Home Distiller

Found a 59 gallon oak barrel used on kijiji for 100$. I was wondering if there is safety issues to buying used barrels? Possibility of it holding something before what was nasty. Its on kijiji from a seller that has no other brewing stuff for sale and I wouldn't want to just take someones word that it didn't possibly hold anything nasty.

I think, unless I knew what had been in it, I would pass on it. What did you intend to do with a 59 gallon barrell? Seems a bit big for anything other than maybe fermenting. For fermenting a big Brute trashcan would be a lot cheaper.

S-Cackalacky wrote:I think, unless I knew what had been in it, I would pass on it. What did you intend to do with a 59 gallon barrell? Seems a bit big for anything other than maybe fermenting. For fermenting a big Brute trashcan would be a lot cheaper.

I could use it for wine, Possibly even a place to hold a worm if I upgrade one day. For 100$ I figure i could use it for decoration to if all else fails. It has a logo on top I cant make out and numbers stamped? Dosent look like something you pick up at a HB store.

I have bought, sold and make things out of used whiskey barrels. If it is whiskey, the barrel will be 53 gallons. Wine would be 59 gallons. all the ones I have had were used to age beer after the whiskey distillers were done with them. if I were to want to use them for aging, I would scrape the char out of the inside and re-char it.

RBL wrote:I have bought, sold and make things out of used whiskey barrels. If it is whiskey, the barrel will be 53 gallons. Wine would be 59 gallons. all the ones I have had were used to age beer after the whiskey distillers were done with them. if I were to want to use them for aging, I would scrape the char out of the inside and re-char it.

I wonder if I sanded the insides if it would restore the oak and i could age in it, Possible distill my apple wine and throw it in there.. I couldn't see the penetration of the wood that far in... But even if that don't work it Might make a nice smoker too. I was looking at prices and they were up to 800$ new of 350 used for a barrel. 100$ seems like a steal unless I missed a cheaper place, Its in like new condition.

It will be easier to scrape first, then you can sand until you are happy with it. Not sure about how available they are in your area but $100 isn't bad. that is around what I sell them for. I have seen most between $125 up to $200 regularly. I had a source I was getting them at $65 but they have not had any available lately. I have scraped and sanded then re-charred pieces leftover from projects. they make great ships to add in jars for aging. even better than the white oak fire wood I had been using.