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As the title says--show me your barrel thief!

I need to buy / make a barrel thief for my new 5-gallon barrel. I thought it would be worthwhile asking what others are using.

I hesitate to get a glass thief like wineries use because I would certainly break it. Plastic is obviously a no-no. Maybe making something out of copper or SS is my best bet?

Thanks, JW

I have a glass thief. But, I am very careful not to break it, either in use or in storage. If you're careless, perhaps you should make one out of copper or stainless.
ss

I use a stainless steel turkey baster. Works like a charm

You could use a Vinnie nail, as per legendary brewer Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River. Here's his description:


Here is the info on the stainless steel nail in the barrel head acting as a
poor man’s MacGyver sample port:

We drill a hole using a 7/64 drill bit on the barrel head of each barrel.
The hole can be drilled while the barrel is empty or even with beer in it.
You just have to be ready with the nail if you are doing it with the barrel
full. The hole is so small that there is no problem with losing too much
beer at this point.

I have two sizes of stainless steel nails that I purchase from McMaster
Carr.

1–½” 4d smooth common nail – 316 stainless steel McMaster Carr #
97990A102
2” 6d smooth common nail - 316 stainless steel McMaster Carr #
97990A104

I use the smaller nail, but, I keep the larger ones around just in case a
hole gets boarded out to large, it hasn’t happened yet, but, I’m just
playing it safe.

I do use barrel wax sometimes (http://www.barrelbuilders.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow) around the nail after
I have pulled a sample. We have never had a nail blow out due to pressure;
they are pretty snug in there.

You can pull a sample and actually have the flow stop coming out of the
small hole in the head of the barrel because the barrel is not vented, but,
there is no issue. It is such a small hole that you can’t harm the barrel.
If anything, it makes it easier because you can control the flow by removing
the bung and putting it back into place. I usually drill the hole about
half way up on the barrel head.

Recently we've started to drill the barrel out after the barrel has beer in
it as opposed to before. Sometimes you don't get the small hole drilled out
all the way. You won't know that this is the case until there is beer in
the barrel and you see that you don't even have a small stream of beer
coming out of the hole.

I've also taken to the practice of having a backup nail in my pocket when
I'm pulling samples just in case you drop the nail on the floor on accident.

The hole at the bottom of the head of the barrel (six o’clock if you are
looking at the head of the barrel straight on) for removing beer with fruit
in it is a 15/16” hole, the tubing that you use to remove the liquid and
fruit is also from McMaster Carr. A Belgian beer bottle cork like we cork
with fits in the 15/16” hole. Here is the part number from McMaster for the
tubing:

15/16” OD tubing, McMaster Carr # 5231K944

It takes a little practice but you can removing the cork quickly and push
the 15/16” tubing in the cork hole. The tubing is than run down to some
sort of strainer that you would need to fashion and from the strainer it is
pumped to a tank.


Vinnie Cilurzo
Brewer / Owner
Russian River Brewing Company
725 4th St.
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

masonsjax wrote: We drill a hole using a 7/64 drill bit on the barrel head of each barrel.
The hole can be drilled while the barrel is empty or even with beer in it.
You just have to be ready with the nail if you are doing it with the barrel
full. The hole is so small that there is no problem with losing too much
beer at this point.

Interesting, that is the way Buffalo Trace is doing it at their Warehouse X.



I might give the SS baster a try first--I just hate to drill a hole in my brand new barrel. Any problems with the baster leaking while you are transferring the sample? I bought a plastic baster that I was going to use for beer, but the hole in the tip is too big and it leaks everywhere when you take a sample from a fermenter.

BTW the Warehouse X blog is a good read for anyone interested in aging bourbon.

http://www.experimentalwarehouse.com/

I have never had a problem with it leaking but I also never let the alcohol get up to the rubber bulb. I hold the baster vertically squeeze the bulb, dip into the barrel, let go of the bulb to draw then lift straight up and then down into my glass that I am holding next to the hole. It may take a few tries depending on the size of the pour.
I also have a dedicated stainless baster just for this so I don't have to steel wifey's and I don't end up wondering why my bourbon has hints of turkey

Mmmmm turkey bourbon

Finally got around to making a copper thief. Tried it out on a friends barrel aging beer and it worked great--a little short on volume for tasting beer, but should be just right for spirits.

Here it is, cleaned it up and made it nice and shiny with some StarSan.