. Watered down to 95 proof, with a splash of honey in it....it's pretty good. I think the next batch will be better (since the barrel is worn in). Pics too dark, but easy enough to see the difference
Photo is deceiving, as we're seeing one through -maybe- one inch deep of spirits, while the jar is roughly 3 inches deep...
Also, as you use your barrel, it will color the spirit less and less. A fresh, deep char will produce a deep color in a week in any form, stick, cube, or barrel, but with time, and use, you get less and less color, though the flavors can become more complex.
Also, and likely most importantly, one month on oak, whether in cubes, sticks, or a barrel, does NOT mean aged. All you got was color, and -some- flavor. You did not attain any of the more interesting flavors that come later through the lower volatiles, the intermingling/marriage of compounds, etc... All ya got was color, and a wee bit of wood flavor. Set them aside at least a year, MINIMUM, then come back and tell us what you found. Aging, as the name implies, takes time, Son.
SCC (sap cleared charred) from Gibbs bros. After sitting with water in it for 2-3 days, it didn't leak at all, save around the bung when I didn't tap it in enough.
I was pretty surprised at the difference (regardless of container and lack of "aging", and bad pic). These little pee-shooter barrels are what they are. They'll smooth it out some and color up and flavor nicely in about a month. Does a good job, for what it is. Nobody complained that drank it, I can attest to that
I was going on the premise of 1 gal per month to keep from overoaking it. My understanding is, I'd need a much larger barrel to actually get some "age" on it — something that obviously isn't going to happen in a 1 gal barrel. A good question would be...given 1 gal/month aging time....how big a barrel does one need to actually reach the point where it "ages" ? You'd need a 12 gal barrel to age it 12 months. 12 months in a 1 gal barrel would be wood-water.
My experience tells me that time is time, no matter what size the barrel is. It takes time for the spirit to go -into- the wood to get the goodies from it, and it doesn't matter if we use a wee bit, or a lot. My take is that all of this "over oaking" mythology comes from folks trying to use more oak in a shorter time, which we all know too well doesn't work. But a lot of oak on a long time doesn't seem so bad, and in fact, is good.
In short: there is no shortcut; we can't use more oak and age for a shorter time. But we can use more oak for a long time and get -more- goodness from it. All you have to do is resign yourself to waiting a few more years.
And yes, I have done real-world tests of this. A lot of oak for just a few mont6hs tasted like firewood without the fire. Highly charred oak for just a few months tasted like a campfire. But leave either one in place for a year or more, and ah, a whole new game!
So, you have to decide; do you want to age your spirits, or do you want to simply color and flavor it?
I reckon wouldn't hurt to try with just a gallon. I could leave the barrel longer, but was afraid too given how oaky it was already, and I believe it was dunder that suggested that about the barrel size vs time. (1 month per gallon). I think that's what distilleries use as a reference too. Didn't figure on it being any different.
Yes,30-40 days per. gal. and that whould be for a new barrel, as it is used, you can leave longer.
I like "heavy toasted" then add charcoal as I want. I do this because I believe
that the charcoal absorbs "off flavors" ETC.. if you use "heavy chard" barrels
your adding these to the next filling, but I mite be wrong.also a "toasted"
barrel can easily be retoasted or chard.but for most,adding sticks/spirals mite be a better way.
my understanding is that what spirals was intended for.I think you will fiend that they fit in
the bung hole . but I have not tryed them myself. (install SS I hook on bung to retrieve ?)
