Soured Keg

[Boda Getta]

When I don't have whiskey in any of my kegs I keep them filled with water; I noticed that one of my 5 gal kegs was leaking water. I topped it back up with water, then put the keg in a barrel of water for about a week. When I drained the barrel this morning, I also drained the keg and noticed the keg inside smells sour and I hesitate to put whiskey in it. I thinking of filling keg with water, just below boiling, and letting it sit for a while.
Any advice or suggestions?

BG

[still_stirrin]

I copied this from the Midwest Homebrewing Supplies site in a document titled, How to Care for Your Oak Barrel

Care and upkeep of your barrel:
The best way to keep your barrel hydrated and sanitary is to keep it full of wine. That may not be possible some years and so you will need to employ a few tactics to ensure the longevity of your barrel.

Dry storage 1-2 months
Clean, rinse and drain the barrel. Burn a 1⁄4” long piece of sulfur stick in the barrel stoppered with a solid bung. Wrap only the Bilge area in plastic wrap to maintain moisture in the body of the barrel. Do not wrap the Heads of the barrel as this will prevent it from breathing and will encourage mold growth (put a piece of wire through the piece of sulfur stick and suspend it through the Bung Hole and hold in place with the bung). Do not allow burning sulfur to touch wood.

Dry storage 3-9 months
This length of time should be avoided but if it can not be, start with the first storage step. Then every 2 months unwrap the barrel, rinse with fresh chlorine free water, and fill with water for a few hours to seal any leaks that have developed, and drain. Repeat steps from above (Dry storage 1-2 months).

Longer than 9 months
Fill the barrel with a holding solution of citric acid and potassium metabisulfite (KMS) at a rate of 4g citric acid 8g KMS per gallon of barrel volume. Store the barrel as if it has wine in it and top off every few weeks. This method will leach oak flavor from the wood over time and should be used as a last resort.

Removal of tartrate crystal build up:
Make a solution of Soda Ash and fresh chlorine free water, 2 oz. of Soda Ash to 3 gallons of water. Make enough solution to fill the barrel 1/4-1/3 full. If the barrel is small enough to lift and shake, splash the solution around for a few minutes. If it is a larger barrel turn the barrel from the “10 o’clock” position to the “2 o’clock” position every 10- 15 minutes for a total of 15 minutes on each side. Drain, rinse, and flush with a solution of citric acid and water at a rate of 1 oz. citric acid to 1 gallon of fresh chlorine free water. This solution will neutralize the Soda Ash. Rinse with fresh chlorine free water, drain and fill with wine.

If you’ve got mold inside it already, I’m not sure you can salvage it. Maybe the sulfur will smoke it out, but I don’t know.

Good luck with it.
ss

[NZChris]

Sulfur is for getting rid of bugs for winemaking. It could possibly wreck a barrel for whiskey aging.

I'd try cleaning it up with spirits. Neutral, feints, a sacrificial whiskey perhaps.

[Saltbush Bill]

It is never a good idea to leave water in a barrel long term or to soak them for long periods in water, probably to late for that now as you seem to have found out the hard way.