BadMo Barrel show-n-tell

[Hillbilly Popstar]

So Bad Motivator has graced me with the oportunity to get some hands on with one of his beautiful creations. This barrel is barrel # 8 Quercus Alba, medium toast, #3 char

In return I will be documenting the experience for everyone here.

I received my barrel today. These things are just as beautiful in person as they are in his pictures.



I have some 2nd Gen sweet feed fermenting now that I will be aging in this barrel. I have a gallon of 1st Gen ready now, but after reading about how much better the sweet feed whiskey gets when using backset, I decided the 2nd generation would be more appropriate.

The plan is to seal the barrel as per BM's instructions. Then once a month I will weigh the barrel and sample on ounce of the whiskey to keep track of loss and age progression. I hope make it through an entire year, so stay tuned.

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[rubber duck]

I've got one, I'm going to fill it with corn and forget about it for a year. I think he's onto somthing for small scale hobby batches. Time will tell but the craftsmanship it top of the line. Math makes sense though.

[Hillbilly Popstar]

I just stripped my 2nd Gen SF the day before yesterday. I got 4 gallons of low wines at 96 proof. So I should get at least gallon of likker just right for barrel aging. I am hoping to get time to do the spirit run either Sunday evening or Memorial day.

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[raketemensch]

I wonder how hard "manufacturing " would be if you nailed down a good process...

[bitter]

I think it would not be too bad. With the right template and a flush trim router bit could make getting a perfect fit for the end easy... so long as the pots are the same.

B

[Badmotivator]

I wonder how hard "manufacturing " would be if you nailed down a good process...

Me too.

I'm working on some improvements, but I'm out of "play money" and I need new jeans more than I need a jointer and a band saw and a tapered auger and a shop press.

[Hillbilly Popstar]

Just a quick update.
I got my badmo barrel all sealed up.
Soaked with water for 24 hours. Then I drained it and topped off with a gallon of 125prf 4th gen SF whiskey.
I plain on sampling and reviewing once a month and posting the results here. Also, pending my purchase of a decent scale, I will try and get some loss rates recorded too.

Jesus turned water into wine, we turn wine into shine.

[rgreen2002]

Badmo.... How do we get one of these beauties?

[Badmotivator]

Badmo.... How do we get one of these beauties?

If you haven't already, check out the thread in my signature in which I explain and show how you can build them. If you have the means to do so I would highly recommend it; it's not terribly complicated and the low cost can't be beat.

If that's not an option for you or you've got better things to do with your time, PM me?

[rgreen2002]

Read your post a while back with enthusiasm Badmo... I will check in to see whats new there

A good place to find the oak is my biggest issue. I have not located a specialty wood store close to me yet. I really would love to make them myself though...

Might have to shoot you am PM...just curious as to cost.... They are beautiful!

[brewstillski]

Just a quick update.
I got my badmo barrel all sealed up.
Soaked with water for 24 hours. Then I drained it and topped off with a gallon of 125prf 4th gen SF whiskey.
I plain on sampling and reviewing once a month and posting the results here. Also, pending my purchase of a decent scale, I will try and get some loss rates recorded too.

Jesus turned water into wine, we turn wine into shine.

Wondering how this is progressing. Very interested in this setup for myself as well.

Thanks.

[Hillbilly Popstar]

Yes, I owe everyone an apology, especially Bad Motivator, for not updating this review monthly as I said I would.

Reason being, I do not own a scale to acurrately weigh the loss monthly.
So the plan is to let it age for an entire year and then I will report the loss over that 12 month period. Minus the fee little tasting I've had of course...
Which isn't much, I've put about a 1/4" in the bottom of a shot glass only a few times to see how things are progressing and they are doing so nicely. Lots of vanilla and smokey flavor. The sugar shine bite was starting to fad last time I stole a sample and that was about 2 weeks ago.

Although I will say, that the barrel seemed to have developed an intermittent drip. I never actually catch it dripping, but every once in a while I see a small white streak down the front of the cabinet that I keep the barrel resting on.
I wish I had a way to tell how much of the loss this accounts for.

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[Badmotivator]

Yes, I owe everyone an apology, especially Bad Motivator, for not updating this review monthly as I said I would.

Reason being, I do not own a scale to acurrately weigh the loss monthly.
So the plan is to let it age for an entire year and then I will report the loss over that 12 month period. Minus the fee little tasting I've had of course...
Which isn't much, I've put about a 1/4" in the bottom of a shot glass only a few times to see how things are progressing and they are doing so nicely. Lots of vanilla and smokey flavor. The sugar shine bite was starting to fad last time I stole a sample and that was about 2 weeks ago.

Although I will say, that the barrel seemed to have developed an intermittent drip. I never actually catch it dripping, but every once in a while I see a small white streak down the front of the cabinet that I keep the barrel resting on.
I wish I had a way to tell how much of the loss this accounts for.

No worries from me, my friend.

More than half of my barrels have some seepage. The seeping stuff carries wood sugars out, and they dry on the face of the barrel. There are also drips occasionally but like you I almost never catch it in the act. An interesting thing happened recently: we had a six-day blackout and the downstairs closet got down to like 45F. When the power and heat returned, the barrels which had previously seeped made a large mess upon returning to their usual 70F. The ones which had never seeped still didn't. It may be the case that your barrel does a little dance when the temperature changes, and then settles down again. I think I am getting better at making these things more "tight", but I can't say for sure. I think I could do better if I had a jointer and a band saw, but I can't afford those right now.

I don't have any solid info on loss myself because a) I have stopped being diligent about weighing and recording, b) I have been diligent about sampling but not recording how much I sample, and c) I just kind of trust that things are mostly working out pretty well.

Anyway, carry on.

[Badmotivator]

...

...

Hey, rgreen2002 and rubberduck, how are yours doing on seepage or leaking?

[Hillbilly Popstar]

Yes, I owe everyone an apology, especially Bad Motivator, for not updating this review monthly as I said I would.

Reason being, I do not own a scale to acurrately weigh the loss monthly.
So the plan is to let it age for an entire year and then I will report the loss over that 12 month period. Minus the fee little tasting I've had of course...
Which isn't much, I've put about a 1/4" in the bottom of a shot glass only a few times to see how things are progressing and they are doing so nicely. Lots of vanilla and smokey flavor. The sugar shine bite was starting to fad last time I stole a sample and that was about 2 weeks ago.

Although I will say, that the barrel seemed to have developed an intermittent drip. I never actually catch it dripping, but every once in a while I see a small white streak down the front of the cabinet that I keep the barrel resting on.
I wish I had a way to tell how much of the loss this accounts for.

No worries from me, my friend.

More than half of my barrels have some seepage. The seeping stuff carries wood sugars out, and they dry on the face of the barrel. There are also drips occasionally but like you I almost never catch it in the act. An interesting thing happened recently: we had a six-day blackout and the downstairs closet got down to like 45F. When the power and heat returned, the barrels which had previously seeped made a large mess upon returning to their usual 70F. The ones which had never seeped still didn't. It may be the case that your barrel does a little dance when the temperature changes, and then settles down again. I think I am getting better at making these things more "tight", but I can't say for sure. I think I could do better if I had a jointer and a band saw, but I can't afford those right now.

I don't have any solid info on loss myself because a) I have stopped being diligent about weighing and recording, b) I have been diligent about sampling but not recording how much I sample, and c) I just kind of trust that things are mostly working out pretty well.

Anyway, carry on.

Then our observations and methodologies seem about the same. Lol

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[MoonBreath]

Seems as tho most, if not all losses are accountable.

[Hillbilly Popstar]

The more loss there is the less good I am at accounting.

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[still_stirrin]

The more loss there is the less good I am at accounting.

Shrinkage....as if "someone" pinched your stash. Dang those silly leprechauns...

[Oldvine Zin]

Here is a little update on my BadMo Barrel, Filled it with some booners all corn the day that Bad Mo graciously gifted me with one of his creations - Thanks again Bad Mo! Unfortunately I failed to record the weight the day I filled it but I did 10 days later

Checked it today (18 days later) - tiny wet spot, prob will swell up soon - maybe the cold weather here was a factor? lost 10 grams to the angels,

on my not so precision scale 10 grams works out to be about 18ml of 65abv

OVZ

Edit to say after looking at the barrel once again the loss was 20 grams not 10

[Oldvine Zin]

Checked my BadMo Barrel today. It's been cold here and the temp in my cellar has dropped to a lot less than than the usual passive temp of 55F. Noticed that the leak had returned The barrel is 100 grams lighter now and by my calcs that is about a 180ml loss, a little finger licking of the drips tells me that this might be a good drop once it's done The barrel sitting in the kitchen at livable temps has sealed itself so will prob leave it there until the outside temps warm up.

OVZ

[Badmotivator]

Damn, sorry about the loss. If it's obvious where the seep is, maybe you can rotate the can until the leak is up high?

[nerdybrewer]

Mine had a tiny leak for a little while, then it sealed on it's own.
Got my Corn Oats Wheat in it (COW).
I have the rest of that batch in a Balcone's barrel for comparison.

[Oldvine Zin]

Damn, sorry about the loss. If it's obvious where the seep is, maybe you can rotate the can until the leak is up high?

yup and having it in a warmer environment helped - it seems to be tight at the moment. I think that it was all the temp changes in my cellar - No problem BM this is all experimental and maybe I should of checked it sooner. Still happy to have one of your barrels

OVZ

[Badmotivator]

Well shoot. I still feel like I'm experimenting on you all.

Meanwhile I've been retooling for ease and better quality, with some success. I made 8 new barrels using my router table as a jointer and as a circle cutter as well (replacing my table saw for those two functions) and they have all been basically leak-free. I'll be updating the main thread at some point with improved instructions.

[Hillbilly Popstar]

Mine is getting close to a year with sauce in it.
Last nip I stole was better than ever.

I wish I could provide data on the dripping, but the barrel is in a very stable location with little temp. fluctuation. I rarely even catch it dripping, I just see a little discoloration on the cabinet underneath the barrel from time to time.

When I sample I do so with about a 1/8 oz. I recon I've taken about 6 samples of the course of the year. So I should able to provide an approximation of the loss after the year is up.

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[welly]

Just filled my first (and currently only) BadMo barrel. It's got 6 litres of rum I blended this evening which is a mixed batch of molasses rum and brown cane sugar rum. Tasted pretty good before it went in the barrel, hoping it'll be cracking in a year!

Now to order another one...

[Deplorable]

I've shown great restraint with my barrel. I filled it February 11th of last year, and wired the tap shut. I don't intend to take so much as a sip from its contents before August 23rd of 2024.

[subbrew]

Using faux Badmos which I made, I am finding that spirits mature more slowly. I filled three barrels in early 2022 and three more in early 2023. In each case I had extra which I put in 1/2 gallon jars with fingers. From the 2022 barrels I tried a bourbon at about 14 months age and there was a major difference between the jar and the barrel. The jar product was darker and had more flavors from the wood, vanilla mostly, very drinkable. The product from the barrel was lighter in color. It also had more of the white dog character, the corn flavor, and less of the vanilla or wood. So from my very limited testing product in a Badmo will need significantly more time than jar aged product. I guess this makes sense since the wood surface to liquid ratio on a Badmo is less than the ratio on the fingers I put in a jar.

As I said, I have six barrels and of those 4 have the same product in glass as well. Seems like a good reason to do more testing.

Note the wood for both the head of the faux Badmo an the sticks was from the same once used 5 gal barrel I got from a local distillery. The barrel had dropped and cracked so would no longer seal.

[subbrew]

I've shown great restraint with my barrel. I filled it February 11th of last year, and wired the tap shut. I don't intend to take so much as a sip from its contents before August 23rd of 2024.

Is Aug 23 a special date? Other than my anniversary.

My desire is to leave my barrels a minimum of 3 years as long as I have enough from jars to keep me happy. One bourbon from 2022 I won't leave that long. It was made with corn from the family farm and for Christmas I will take Dad a bottle from that barrel. He is 87 and I am afraid he will age out before the bourbon.

[Dougmatt]

I’m using 1 of my Badmo’s as a finishing barrel in a Rum solara system. Start the rum in a 5G prior fill bourbon, then to a 5G prior wine barrel, then finally to the badmo where it continues to slowly evolve until I pull a bottle off the tap after which I refill from the system. Working so far, but have to keep producing a supply of white to top up the 5Gs with depending on my bottle frequency.

My other three I am using as as single fills. I’ve got 2 with HBB and 1 with an HBB sugar head. Trying to leave the HBB alone for now and it’s going on a little over 9months or so on the first one. I did take a taste a little while ago and it’s good, but aging is really slow compared to alternatives. I think that’s the point though.