Gibbs Brothers to toast or not to toast?

[eVenom]

I just purchased a barrel from GibbsBrothers and when I asked for a barrel toasted and charred they asked me what I was putting on it and when I said whiskey they said that it was better just charred.

From what I have read here I am still confused on whats a better option. I want to get the most out of this barrel so I am asking you guys or should I go with their recommendation?

Thanks!

[dieselduo]

I've only had charred barrels and they worked great for me. what kind of prices does Gibbs Brothers have ? No prices on web site

[eVenom]

For the 3 gallons was 132 and the 5 gallon 165 plus shipping

Yeah I have heard that just charred works very well but I also i see a lot that toast then char. I mean I know Jack Daniels and many others Toast and Chars their barrels (not that jack is any good)

another thing is that I am worried is that after I use the barrel a couple of times for whiskey I want to use it for rum so not sure if that makes any difference.

Also most post here when using sticks they toast and char

[Boda Getta]

I use Gibbs kegs and IMHO, I would 100% take their advice concerning their kegs. BTW, all mine are #3 char and work great.

BG

[MichiganCornhusker]

Depending on how their charring process works, a fair amount of toasting will occur beyond the char layer.
Barrels are different from sticks, I would take their advice.

[eVenom]

Great! Thanks for all your input! I am going to go with their suggestions and will update once I receive the barrel. They said that it was in about a week.

[DFitz]

Ugh! $200 for a 10 gal. barrel now! It's a travesty I tell ya!

[eVenom]

I hear ya! Ive been thinking a out this investment for a long time

But after doing a lot of research of other companies i found that gibbs is only marginally more expensive but the quality seems way better

[DFitz]

I've got a 1/2 dozen of their barrels and have never been disappointed with what comes out of them.

[FullySilenced]

I love my Gibb's 3 gallon barrel #3 char AG bourbon is about to move to glass...

[eVenom]

One thing that i really liked about gibbs is the old shool business model they have. They do one thing and onething only and they do it well!

Even the way u have to call them to place orders it may seem antiquated but thats how they give u the best service

[buflowing]

I love my Gibb's 3 gallon barrel #3 char AG bourbon is about to move to glass...

Same here. Mines been in the barrel 4 months. I also have a gallon of the same spirit in glass with sticks. Guess which one blows the other away. I'm a convert.

[eVenom]

Just got my barrel!

I am beyond excited!

The quality of the barrel really shows. It looks like one solid piece. Ive seen others that some friends have and some in a local home brew supply but this one is thicker and precise. There is no way that this would leak.

[eVenom]

I was just able to fill this barrel with a very nice whiskey. In fact i think is my best one yet. Very nice flavor and nice and smooth

I filled with 3gallons of 63%

Let me tell you the smell from the barrel is so good. I filled it with water for a few days before to make sure there was no leaks and the water that came out had a wonderful smell.

To tell you the truth i am a bit nervous because i don't want to screw up 3gallons of product

Should i start tasting it after 8weeks or before?

[BoomTown]

I've bought barrels from 4 different vendors, and it is my humble opinion that what Gibbs doesn't know about small barrels doesn't need knowing.

[DFitz]

I was just able to fill this barrel with a very nice whiskey. In fact i think is my best one yet. Very nice flavor and nice and smooth

I filled with 3gallons of 63%

Let me tell you the smell from the barrel is so good. I filled it with water for a few days before to make sure there was no leaks and the water that came out had a wonderful smell.

To tell you the truth i am a bit nervous because i don't want to screw up 3gallons of product

Should i start tasting it after 8weeks or before?

I'd let it set 6 mos. and give it a taste and go from there. I don't even go to my 5 gal. barrels until after the first year and I always let em set longer. You'll want to age it further, maybe another 6 mos. in the bottle to get a nice mature flavor. Maybe even a little longer. Taste is subjective though so....

[eVenom]

Dfitz is this with new barrels that where built with new wood like gibbs? I know a lot of other places use used wood to make theirs like for example:oakbarrelsltd

[FullySilenced]

5 months in my Gibbs 3 gal at present its getting dang good...

Gibbs barrels I think maybe the best... I use #3 charr

Happy Stillin

FS

[woodshed]

Don't touch it for at least 3 months. It will be all over the place in that time.
6 is a lot better. A year even better. The person who first said patience is a virtue was barrel aging. Or raising kids.

[DFitz]

Dfitz is this with new barrels that where built with new wood like gibbs? I know a lot of other places use used wood to make theirs like for example:oakbarrelsltd

Yeah I'm talkin about Gibbs Bros. barrels. That's all I've ever used.

[BoomTown]

Relax Rookie. You have set the bait, let the fish take the WHOLE thing. Sit tight for minimum 6 months, and then, no matter how happy you are....wait 2 more!

All shall become clear, grasshopper! It is the way.

Boom

[buflowing]

You ever let it go too long? In my first 3 gal Gibbs barrel, i let my AG sit for 4 months then sampled every 2 weeks. At 5 months it was getting to be quite nice. Then at 6 months it was not so good. Not over oaked, but kind of a side of the tongue thing (?). The weather had been cooler, and i figured the internal pressure went to the low side and over extracted from the wood. Anyway, I kind of bummed and dumped the keg into glass. Should I have waited? I'm thinking of putting it back in and see what happens.

BTW, the f-ing angels took about a 1/4 of a gallon. ABV dropped from 62.5 to 59. Hope they enjoyed it.

[BoomTown]

You ever let it go too long? In my first 3 gal Gibbs barrel, i let my AG sit for 4 months then sampled every 2 weeks. At 5 months it was getting to be quite nice. Then at 6 months it was not so good. Not over oaked, but kind of a side of the tongue thing (?). The weather had been cooler, and i figured the internal pressure went to the low side and over extracted from the wood. Anyway, I kind of bummed and dumped the keg into glass. Should I have waited? I'm thinking of putting it back in and see what happens.

BTW, the f-ing angels took about a 1/4 of a gallon. ABV dropped from 62.5 to 59. Hope they enjoyed it.

The smaller the barrel, the bigger the angels share...bad news that! I wrap our tiny Gibbs' in seran wrap, leave only one end open to breath. I've found that the temp, and barometric pressure do have an more pronounced influence on variations of taste, probably just for the reasons you mention. That's why I like to leave them alone through several seasons of the year, the weather here (Northern VA, USA) swings pretty dramatically through highs and lows in temperature, as well as barometric pressure changes. I keep a 'tasting wheel' and a 'taster's chart' for each of my 4 little 3 gallon Gibbs, and make notes when I slip the thief in every month or so. Also keep a pint of liquor that tastes like what I'm aiming at - now it's some double oaked that I made a couple of years back. Oddly after about 6 months, the variations seem to start to spike with intense changes, and then slip back. That 'woodenness' seems to come and go, and was there once, and I liked what it was the tasting before, I waited till the woodyness went away, and then bottled what's left.

Oh, BTW, I always use exactly the same recipe in every run. Never vary the grain bill, nor the yeast brand anymore. I'm actually striving to be abel to reproduce and predict what will happen. Not that I'm having any real results in that vein, but then, I've only been at this for 2 years.

To deal with the angels share, I started using one barrel to top off the others (using the oldest barrel to refresh the younger ones), and am getting a very nice, double-oaked result after 9 to 12 months. I have just bottled the last of the oldest barrel (the first to exit this cycle), and it's now begging to be re-used. (I've decided to use each barrel 3 times). This batch turns out @ 126p, Very buttery mouth, with lots of vanilla, cherry, and a great aroma. But I suspect that everyone will have widely varied results based on where they are, and how they are exposing the barrels during the aging.

Just my experience. Your mileage may vary.