Home Distiller

Hoping to buy a 5g Gibbs barrel soon and was thinking about what batches to put through it and in what order, then I thought about what to do with the barrel when it starts to become used up. I'd like to try a solera method where I fill with new make bourbon. Every say 1year I'll pull a gallon, and replace with a gallon of new make. May be a stupid question and I'm not a real numbers person, but how would you calculate the avg age of the contents? At 5, 8, 10 yr marks for instance?

Legally stated age is always the youngest in the mix. For our purposes it doesn't matter what you call it
I'm thinking about getting a gibbs myself and think I'll go bourbon, rye or wheat, malt, rum. Not sure on the 2nd fill there, it will depend on my stocks at the time and if I'm willing to wait a bit longer on the malt. I'm not sure I'll ever consider to completely used up, lotsa rum is made in really old barrels. Might not contribute a lot of oak, but will at least hold the booze and allow for evaporation and oxidation, something missing in my white rums to date.

5 barrels here.
I've planned on pulling enough for a bottle or 3 from each dedicated barrel (Rum, whiskey, bourbon, etc.) when time comes,
and topping them off accordingly in hope of perpetuating the process.

"Used up" may occur, but I wonder when? Time will tell.

Otherwise I can't see the expense of replacing 5 barrels "immediately" because they're "done".

zapata wrote:Legally stated age is always the youngest in the mix. For our purposes it doesn't matter what you call it
I'm thinking about getting a gibbs myself and think I'll go bourbon, rye or wheat, malt, rum. Not sure on the 2nd fill there, it will depend on my stocks at the time and if I'm willing to wait a bit longer on the malt. I'm not sure I'll ever consider to completely used up, lotsa rum is made in really old barrels. Might not contribute a lot of oak, but will at least hold the booze and allow for evaporation and oxidation, something missing in my white rums to date.

That's sorta the scheduling I had planned as well, then use it for a solera project or fill it with a whiskey and hide it for years. I kinda like the solera idea because of the blending and consistency of the final product.

Still Life wrote:5 barrels here.
I've planned on pulling enough for a bottle or 3 from each dedicated barrel Rum, whiskey, bourbon, etc.) when time comes,
and topping them off accordingly in hope of perpetuating the process.

"Used up" may occur, but I wonder when? Time will tell.

Otherwise I can't see the expense of replacing 5 barrels "immediately" because they're "done".

That's my idea once the barrels slows giving oak flavours like it does with the first few fills. I think if you try this with a new barrel you'll quickly over oak it. Maybe not who knows just let us know your findings