barrel left overs?

[jiggysmb]

Recently a friend obtained 100 Jim Beam barrels to make into tables. Surprise, many had about a gallon of bourbon in them. We are left with about 80 gallons of black gold What is the best way to clear this stuff up wit out distilling? It has already been distilled, so I thought letting it settle would help but it still has a grey colored look. Any tips would be appreciated.

[jb-texshine]

Filter through shop towels the kind you get in auto parts store or home depot. Then....again but through coffee filters. Or maybe a old felt hat.
If it was me, I'd redistill it barrel char and all and make cuts on it. That will get it clear if all else fails.

[barreldawg]

Multiple layers of cheesecloth.

[jiggysmb]

Thanks guys, I will give those methods a shot.

[zapata]

If it were me I'd filter it well and try it. But consider trying to get rid of some of those heads they leave in. Proof it to 45% then put it in a still just to take a small heads cut. Should be quick and easy, run off like 2-5%. Maybe even less if you do it in a reflux still. All the aged oaked goodness will stay in the boiler and that beamsy head cut can be tossed. May even get some beneficial (trans)esterification from heating in the boiler.
Then throw a helluva a party! Depending on barrel proof, losses and what not I'd expect about 100 gallons of some phenomenal 40% when done.

[jb-texshine]

If it were me I'd filter it well and try it. But consider trying to get rid of some of those heads they leave in. Proof it to 45% then put it in a still just to take a small heads cut. Should be quick and easy, run off like 2-5%. Maybe even less if you do it in a reflux still. All the aged oaked goodness will stay in the boiler and that beamsy head cut can be tossed. May even get some beneficial (trans)esterification from heating in the boiler.
Then throw a helluva a party! Depending on barrel proof, losses and what not I'd expect about 100 gallons of some phenomenal 40% when done.

Great idea!

[cob]

I'd fill one of those barrels back up and give it some time

[zapata]

There ya go, great idea. 35 gallons or so to drink now, and a full barrel to age however long it takes you to drink 35 gallons. Hopefully years.

[acfixer69]

Did you take the ABV of the black gold. May be lower than you think? Maybe ok but need to know before deciding what to do.

AC

[cob]

my problem is that even a single gallon of jim beam would take me eons to drink.

[Shine0n]

I'll pay for the shipping, send it to me

[zapata]

Just learned this is a thing
http://www.jimbeam.com/en-us/bourbons/devils-cut" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Seems to get mixed reviews and I couldnt find out much about the extraction process other than heat, water, and agitation. Also no clue how much of that devils cut is actually used to blend with normal bourbon. But might be something to play with after dumping before they become furniture. Seemed germaine to the subject...

[Antler24]

Hell I'd have fun with that. First I'd distill 15 gallons again and fill a 15g barrel. Then I'd carbon filter 15 gallons and fill another barrel. Try to distill out some heads only and barrel that. Maybe refill one of those original beam barrels and leave it.

Filter out the solids and bottle in gallon jugs and give out for Christmas gifts lol

[Antler24]

What did you do with it all after?

[jb-texshine]

Come to think of it, dumping it all into one barrel for a few years would have been a viable option also.

[Antler24]

Come to think of it, dumping it all into one barrel for a few years would have been a viable option also.

I'd definitely try that if I had 80+ gallons and a barrel laying around. Some 15yr old Jim beam may be pretty tasty, and free lol

[Antler24]

Bump hoping to find out what he did with 80 gallons of Jim beam lol

[Hellbilly13]

Bump hoping to find out what he did with 80 gallons of Jim beam lol

I don't see a way to like this post, so I'm liking by quoting? I remember reading this thread before and wondering.

[Antler24]

Bump hoping to find out what he did with 80 gallons of Jim beam lol

I don't see a way to like this post, so I'm liking by quoting? I remember reading this thread before and wondering.

I'm curious as well, but he hasn't logged in since this thread was started so it's likely we'll never know. I definitely would have filled one of those barrels and let it sit for as long as I could. After all, the only difference s between Weller 12 ($40/bottle) and Pappy ($1000/bottle on secondary) is age and barrel location in the warehouse. Not like it cost him anything and he could have 180 bottles of amazing bourbon in a few years.

[kiwi Bruce]

Be careful reusing old barrels. When JB (any of bourbon distillers really) lets it's used barrels go, the single malt people have first crack at them, they take them apart and rebuild them and re-char them. The ones they don't want have some major defects, not just leaky staves. These can go to be cut into half barrels for the garden-center stores, outdoor furniture...etc. What's left are chipped up for smoking wood. However I've got my paws on the content of discarded barrels before and the whiskey was very good...you do have to ck the content as sometimes it's the head that's gone and left outside the barrel will take on rain water. It is free booze...minus the barrel cost, and with a little patience these can be rebuilt. Also keep an eye out at the garden centers...a half barrel costs $50 but a barrel that's hoops failed are trash and you can get these for under $10

[Antler24]

Be careful reusing old barrels. When JB (any of bourbon distillers really) lets it's used barrels go, the single malt people have first crack at them, they take them apart and rebuild them and re-char them. The ones they don't want have some major defects, not just leaky staves. These can go to be cut into half barrels for the garden-center stores, outdoor furniture...etc. What's left are chipped up for smoking wood. However I've got my paws on the content of discarded barrels before and the whiskey was very good...you do have to ck the content as sometimes it's the head that's gone and left outside the barrel will take on rain water. It is free booze...minus the barrel cost, and with a little patience these can be rebuilt. Also keep an eye out at the garden centers...a half barrel costs $50 but a barrel that's hoops failed are trash and you can get these for under $10

IIRC this guy buys his barrels once used from Jim Beam, still containing a little bourbon from the fresh dump. He bought 100 freshly dumped barrels and from them collected close to 100 gallons of bourbon.

[Twisted Brick]

I emailed jiggy and he confirmed he filtered his liquid gold through coffee filters and cotton Tshirts, then let it sit for a month for the remaining carbon to settle. He siphoned the clear liquor and is deciding how he wants to dilute it.

Wish I had that problem.

According to the product dilute calc, it takes 35 gallons of water to dilute 100 gallons of 62.5%ABV to 46%ABV. (56 gallons to dilute to 40%ABV which is standard for Beam KY Straight Bourbon).

135gal = 511liters = 681 fifths. 156 gal = 590 liters = 786 fifths.

Amen.

[jonnys_spirit]

Yah but wtf do you do with 100 full size barrels?

[Twisted Brick]

Lotsa creative businessmen in Los Angeles area making profits on used oak barrels. Check Craigslist. I got about 70 oak staves for $25. https://wineyguys.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[zapata]

Yah but wtf do you do with 100 full size barrels?

make furniture

[Reverend Newer]

Seriously, I'd use my liver and gizzard to filter it, nothing about char or tannins that hurt a hum-ape, been proven since cowboy days.

Weuu!

[Appalachian spirits]

Send me about 5 gallons of it and i will "research" a good method to filter it