Pressure/vacuum aging in Cornelius keg

[Backfire]

Did a search of this forum and nothing popped up so here goes:

My plan is to place corn whiskey and toasted oak in a Cornelius keg and cycle pressure / vacuum.
For those not into beer making as well the Cornelius keg is what pop comes in for tap dispensing.
The oak is barrel oak that has the inside and outside trimmed off the cut in strips and toasted.
I had a co2 cylinder charged at a dive shop with breathable air.
I plan on charging the tank with 30 psi air and maintain for two days.
After two days the pressure will be released to neutral and the keg placed in freezer for two days.
This will be repeated a few times to complete the experiment.
I plan on taking samples between each cycle for comparisons.


I have had corn whiskey sitting in same oak strips for a year now and the results are excellent. Just my attempt at speeding up the process.

[ShineRunner]

I've considered this as well. The one consideration I would recommend you make is regarding your seals. There are several o rings on corny legs that will be in contact with alcohol vapor. Alcohol (and other nasty stuff) evaporates from the main liquid and will settle on the orings, then condense and drip into your drink.

SE

[ShineRunner]

Also, if you're pressurizing the keg, I would assume it will carbonate just the same as a beer would. Not sure if that's a problem (or possibly a benefit?) but I would look into that before attempting.

SR

Edit: use the HD google search at the top of the page, not the site search. Start with this: site:http://homedistiller.org/forum keg pressure aging

[Backfire]

Just to clarify, I am using a co2 cylinder with scuba tank air filled at their shop. No co2.

[Skipper1953]

The pressurization with plain old atmospheric air may be beneficial in terms of oxidizing your liquor.

[Euphoria]

FWIW, I haven't tried aging any of my "high-test" stuff in a Corny Keg, but I do use them for aging some of my home made wines. I have both CO2 and Argon bottles, and I just put the oak right in the Corny Keg along with the wine to be aged. Then I also use Argon (inert gas) on top of the wine to prevent oxidation. Oxidation is not your friend in making liquor of any kind, but especially more so with wines. If it was me, I would forego the scuba diving air, which will create oxidation, and purge the keg with an inert gas for using it as a storage/aging vessel. Even CO2 will work better than air, but I like Argon better because it is heavier and will form a very good cover over the top of your product, thus assuring an effective barrier to prevent oxidation. The only downside I can think of is it will be another expense for your hobby, because you will need a tank of either CO2 or Argon, (or, like me, both of them,) and a regulator to control the pressure. And also some hose and a few Corny Keg pop-on fittings.

Just as an aside, if you do decide to spring for a regulator, get one that is capable of handling the higher pressure Argon bottles, which are under much higher pressure than the CO2 bottles. An Argon regulator will do double duty and work for either one, but a regulator designed solely for CO2 will not work with Argon tanks.

[piperdave]

Barrels' which I think you will agree, have been used for centuries in aging spirits of all kinds. They are porous and allow for all kinds of atmospheric interactions. Oxidation in whiskies and rums is an essential part of the aging process. In wine...bad...in spirits it is part of the process.

[acfixer69]

Just also keep in mind HIGHLY flammable liquid under Oxygen with pressure is not a stable situation. I would not try this ever.

AC

[Skipper1953]

Barrels' which I think you will agree, have been used for centuries in aging spirits of all kinds. They are porous and allow for all kinds of atmospheric interactions. Oxidation in whiskies and rums is an essential part of the aging process. In wine...bad...in spirits it is part of the process.

Yup. What he said.