Wooden Lids on Mason Jars?

[ThrownOlive]

Right now I'm only producing a few liters a month of distillate that I'd like to oak and I was wondering if there'd be much effect if I made some oak lids to fit underneath the sealing rings on mason jars. Then I'd just store them upside down. I'm not sure that amount of surface area would do much for jars over maybe the liter size but what do you all think?

[Prairiepiss]

There is a tread about doing this very thing around here somewhere. Can't remember who did it? It mite take some digging to find it?

[ThrownOlive]

Dang, I wasn't able to find anything. Back to digging!

[lrandall000]

I tried this a few weeks ago, the lids I have dont have enough thread to grab with a 1/4 inch thick disk. Still thinkin about trying to thin the perimeter.

[LWTCS]

Thar ya go:
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... ck+barrels

[Washashore]

I would go with 5/4" (1" nominal) oak but rabbet the perimeter just enough to allow the lid to tighten. This would eliminate the buckling that fester experienced in the thread LWTCS posted.

[maheel]

why not just throw the oak disk in the jar ?

seems a lot of work for no gain

[lrandall000]

why not just throw the oak disk in the jar ?

seems a lot of work for no gain

My thought is for the breathing that oak does, give the jar a shake now and then(to keep lid wet) It might be a good approximation of a whiskey barrel.

[24racefan]

The oak act as a wick and drains the jar if left upside down. Better to just put it into the jar and cap.

[kiwi Bruce]

I think you looking in the wrong direction. A new 2liter (1/2 Gal) Oak keg with a light char is only $30 USD. Whiskey will mature out very quickly in a small barrel, in as little a 12 weeks, just keep checking it each week. Keep distilling over the 12 weeks and save the spirit in glass. Then when the spirit in the keg is mature, replace it with that in the glass. Look at barrelsonline.com or do a Google search, there are stacks out there.

[Washashore]

I think it's the cost that spurred this idea. Even $30 for 1/2 gallon is $15 per Liter. Not cost effective if you have a sizable quantity of product to age.

By replacing jar lids with oak, it might be possible to achieve close to barrel quality for next to nothing.

[blind drunk]

Wouldn't 4-6 coffee filter around the top of a mason jar breath enough? And a correctly sized chunk of oak floating in the distillate. Wondering.

[ipee7ABV]

Wouldn't 4-6 coffee filter around the top of a mason jar breath enough? And a correctly sized chunk of oak floating in the distillate. Wondering.

i like this idea

[shadylane]

Wouldn't 4-6 coffee filter around the top of a mason jar breath enough? And a correctly sized chunk of oak floating in the distillate. Wondering.

Good idea, it's simple in concept and effective.
I like at least a gallon or more container for the oaking. Things can happen too fast in a quart jar.
I use a 2 gallon glass jar for blending. Dump in toasted oak chips. Cover with a SS sceen. And wait.
How much oak, in what shape, how much toast/char and how long is a matter of preference and/or experience.
It seems to me that exposing the shine to air takes the bite out of it. And the wood adds flavor.

The idea of useing wood lids and inverting the jars. Thats thinking "outside the box" I like that.