Processing used oak

[Reefer1]

Folks just wandering
I am just taking my oak staves out of some whisky i made 18 months back,
Can the staves be reused, or should they be thrown,
I wandered if anyone reuses or has a process to make e'm good again.
May be shave and recook, char, whatever.
Or just get new.

[SW_Shiner]

I scrape and rechar once more for whiskey, then either put aside for rum, rechar once more, or they go to someone else to be used in a smoker.

[Saltbush Bill]

For what they cost I'd replace them.

[NormandieStill]

I have reused staves from a bourbon to age a single not malt (toasted barley). Results are interesting so far. And I've deliberately aged staves in neutral for use in aging apple brandy.

[Reefer1]

Ahh right, i will get new for aging my whisky, i have a half gal of white rum i am not too keen on so i may chuck the used ones in.
Thanks for the advice guys

Reefer1

[Dancing4dan]

I use staves the same way the industry uses oak barrels. First use Bourbon, second use for malt or rum.

[jonnys_spirit]

I save and reuse all my staves in second/third/more use scenarios. Put em in wine/port, re-use wine staves in brandy, add "spent" staves towards the end of a solera series, sometime re-char sometimes leave as-is, shave em and burn em for smoke infusion, throw em in the feints jug or the low-wines carboy if they're going to be sitting around for a while....

It takes a good amount of time to do what aging does to them so I don't really want to just chuck em.

+1 on using them in the BBQ too.

Cheers,
jonny

[Reefer1]

Interesting, there's a thought, i got 2 galls of blackberry wine i made this year, i think i will chuck a few in the jars.
Thanks Jonny