Oh, my bung hole !

[Rocky_Creek]

15 gallon charred Gibbs barrel to arrive soon. I would like to monitor the progress of this whisky or at least keep it from over aging. However, for a barrel to be anything more than glorified wood chips the bung has to be tight to get the pressure and vacuum induced effects.

If I fool around with the bung too much I run the risk of breaking a stave or doing other damage. Any advice?

[Virginia Gentleman]

On the same note, will a wood spigot (bought one from Gibbs when I bought my barrel) work reasonably well as a bung, or is it not air tight enough? For some reason, Gibbs doesn't sell bungs, but there are plenty of other places to get them.

[Rocky_Creek]

Maybe you have to order with a barrel. Got this reply to an e-mail when I ordered.

Yes, we do sell extra bungs at .55 each, but with this order we will send you an extra bung at no charge.
Thank you,
Becky @ Gibbs Bros. Cooperage Co.

[The Chemist]

Need some TP for that, RC? (Maybe you will change to "The Great Cornholio?)

[Virginia Gentleman]

Ah, well maybe I'll get a bung with my barrel from Gibbs (hasn't shipped yet).

Ah, the Great Cornholio. Was waiting for that, Chemist!

[DBM]

VG;
Your barrel from Gibbs will come with bung. It will not come with a spigot or drilled for one unless you tell them when you place your order. There is no charge for having it drilled for a spigot. If you ordered a spigot with your barrel they MAY assume wanted the barrel drilled for it and do it, but I would check if I were you.
To insert your bung just wack it with a piece of 2X4. To take it out just tap it gently on both sides to loosen it and pull it out.

[Virginia Gentleman]

Awesome DBM, thanks for the info.

So re: the spigot, now I'm thinking it's not such a good idea to have them pre-drill for it (they haven't shipped it yet). I can always drill it later myself, and would rather have the barrel be more water tight, be able to roll it on different sides, etc.

Whatch think?

[DBM]

A 15 gal barrel is not going to be moved around very much. It's going to be heavy. I have mine drilled at the factory.
I build a rack to put them in, then when they come in i put them in the rack and fillum up with water, & topum off every day for a week. Then take a piece of hose and cover one end with screenwire (tie it on good so it want come off) and sifle the barrel empty. Then open the spigot and tilt the barrel and get that last little bit out. Now fill the barrel with 130 proof and wack the bung in. Leave it be for three or four months, then take the bung out and open your spigot and get a pint or so out to sample. Top off the barrel and rewhack the bung. (when you top it off if you don't have any whiskey handy, use water).
A new barrel will have it colored dark (darker than storebought) in three to four months, but it will still have a sharp edge on it. It takes months to knock that edge off and become a smoothe whiskey. One day you will be topping the barrel off and tasting the sample and somebody will say "dam this is good" that's a good sighn that its almost ready. What I do is use this barrel to drink out off and use to top off my other barrels as needed.
The end result is a darker than storebought, smoothe whiskey, and each barrel taste prettymuch the same cause it was topped off with whiskey from preciding barrels.

[Virginia Gentleman]

Sounds good, DBM, thanks for sharing the knowledge. I've got a 2 gal. barrel coming, but I think I'm gonig to leave the spigot anyhow. Gibbs says they pre-drill for the spigot if you order one with the barrel, unless you tell them not to. And all orders come with a bung, as you said.

Good tip too on topping off with water if you're out of likker as the angel's share evaporates.