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Back in March of this year I bottled up about 10 bottles of my raw bourbon (at 50% abv). The rest (62% abv) went into a Gibbs 5 gallon charred oak barrel.

This morning I did a comparison.

The difference is quite amazing. The smell is much more pleasing and the taste is too. I gave my son a drink from the barrel and his only comment was "Why have you been giving me the stuff in the bottles?"

What is going on, chemically, in the oak barrel?

Harry's library has a great explanation of how a barrel works. Well wort reading.

http://distillers.tastylime.net/library/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Something I've wondered... how do you re-char an oak barrel or char one in the first place? Never having used an oak barrel for anything, I don't know much about them.

Frito wrote:Something I've wondered... how do you re-char an oak barrel or char one in the first place? Never having used an oak barrel for anything, I don't know much about them.

Well, I guess you could always drop some newly charred oak strips into it.

To char the barrel in the first place it is put over a fire (of burning oak scraps) before being fully assembled. Usually it's when the staves are put together at one end with the first couple of hoops so it's like a cone shape with the top open. It's then put over the fire and when toasted or charred enough the remaining hoops are installed. The firing and heat helps the wood bend. The heads (ends) are added last and are usually not toasted (but can be).

To re-char an old barrel, it is partially disassembled (heads removed) and about 1/8" to 1/4" of old used up wood is shaved off the inside of the staves. Then the barrel is re-toasted the same as a new one and new heads installed.

As for what chemically goes on in the barrel - there's heaps of info on the net but I found the diagram at question 18 on this page quite interesting: http://www.bouchardcooperages.com/austr ... intro.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Cruiser.