Smaller Oak Barrels

[usaftrevor87]

I'm 99.9% sure this has been covered before but I went back about 5 pages in the aging section & searched using the bar, but it said it was "too common or words"; so I just figured I'd ask it again.
I'm wondering if anyone here has actually used the really small barrels that can be purchased on Amazon or MileHi Distilling. I saw the reviews on Amazon, but I don't know if the people reviewing them are just buying store bought whiskey and dumping it in the barrels.

These are the 2 links I'm looking at:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_ ... k%20barrel" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

http://www.milehidistilling.com/search. ... el&x=0&y=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I'm assuming the ones from Mile Hi are more reputable, but has anyone used the ones from Amazon?

Thanks folks.

[MyUncleMo]

There are plenty of threads to weed through about barrels.
Here is what I distilled it down to:
http://www.gibbsbrothers.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Mile High looks nice.
It has been suggested that the others are made in Mexico with less attention to quality and materials.
Thousand Oaks says their barrels are from scraps leftover from the barrels of the big boy's in TN and KY.

I'm loving my 1 gallon gibbs. It is holding Hook Rum right now and will then be a used barrel that I can use to age my next batch a bit longer under the bung!

Good luck!

[heartcut]

I have 2 used Yellow Rose bourbon barrels and a 15 gal Garrison Bros. No complaints.

[Jimbo]

I use these 5gallon barrels from Balcones. They are available periodically online from a few shops. They are fantastic. Used about 10 months when you get them. I use them over and over again, just bore a bigger hole in the top with a hole saw, so you can drop new charred oak in there to suit. The barrel itself provides the breathing and oxidation needed, and the new oak the caramel, vanilla and all that jazz.

[13fox]

I just pulled my first AG 4 grain bourbon out of a mile high 1gal. It was also my first time aging in a barrel ( still pretty new ) it was in there for a little over two months and I was nervous about over oaking so I pulled it. It's amazing! Great color and with nice vanilla and Carmel flavors. Probably going to reuse it for a single malt. I picked up mine straight from their wharehouse, so I can't atest for their shipping.

[Bushman]

If your starting to build up a stock of aged whiskey, etc. I personally wouldn't go with 1 liter barrels. 5 Liter would be the smallest but I really would prefer the size Jimbo suggests at 5 gallons. If your careful you can also take off the rings on one end and re-char the barrels to prolong the life then reassemble it.

[Jimbo]

Dont disregard boring a slightly bigger hole in your spent barrel and doing what I describe a couple posts down. It works beautifully. I havent tried decapping a barrel, scraping and recharring, but seems like a lot of work and risky?

[13fox]

Jimbo, how many times would you reuse a barrel before you start adding charred sticks to it? Also I read in another thread you mention not letting your barrels dry out. I have not refilled my 1 gal yet as I'm not quite ready, and it has sat empty for a few weeks now. What damage occurs from drying and re soaking and how do I mitigate that?

[T-Pee]

Another question comes to mind...

The Big Boys leave likker in newly-charred barrels for years yet apparently suffer no instance of over-oaking. Why do the small barrel makers advise that we only leave likker in the barrel for a few months then remove to finish aging in another container?

tp

[WIski]

Surface area of wood to liquid volume ratios

[Jimbo]

13fox, The ones I bought are used already once by Balcones, fill/empty date 10 months apart. I use them once more for another year, then start adding oak. I usually have more batches aging than barrels, so another thing I like to do is rotate everythign thats in quarts into the barrel for a few months. It really does seem to help, sone some comparisons side by side, barreled and not of the same batch, and its consistently better when it spends a few months in teh barrel.. When I do that I pull the sticks out of each quart thats aging and add it to the barrel with the hooch.

tp,
53 gal barrel = 52 square inches oak/ gallon.
5 gal barrel = 125 square inches oak/gallon

[13fox]

I don't have that same problem yet jimbo, however I really like your rotating stock idea and I will be trying that in the future.

[Bushman]

I don't have that same problem yet jimbo, however I really like your rotating stock idea and I will be trying that in the future.

I use the solera method for aging. See link below!
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... g#p7026402

[BoomTown]

I'm wondering if anyone here has actually used the really small barrels that can be purchased on Amazon or MileHi Distilling.

Thanks folks.

I bought a few of these (6) tiny barrels a while back as gifts. My experience indicate to me that the barrels may be lightly charred on the inside, but they were not toasted at high enough level to neutralized the hi impact of the tannin in the oak on the liquor. The liquor got good color, but also acquire a concentration of oak flavor I was not anticipating, and didn't like. Gave one of the unused barrels to my son, with the warning about the tannin, and he baked his in an oven for about 2 hours at 400F, and then let it set under water soaked rags (to reseal itself) for about a week before he filled his. HIS booze turned out alright after aging in the tiny barrel for about 2 months, but when he refilled it, it has yet to produce good color or match the flavor profile of the earlier liquor. IMHO, At best I think you can expect one use from each one, unless you plan to fill them with liquor aged first, and use them only as 'bar eye candy'. I agree with advise from Jimbo, suggest you consider the 3 or 5 gallon size, I'm using 3 and 5 Gibbs barrels now,

Boom

[13fox]

Bushman, thanks a lot for pointing me to another rabbit hole. Ha! I keep following threads and reading and it turns in to hours on this site and then I have a head full of Ideas that I want to try. It seems like this method would be perfect for UJSSM. I'm on an oil feild schedule so I only get to play with this hobby for a week the back to work for two to dream and read. I'm trying to wrap my head around how you get it started though. Start with a full barrel age x months remove some to drink add Virgin spirt to top off along with another full new barrel then, when you remove x amount from the first barrel, after x amount of time you add that same amount from the 2nd to top off and top off the second with new? Would have to add new barrels every time or just until you got the desired number to rotate. Or do you always need somthin in a new barrel? It's seems though as far as the oak is concerned if you don't add new your just rotating on used oak. Or would you do like jimbo suggested and add new oak charr stick to the barrel the newest spirit enters? I might have just confused myself.

Boom town, how small were your tiny barrels? I would love to graduate to 3&5 gal size. Right now with a 5 gal still It takes me a while just to make enough good stuff for a 1 gal barrel. I'm working on a keg still build but it's slow going at the moment.

[BoomTown]

Boom town, how small were your tiny barrels? I would love to graduate to 3&5 gal size. Right now with a 5 gal still It takes me a while just to make enough good stuff for a 1 gal barrel. I'm working on a keg still build but it's slow going at the moment.

Those were 1L and 2L barrels...as for volume, patients is the essence of the hobby. Keep what you can. I'd suggest starting with 1 gallon glass jugs first (they come filled with free vinegar from the supermarket, which is usefull for cleaning your equipment). Split output from each run, and set a portion back to be used in the barrel once you fill a couple of jugs. Then buy the barrel. Barrels need to be used, or they dry out and leak. Get the barrel once you have enough to fill and forget, then start over with the 1 gallon jugs. Once you refill one of your jugs, swap it out with some of what you've kept in the barrel, and wa-la! You've got some good brown stuff, that will get better each time you make the swap.

I hated that work cycle for working in the patch, but it works great for Mashing/Fermenting/Distilling. Just Mash up a couple of buckets, let them ferment while you're at work. When you get home, run the finished mash - make new mash and set it back to ferment. All you'll need for space is the bottom of a 6' closet and 3 or 4 6 gallon buckets. Lock and load dude,

BTW - if you drink all you can make in one cycle during your off week, you've got a real problem - you need a bigger still. Just be real careful about telling your buddies what you're up to.

Boom

[13fox]

boom, your right about the schedule it seems to be spot on for this hobby. I don't let those clowns know what I'm up to. Great group of guys but, loose lips sink ships! Besides I would need a massive still if I were to share with them. Ha!

[Soft batch]

I purchased three 3 liter barrels off ebay shipped from a boarder town in Texas. Very Disappointed so far..two have UJSSM, one a rye since last December. One never sealed (have standing on end), one tastes like pine sap. Hoping something good happens at some point, as I won't waste more good product!

I have much better flavor and control from oak sticks.

[1965 wite]

Soft batch. I bought three of those same barrels from el guedo Texas. Absolutely horrible. They leaked. The stands fell apart and they ruined 3 gallons of my best ujssm hearts. It doesn't get better. I pulled the stuff out diluted it and redistilled it. Some of the shitty flavor carried through so I waited for another larger spirit run and mixed in about a gallon of the bad stuff with several gallons of unoaked ujssm. That worked. The only thing they are good for is decoration. You are right It tasted very hot and spicy. Like it wasn't even oak. I had much better results from oak chips and sticks. I Would gave been better off drinking the white dog.

[BoomTown]

Soft batch. .... The only thing they are good for is decoration. You are right It tasted very hot and spicy. Like it wasn't even oak. I had much better results from oak chips and sticks. I Would gave been better off drinking the white dog.

Me too, pluss the angels share from those barrels is huge. No more 'south of the border' barrels for this old dude. Gimme a Gibbs, or a Swan or a Kelvin any day. And forget about anything smaller than 3 gallon...you definitely will do better with oak sticks.


Boom

[MyUncleMo]

After using my custom online border town barrel once I went and bought a Gibbs... couldn't be happier.
The Decorative one will look good on the shelf!
My local distillery uses gibbs... and lots of forlks here do too.
Good luck!