I have been using Gibbs Bros kegs for years, mostly 3 Gal and always Char # 3. I just ordered a new 3 gal keg and ordered Char #4 this time. My hope is a #4 will give me better life of the keg and allow more cycles before the keg is used up. I normally put the new make in my newest keg and leave it until I get the color I want, then transfer it to a older keg for additional aging and mellowing. Was wondering what is the groups experience with # 4 char vs # 3 kegs.
BG
Char # 4
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dieselduo
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Re: Char # 4
What do you think is the difference in flavor with #4 will be
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Boda Getta
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Re: Char # 4
Well, that goes to my question and are hoping someone with experience will weigh in. As mentioned, my main reasoning is to lengthen the useful life of the of the keg. I won't leave the new make in the keg for an extended time, just to achieve the desired color and the first stage of mellowing and smoothing, then on to an older keg(s). I Imagine using a deeper char for long term aging, such as the commercial distilleries with 53 gal barrels, would net a marked difference. IMHO, us home distillers who use 3-5 gal kegs are not truly "aging" our spirits, but can hope for color and some mellowing/smoothing. The long time (at least 2 years and on up to +12 years) in the 53 gal barrels are needed to allow the heads to evaporate through the wood, while aging. Us small keg users have to be careful not to over oak.
Any thoughts from someone who has used # 4 small kegs?
BG
Any thoughts from someone who has used # 4 small kegs?
BG
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Smokee
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Re: Char # 4
I don't use barrels for my aging, I do a lot of cherry these days and source my own wood, cut it and toast but I've cut back on char considerably since getting into this. I was doing a very heavy char thinking it would impart more color, which it did, but I found the smoke to be over-powering. I just got my bottle of Pappy 15 year and there's not a smoke essence about it... after 15 years. I'm thinking it won't extend or lengthen your usage just change the flavor profile.
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Boda Getta
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Re: Char # 4
Smokee
Yeah, I started off using home toasted and charred white oak sticks; it worked OK but much prefer charred oak kegs. Most of my aging for the past several years I have been cycling the whiskey through several kegs with varying degrees of "char" left in the keg. One disadvantage of buying kegs are they are pricey (just ordered a Gibbs 3 gal #4 and it came to $170 with shipping!) and they are only effective for a certain of cycles and are used up. Cycling through several kegs helps with this problem. The new make goes into my new(est) keg and stays only I get the color I want, then into a older keg(s) for longer aging and smoothing (mellowing). It is easy to over oak using small kegs and this alleviates this problem. It's almost impossible to over oak using a fairly used keg. I use my oldest, almost used up keg as a finishing keg. I started out with Single Malt finished with Sherry by taking a bottle or two of sherry and pouring into the old keg and leaving it for 2-3 months (I do this while the whisky is cycling through the primary kegs (it's important to keep this finishing keg rotated during this). I usually finished the whisky in this keg for a month or so. I have had good luck with Single Malt and Irish Whiskey with this method and have just completed my first finished Bourbon(my usual Grain Bill of 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley) and finished in Port. I was quite pleased with it.
15 year old Pappy! Wow, I suspect you are one of a very few Home Distiller who buys Pappy. I have never identified the taste as smoke. I don't think I ever picked up "smoke" in well aged Bourbon, usually a deep, but pleasant woody, leather with some caramel taste. A heavily peated single malt is another story.
BG
Yeah, I started off using home toasted and charred white oak sticks; it worked OK but much prefer charred oak kegs. Most of my aging for the past several years I have been cycling the whiskey through several kegs with varying degrees of "char" left in the keg. One disadvantage of buying kegs are they are pricey (just ordered a Gibbs 3 gal #4 and it came to $170 with shipping!) and they are only effective for a certain of cycles and are used up. Cycling through several kegs helps with this problem. The new make goes into my new(est) keg and stays only I get the color I want, then into a older keg(s) for longer aging and smoothing (mellowing). It is easy to over oak using small kegs and this alleviates this problem. It's almost impossible to over oak using a fairly used keg. I use my oldest, almost used up keg as a finishing keg. I started out with Single Malt finished with Sherry by taking a bottle or two of sherry and pouring into the old keg and leaving it for 2-3 months (I do this while the whisky is cycling through the primary kegs (it's important to keep this finishing keg rotated during this). I usually finished the whisky in this keg for a month or so. I have had good luck with Single Malt and Irish Whiskey with this method and have just completed my first finished Bourbon(my usual Grain Bill of 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley) and finished in Port. I was quite pleased with it.
15 year old Pappy! Wow, I suspect you are one of a very few Home Distiller who buys Pappy. I have never identified the taste as smoke. I don't think I ever picked up "smoke" in well aged Bourbon, usually a deep, but pleasant woody, leather with some caramel taste. A heavily peated single malt is another story.
BG