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I've been digging for a while now to see if anybody ages the way I have in my head. Since smaller volume (1, 3, 5 gallon) barrels have a greater S.A.:Vol. ratio, and the end product is quite a bit different than your typical commercial barrel-aged spirit, does anybody do it this way:
Freshly charred 1, 3, or 5 gallon barrel. Fill with spirit, age for x-amount of months. This will have a very strong, "fresh," barrel character. Keep producing enough to fill the barrel over-and over again, identical (or not) product entering the barrel every time. One might even leave the spirit in the barrel a little longer each time. Eventually, blend each batch together to taste.

I know this still will not replicate the end product of something in full-size barrels, but has anybody used a system like this? I'd think you'd get a product that has many characteristics of relatively well-aged spirits. I'm sure oxidation would not match that of a spirit aged in a larger barrel, nor would you get the reactions that only time will yield.

Basically, I can't find a term for this or even find this as a specific barrel-aging method on the forums here, but perhaps I need to dig further. I'm just curious if this is even a good approach. I was thinking one could even use 2 3-gallon barrels, age for 4-6 (or whatever works) weeks at a time, then transfer to used 5 gallon barrel (can keep <1 gallon aside each time) Keep going with this pattern.

Sherry is aged in a series of Barrels in what they refer to as the solera method which averages the barrels contribution as well as the variations run to run. I'm setting up for some all corn runs across a couple of barrels and jugs/sticks for "jonny's house bourbon". I'll do all corn and enzymes but might throw in some wheat or barley to convert the starches as well as the odd bit of oats...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solera

Cheers!
-jonny

I haven't used small barrels as I think they are a bad idea, but I did a fast aging experiment, 3 times over oaking the first charge to damned near black, then using the same oak staves two more times, each charge getting lighter. Blended product of the three wasn't much different to the middle charge and was quite nice already. It's in glass on the oak in the shed somewhere, but I haven't seen it for years.

jonnys_spirit wrote: ↑Tue Aug 06, 2019 10:00 am Sherry is aged in a series of Barrels in what they refer to as the solera method which averages the barrels contribution as well as the variations run to run. I'm setting up for some all corn runs across a couple of barrels and jugs/sticks for "jonny's house bourbon". I'll do all corn and enzymes but might throw in some wheat or barley to convert the starches as well as the odd bit of oats...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solera

Cheers!
-jonny

Thanks Jonny! I do solera with my sour beers. I was actually using "solera method" in my searches for what I was describing above, which, I'll give you, is a VERY similar concept! Might even have to throw it under that umbrella.

NZChris wrote: ↑Tue Aug 06, 2019 12:53 pm I haven't used small barrels as I think they are a bad idea, but I did a fast aging experiment, 3 times over oaking the first charge to damned near black, then using the same oak staves two more times, each charge getting lighter. Blended product of the three wasn't much different to the middle charge and was quite nice already. It's in glass on the oak in the shed somewhere, but I haven't seen it for years.

That's pretty much what I was thinking, Chris. 1 gallon barrels might be too small for sure, but I was hoping with enough fills blended from say, a 3 gallon, you could end up with a good amount of nice product, quicker. Over-oak it first, middle ones would be good, last charges would be pretty bland, but hopefully some combination of the 3 would be nice. And my thought is, you could get more product in a shorter amount of time.

Although, if I did 3 charges in a 5 gallon barrel over the course of a year or so, 15 gallons is a LOT of whiskey! I figured 1-2 gallon barrels with 5-6 (or more) charges might be okay, but I'm, still weary of using such a small barrel. Looks like I'll just have to try a few experiments!