The Badmotivator Bain-Marie and Oak Barrel

[Deplorable]

This seems auspicious!




BB1000 - 1 (1).jpeg

Congratulations Ben. Great to see your little business growing. It was only about 7 or 8 months ago you built me number 238.

[RockinRockies]

I loved Jessie's new video! Talk about automation!!! You are the man!

[Steve Broady]

Congratulations!! It is well deserved, and I hope it a sign of things to come.

[Badmotivator]

What's the largest size you'll do this with?

Right know I am only doing one size, the 8.25 qt Bain Marie insert. But it’s hard to make predictions, especially about the future.

[Badmotivator]

I’m curious, why not have the middle stave running vertically, and then you don’t have to worry about putting the holes in a seam?

Double the stress on the weakest line of the stave.

And, frankly, I look the look better.

[Badmotivator]

Otis and Ben, I had to chuckle a little inside at that video. You two look like you could be related.
I need to get down there and see you two on one of my trips into Oregon. Where's the nearest place I can park my 5th wheel?
A PM will suffice, no need to broadcast your AO.

Sometimes I think he’s my döppleganger. It’s spooky.

You can totally bring your big-ass rig to my workshop! Which you should do anytime after tomorrow when 1200 lbs of panela arrives.

[Badmotivator]

Just watched this (I didn't have the time to watch the whole interview video). Having worked in an art framing workshop where repetition is key, I recognise and admire the jigs. And also the work that has gone into their design and construction. That is a beautiful set-up you've got there and I am more than a little jealous. When at some point I finally manage to find a local source for a similar stainless "barrel", I'll try and knock up some barrel heads in my own, far less advanced workshop.

Once you decide your going to make a thing over and over, it definitely pays to spend every minute thinking about how to make it easier, faster, better, cheaper. That’s not anything I have any experince or training in. I’m learning as I go, and making an above-average number of mistakes along the way.

But what a joy it is to have a project like this! And you all make it so much fun.

[Badmotivator]

Hi Ben;

Thanks for the beautiful wood. The video you did with Stillit made me face palm and immediately head to the shop with my wife’s spoon holder in hand. The badmo in the pic has a black walnut top and is full of a white chocolate and roasted chestnut liqueur. Yes, yes, black walnut scary, look up cancer treatment research in South America for all the sciency PpM toxicity stuff and start a new thread if anyone wants to brow beat me over it please.
14046678-066F-45A7-8E26-4DA9D9F5CABF.jpeg
I’ve got a second one I made with the wood I ordered from you and it’s doing WONDERS for my collection of moldy beers and other fermentations gone wrong. I’m currently making a third and forth (one with char and one only toasted) for my experimental phase with sorghum rum. What kind of lead time would you need if I ordered an 8qt from you specifically for aging elderberry mead in? It won’t be needed until October of next year and I can make one myself, but it would be allot cooler to have one from you sitting in my rack.
Also I’ll have pictures of the display rack I’m building and something resembling plans for it ready soon. Is there a special place for that, or is posting it here ok?

Post pictures here! And add any details you might think of that could help the next guy who comes along. I’d love to see your rack!

Can’t tell you much about what things will be like in a year. But I hope we’ll both be around and can work something out.

[higgins]

Wow!! I got #484 in June, so you've really ramped it up. It is filled with a triple distilled bourbon.

I've also made 4 BMOBs myself, 3 M3 and 1 M0. The M0 is filled with Apple Brandy, and the other 3 are for my next bourbon.

I've also 'traded' for another 2"x10"x12" white oak board - big split down the middle (heart of the tree), but each edge yields a strip of pure quartersawn wood from 2" to 4 1/4" wide. Should be enough for around 15 barrel heads, so that's probably a lifetime supply for me.

Ben, do you see any potential problems with using 2 wider merains (4.25") instead of 3 narrower ones (2.75-3")?

[Badmotivator]

Wow!! I got #484 in June, so you've really ramped it up. It is filled with a triple distilled bourbon.

Perfect!

I've also made 4 BMOBs myself, 3 M3 and 1 M0. The M0 is filled with Apple Brandy, and the other 3 are for my next bourbon.

I've also 'traded' for another 2"x10"x12" white oak board - big split down the middle (heart of the tree), but each edge yields a strip of pure quartersawn wood from 2" to 4 1/4" wide. Should be enough for around 15 barrel heads, so that's probably a lifetime supply for me.

Lifetime supply? Oh, you poor sweet summer child.

Ben, do you see any potential problems with using 2 wider merains (4.25") instead of 3 narrower ones (2.75-3")?

Not at all. Two staves, three staves, four staves... doesn't matter a bit. Good work!

[squigglefunk]

for what it's worth, the only bain marie I have found so far that is definitely 300 series stainless is:

https://www.amazon.com/Vollrath-Satin-F ... 0018LNEUI

I have seen reviews of other cheaper brands where rusting was occurring storing liquid in them after a few months. Has anyone found this to be an issue?

[Ifounditlikethat]

for what it's worth, the only bain marie I have found so far that is definitely 300 series stainless is:

https://www.amazon.com/Vollrath-Satin-F ... 0018LNEUI

I have seen reviews of other cheaper brands where rusting was occurring storing liquid in them after a few months. Has anyone found this to be an issue?

I have a few chef/ restaurant owner friends that have all said Vollrath are the best for longevity. First badmo I made was from my wife’s Wenco 6qt that saw 9 years of abuse as her utensil holder and it never rusted.

[hawkwing]

An 8 quart Vollrath in my neck of the woods is $80. Maybe a little steep. I probably could look at 5-6 gallon barrels at that price.

[User12345]

After about 6 months visiting the local woodworking club on a Saturday and knee surgery sprinkled in, I've finally finished my first BM barrel. Wood is Kentucky seasoned American oak sourced from a cooperage here in Australia. Hopefully I'm posting this is in the right place. I've got an all grain 33% corn/rye/barley whiskey waiting for it to finish waterproofing. Some pics attached. Big thanks to Ben for being so open with the information!

[stillanoob]

Got my first badmo barrel loaded up with apple brandy from the 2021 harvest. Badmo, it is a thing of beauty. I'm going to do some whiskey this winter and load another. I really hope that you can keep making them and are making some scratch doing it!

[Badmotivator]

After about 6 months visiting the local woodworking club on a Saturday and knee surgery sprinkled in, I've finally finished my first BM barrel. Wood is Kentucky seasoned American oak sourced from a cooperage here in Australia. Hopefully I'm posting this is in the right place. I've got an all grain 33% corn/rye/barley whiskey waiting for it to finish waterproofing. Some pics attached. Big thanks to Ben for being so open with the information!

This is awesome! I really glad you were able to figure out a way to get it done, and it looks beautiful! I especially love that bung bolt.

Thanks for sharing those pictures!

[Badmotivator]

Got my first badmo barrel loaded up with apple brandy from the 2021 harvest. Badmo, it is a thing of beauty. I'm going to do some whiskey this winter and load another. I really hope that you can keep making them and are making some scratch doing it!

Yes man! I'm glad you got one filled. And thanks for the kind words!

Inside baseball: I still haven't paid myself back for the investment I made in the workshop, or paid myself anything at all for the work. All of the money has gone to improving tools and buying further forward on inventory. There has also been an expensive round of refunds + replacement barrels from that seriously bad batch of cans I bought which cracked at a crazy rate in the hands of customers. That was a total catastrophe. But if I'm not mistaken, everything is in place for the enterprise to be profitable and efficient, so I'm very happy to keep at it. And of course, I just like doing this regardless of the hypothetical money.

[Briz_Steve1]

Thanks, Steve.
Don't know what I might do...
but could you tell me their address where you would pick the cans up; I have rellies on the Gold Coast
who would go to Brisbane from time to time so might be able to call. They visit their parents in our town,
I think will be there for Christmas...
Private message would be fine if you prefer.
Thanks again.

Geoff

PS They quoted $25 to send five of the 6 litre so actually that is not too dear if I decided to go ahead...

Geoff

Hay Geoff,

They are down at Yatla between the coast and Bris, web site only gives a PO box but a quick phone call should sort out the finer details,

Post address,

PO Box 6315
Yatala QLD 4207
Australia

Phone

1300 998 768

Hope this helps..

Steve

[User12345]

At it again. I find the old George Foreman at setting 4 hovers around 200c.

[User12345]

Thanks, Steve.
Don't know what I might do...
but could you tell me their address where you would pick the cans up; I have rellies on the Gold Coast
who would go to Brisbane from time to time so might be able to call. They visit their parents in our town,
I think will be there for Christmas...
Private message would be fine if you prefer.
Thanks again.

Geoff

PS They quoted $25 to send five of the 6 litre so actually that is not too dear if I decided to go ahead...

Geoff

Hay Geoff,

They are down at Yatla between the coast and Bris, web site only gives a PO box but a quick phone call should sort out the finer details,

Post address,

PO Box 6315
Yatala QLD 4207
Australia

Phone

1300 998 768

Hope this helps..

Steve

Hey both,

The ones I bought are Trenton brand from here -> https://www.wholesalecateringsupplies.c ... nd-8-litre

Gone up $5 since I ordered 6 months ago.

Jon

[bcook608]

I was thinking about using this one:
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/choice ... BMS12.html

Looking for larger containers for longer term storage so I figure 12gt is a good size. 3 gallons. If the surface area isn't the right ratio, I might supplement with some oak in the bain marie itself.

Now I just need to find the right oak since Badmo isn't selling his staves anymore :/

Anyone have a decent source for naturally weathered quarter sawn oak in the Wisconsin area? I guess I could buy a couple of planters and plane them flat for this project or salvage the bottom and make the rest into dominoes/sticks.

[The Baker]

Thanks Steve and jonlah,

Geoff

[icrazy]

Could just chop a circle out of a barrel top and sand it down and char it that is what i was thinking about doing as then it is all ready designed to go together. Its what ive been using in jars as there thicker than staves and ive been trying the standing up oak idea where half the oak is out of the distilate and the jar is only ⅔ full

But i bet they would work well in a bad motervator

[Ben]

Thread inspired me to build one, I used some nice seasoned peach I split out for this purpose and yard aged.

Preflattened on bandsaw with resaw blade

Final flattening/squaring with planer/jointer

I never use dowels on anything, but they made sense for this. I didn't have any on hand so I made a hole, measured and cut some 0.005" larger than the hole so I would have a nice hammer fit without splitting lumber.

As I said, I don't use dowels, so I used a chunk of scrap to make a jig, and a piece of tape to mark bit depth.

[Ben]

Fit everything up, very happy with the dowels and jig, requires a mallet but no sign of splitting.

This allowed me to rough out on the bandsaw and chuck into lathe for final shaping. No glue required and the pieces didn't fly across the room! Drilled a hole and made a bung plug from a scrap of oak.

Test fit looked good. Its swelling now. Once I am happy the fit is good I will sand off the little blemish from lathe jiggery. Maybe do some laser engraving.

[icrazy]

Wow thats awesome. Amazing doing it from a log nice work

[User12345]

For some reason I mucked up and bought 8L Bain Maries instead of 6L so didn't have enough whisky. I did have enough rum waiting for the next barrel though, it got to jump the queue.
I used a vevor engraver for the markings. Not really sure on naming convention for char etc but it is just for me so it doesn't matter!

Loving that peach wood one! I've got some cherry here that may have to go out in the yard for a few years seasoning!

[icrazy]

Can this be done with just a bung im thinking of giving an old barrel lid a go ive just ordered 2x 7.8ltr bain marie pots figure one for rum and one for single malt barley done with yellow label angel yeast.

Dont feel i need the tap as i can sample through the bung hole using a glass basting tube

[icrazy]

The peach one was a bung only and looked more my style as im hoping to make a few and leave them a while

[subbrew]

Can this be done with just a bung im thinking of giving an old barrel lid a go ive just ordered 2x 7.8ltr bain marie pots figure one for rum and one for single malt barley done with yellow label angel yeast.

Dont feel i need the tap as i can sample through the bung hole using a glass basting tube

even easier than a bung is to just use a stainless steel bolt. I got a half inch bolt, drill a slightly undersized hole and thread in the bolt. After going in an out a few times I have had to put a little bees wax on it to maintain the seal