Several questions about aging corn whiskey in oak barrels:
What temperature extremes should be avoided?
Does barrel need to be full?
Do the charred oak barrels (new from Gibbs) need to be sterilized first?
If they need to be sterilized, then where do you get the materials?
Will barrel leak any?
If stored in the house, will it smell?
Should I also get a spigot (faucet)?
What other important questions might there be?
first, you need to soak the barrel in water for a few days until it swells up, otherwise you'll end up wasting a lot of spirit. as for cleaning it, i've never bothered other than the rinse. not much can live in 125 proof alcohol.
the barrels can handle some serious temperature extremes, and this is a good thing. far better than putting it into a serene environment like a house. part of the character of a spirit is imparted by the cask as it heats and cools, expands and contracts. it will 'breathe' and some of your spirit will evaporate away (the angel's share as it's called), but the spirit will benefit.
no, the barrel will not put off odors as long as you keep it capped.
traditional barrel houses are multi-story with the last couple of stories under ground. the barrels are first put up top where they will have the most temperature extremes; hot in summer and cold in winter. every year they are rotated down a floor until they spend their last few years in the cool cellar.
i don't use a spigot, i use a wine thief to taste every so often.
If only the best birds sang, the woods would be silent.
One question I forgot to ask. What 'proof' is the best for bourbon for aging in a charred oak barrel? Somewhere here I read 60% or 120 proof, but can't find it now.
