Head Space in an Oak Barrel?

[ccollins123]

Greetings to all. I am relatively new to spirits but I have been making wine for 15 years with great success. I have a 5 Gallon Oak Barrel that I have used for my full bodied red for the last 5 years. I believe it has reached the point of no return for wine, but I am wondering:

1. Will it still impart good flavoring for my brandies and whiskeys?

2. Do I have to worry about head space in a distillate as I do for wine? For example, can I put 3 Gallons into a 5 Gallon barrel without the distillate going bad?

Many thanks for the advice.

CMC

[junkyard dawg]

Head space is not going to be good for distillate for the same reasons its not good for wine.

or beer,

or soda,

or virtually every thing.

I would think that a well used oak barrel would be nice to have. It will surely add some character to the distillate, but not close to what it would be like new.