New (sorta) balcones barrels for sale

[zapata]

Saw this on adi, not sure if they'd be willing to sell to individuals, but if not, maybe somebody has a business they could buy through. Or a group buy if they really won't sell less than a pallet?
http://adiforums.com/topic/9255-5-gallon-barrels/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Basically looks like they outgrew their 5 gallon barrels they used for blue corn. These are unused by them barrels, but not new wood. I didn't want to call the guy out publicly in adi, but I'd be amazed if what he says about them counting as new barrels per ttb. TTB regs allow used barrels for corn whiskey, NOT bourbon. Pretty interesting wood too, mix of tequila and bourbon wood, with a fresh light char. If they're willing to sell individual barrels for $75 A pop it's a phenomenal deal. Bet it'd be outstanding for anything other than a bourbon; corn, UJ, malt, rum etc. Rum might take a bit to calm down, but a batch of corn and then rummmmm, maybe I need a couple after all.

[rgreen2002]

I own one of these barrels and ran a "bourbon" in it this last year. Came out quite fine I might add. I would certainly be interested in a few of these at that price!

[zapata]

Cool, so by one of these you mean an unused one like these, or a used one like I've seen occasionally from one of the homebrew sites?
And I wouldn't doubt it would make a good bourbon, I was more suspicious that it might not fit the legal requirements that the guys on AD I have to deal with.
Edit, so my curiosity was piqued and I checked out the bourbon and corn whiskey standards (which I thought I already understood well).
https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?S ... &rgn=div80" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

(1)(i) “Bourbon whisky”, “rye whisky”, “wheat whisky”, “malt whisky”, or “rye malt whisky” is whisky produced at not exceeding 160° proof from a fermented mash of not less than 51 percent corn, rye, wheat, malted barley, or malted rye grain, respectively, and stored at not more than 125° proof in charred new oak containers; and also includes mixtures of such whiskies of the same type.

Yup, pretty much what I thought. "Charred new oak containers", not just a new char on used wood.
And then found this:

(ii) “Corn whisky” is whisky produced at not exceeding 160° proof from a fermented mash of not less than 80 percent corn grain, and if stored in oak containers stored at not more than 125° proof in used or uncharred new oak containers and not subjected in any manner to treatment with charred wood; and also includes mixtures of such whisky.

Which is wierd, because their baby blue is clearly labeled "corn whisky but that barrel sure looks charred to me. Not a heavy char, sure, but it sure looks beyond toasted. The adi post calls it medium toast and medium char. I don't knownwhy, but I thought the corn whisky standard did allow new, used, or even no oak. Oh well, clearly they know what they are doing and I'm not questioning the utility of the barrel, just curious how the legal definition thing is working out.

[zapata]

Might as well bring this full circle. Anybody in the market it looks like this is where those barrels ended up. In case ya'll didnt see it in the Gibbs thread. I think $85 is a great deal, now dont go buying em all up till after the weekend so I can get some too!
http://www.homebrewing.org/Fresh-5-Gall ... _8087.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[zapata]

Actually, I dont trust ya'll to not buy these out! So I'm in.
I'll let ya know how they are next week.
Thanks to catcrap for the AIHB link! Now post up when yours get filled, leave those Gibbs fans alone. I'm sure Gibbs are fantastic, but two 5 gallon barrels for $200 and change shipped across the country? Cant nobody touch that! That's better than sketchy Ebay prices!

Now....what to fill them with? Or rather, what to fill with first?

[CatCrap]

Haha.. exactly. I was a tiny bit worried about posting the link here, much less all of HD go buy up all the barrels. But.. it looks like they have pallets to go around, and i won't need another one for a little while. Gosh... arghh.... im so tempted to buy another. Because i know down the road i'll come to needing to buy a barrel, and be staring 200 bucks in the face. But.. 5 gallons is a lot of work. I'll worry about that right now. I've got 100 L to put through the mop wringer. =)

[Oldvine Zin]

I'm a big Gibbs fan but for that price I ordered a couple, should be great for rum.

OVZ

[Oldvine Zin]

But.. 5 gallons is a lot of work.

HAHA so get to work

OVZ

[butterpants]

What are they charging for shipping?

[zapata]

Just add it to your cart and it will calculate shipping without having to fill out anything more than a zip code. But probably $15-25 for most of the US, it was VERY slightly less than double for 2, like pennies cheaper for the 2nd.

[butterpants]

19$ for me. 104 total

[Twisted Brick]

$23.50 to Disneyland. $108 total.

[Antler24]

Zapata are you a commercial distilleries? I thought ADI didn't welcome hobby distillers and you needed a commercial license to join?

[CatCrap]

Thx OVZ. You're a fountain of cheer as always. you and saltbush bill will have to have a battle of niceness for whom is the nicest motherfucker on the whole damn internet. You'll have a hard time being as pleasant as him. LOL. But seriously... i am hard at work!!! It takes 18 25L fermenters worth to fill a barrel with extras. I'm fuggin working on it. 50# is a lot of corn to squeeze through the wringer. That will make the whiskey taste oh oh oh so sweet. So sweet. So delicious. Taste the sweat that goes into it. Can't wait. Talk to me in 6 months plus n i'll be a happy guy with 10 G of barrel aged 'skey. I can wait. Don't want to. but i can. and will. I'll poke my head into the fermentables room/room 2 of the distillery and peer at the barrels and say "mmmmm yes.. soon my wooden friend. SO soon.. i'll be filling you up and watching you suck up that sweet liquor and breathe it in and out. Then, when i feel the time is right, i'll dump your guts out and drink them for fun. Then refill you and repeat" barrels is funnn. Jars too of course no shartage of thems.

[zapata]

Zapata are you a commercial distilleries? I thought ADI didn't welcome hobby distillers and you needed a commercial license to join?

Naw man, not me. Not even close. I'm probably only even medium scale amongst hobiests at most. If you need to be a pro to join that's new (or at least news to me). They do discourage hobby talk, and hobby newbie type questions and what not which totally makes sense. From a topical perspective as well as a legal one. But even then, everybody can lurk

[Oldvine Zin]

HAHA CatCrap, glad that I could push you a little bit. Crap that reminds me that I have 150 lbs of corn mixed with other goodness (HBB) to squeeze - Damn time to get to work

OVZ

[DAD300]

Anyone can join the ADI forum. Just be a little judicious with the hobby questions and they will tolerate you.

[The Baker]

CatCrap said, '50# is a lot of corn to squeeze through the wringer....'

I don't do all grain (though my son hopes to do it....).

However. Sometimes I get a wild idea that I could make a simple press...

And to 'power' the press, mount a 1,000 litre liquid container above it. And fill it with water. And empty it out when the pressing is done....?
Perhaps run the water onto the garden. Or have a second similar container to run the used water into, then refill the 'press' container from that with a smallish pump....

Should work, yes??

Geoff

(and to get back on topic, I would love some of those barrels but I am not in America) G.

[zapata]

Now that's an interesting idea... I have an entire lake at my disposal. I've never thought of using it simply as a power source. Only cost would be the electricity to run the pump.

I can get used IBC totes pretty cheap, and a full one should be over 2000 pounds. Might be a little unwieldy balanced over a narrow press basket though. Well, of course not actually ballanced, I imagine at the very least some vertical guides of some sort.

I've dabbled with using vacuum for "pressure" say for bending wood or molding composites. I wonder if water weight pressing is a thing any other hobbyists have put to use?

On first blush it seems levers, screws, and hydraulics would be far more practical, but who knows till its tried?

[Antler24]

StillerBoy has a press he built and uses for all grain, maybe he'll chime in.

I've been thinking about a centrifuge type thing. Basket holds grain and sits in a large bucket. Spins at high-speed pushing the water out of the basket and collects in the bucket.

[The Baker]

StillerBoy has a press he built and uses for all grain, maybe he'll chime in.

I've been thinking about a centrifuge type thing. Basket holds grain and sits in a large bucket. Spins at high-speed pushing the water out of the basket and collects in the bucket.

I have heard of people using a washer on the spin cycle.
Not the good one of course.

Don't know how safe or successful it was.

Geoff

[Twisted Brick]

I might have a reservation placing say, a single malt new make into one of these barrels, should it's prior use have been to age tequila. Obviously, no issues with prior aging of bourbon.

What say others?

[Oldvine Zin]

I might have a reservation placing say, a single malt new make into one of these barrels, should it's prior use have been to age tequila. Obviously, no issues with prior aging of bourbon.

What say others?

Going to fill mine with rum, maybe the tequila funk will add an interesting component.

OVZ

[zapata]

I wouldn't worry about the maybe tequila staves. One of the Scottish pros has even experimented with straight tequila barrels. And I've had Balcones corn, supposedly aged in these barrels and there wasn't a hint of tequila in them. While some of these staves are from a tequila barrel, they are completely remanufactured, cut down, retoasted and charred. I think that will take most of the tequila flavor out.

I'd be more worried about the fresh char being too bourbonish on a malt, presuming you want a scotch style, some American craft malt is using fresh charred small barrels. At least one of mine will get a bourbon first fill and then probably become a perpetual malt whisky barrel until it falls apart.

I haven't quite decided if the other will get a different bourbon or corn 1st fill and perpetual rum refills or if it'll be a 1st fill rum. Decisions decisions...

[Twisted Brick]

I wouldn't worry about the maybe tequila staves.

Good enough for me.... Thx!

[DuckofDeath]

Barrel looks good, I filled with water and it has started to swell and stop leaking. It only holds 4 gallons though, these are not 5 gallon barrels.

[zapata]

Whoa, really?
Damn! I know most barrels are off a bit, but short by 20% is a lot!
Mine look great and pretty damn tight, but I'm not ready to fill so I didnt start soaking or measuring volume...

Edit, I did just measure 1 of mine, 2 different ways. Based on circumferences, and trying to measure radi. Assuming 1" thick staves I come up with 4.7 or 4.8 gallons. Close enough for me if accurate. Oh well, I'll just have to measure with liquid on swell day.

[Copperhead road]

Heard many good things about that brand of barrel from captainhooch, only wish we had them available in Australia without the insane shipping costs.

[butterpants]

I'm throwing in a Scotch Ale for a month then some single malt for 6 months.

Mine arrived with no bung and a loose middle band but other than that, very nice.

[zapata]

Measure the LIQUID volume CAPACITY OF YOUR BALCONES WHISKEY BARRELS for us when you swell it WITH WATER TO MAKE SURE IT IS SEALED?
(SICKO)