JD Oak stave question

[Sailman]

Well I can't find exactly what I wanted as far as being able to age Whiskey on Oak, what I wanted was new seasoned Oak so I did the next best thing. I went to the local hardware store yesterday and found a half barrel that was missing one Stave and I got it for 50% off.

After doing a little research I found out that it's best to clean the oak Stave down to new wood. I think that's a good idea but how clean does it need to be. What I have some of the stains go fairly deep. In the pictures you can see what I started with and what I have now do I need to sand or Strip This any further?

[Expat]

More than I bother doing, clean off the outer layer and toast/char as required.

[jonnys_spirit]

I just clean with a wire brush and either split to size or run a couple through a band saw. It’s going to sit in ~120pf alcohol for a while which will clean it up. I run through a coffee filter before bottling to filter any bits and dead bugs.

Cheers!
-jonny

[Durhommer]

I use a 2 inch chisel and bust the outer layer off works rather well and you can get some of the raw wood out of it that way too

[Sailman]

Good thanks Guys

My plan is to leave The Stave as long as I can. I'm going to be agent in a 1/6 Barrel beer keg. I think I'm going to do a medium toast in the oven and then maybe hit it with the propane torch for and medium to light char.

[Expat]

Good thanks Guys

My plan is to leave The Stave as long as I can. I'm going to be agent in a 1/6 Barrel beer keg. I think I'm going to do a medium toast in the oven and then maybe hit it with the propane torch for and medium to light char.

Sounds like a good plan. Just make sure you consider the wood swell, and size accordingly so you can actually get it back out when done. lol

[Twisted Brick]

.
Sailman,

Instead of one longer stave, you might think about going with multiple smaller pieces that allow adding and subtracting depending on the extraction rate of your wood. You could also vary the char of each piece as you wish.
.

[Sailman]

.
Sailman,

Instead of one longer stave, you might think about going with multiple smaller pieces that allow adding and subtracting depending on the extraction rate of your wood. You could also vary the char of each piece as you wish.
.
IMG_8004.jpg

I was trying to eliminate the amount of end grain that would be in the spirit.

[Sailman]

According to the thread okung 101 I need somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 to 100 square in per gallon. I want to do a 5-gallon batch in a 1/6 gallon keg hose 5.2 gallons. The oak staves that I have ready to go in all 16 in Long and the best I could figure it's going to be somewhere in the range of about 120 square inches of Oak added. I'm afraid if I add more Oak that I'm going to overfill the keg. So my options are less liquid and add more Oak or this amount of Oak and 5 gallons of liquid in age longer. Which option would be better?

After thinking about it I could split the staves lengthwise and that will add to the square in. This would add about 48 square in and would allow me to take wood out as I needed.

[Twisted Brick]

After thinking about it I could split the staves lengthwise and that will add to the square in. This would add about 48 square in and would allow me to take wood out as I needed.

That's what I was thinking (I should have said thinner pieces).

How much air space are you planning to keep in the keg?

[BourbonStreet]

Definitely char it with a torch. I do that even with the JD chips. I like a darker char than comes in the bag. It pulls a lot of the heads bite out, and clears up any off flavors.

[Sailman]

After thinking about it I could split the staves lengthwise and that will add to the square in. This would add about 48 square in and would allow me to take wood out as I needed.

That's what I was thinking (I should have said thinner pieces).

How much air space are you planning to keep in the keg?

well I really haven't thought about airspace. all I was going to do was put 5 gallons liquid in and then drop the wood in so what ever was left was how much I was going to have.

[Twisted Brick]

I learned about airspace with my glass handles. Not a whole lot happened until I went with 25-30% airspace (consensus of HD members). Without a barrel's breatheability, glass vessels need the oxygen to interact with the spirits' compounds and provide a space for the volatiles to collect. After 3mos in (full) glass, all my spirit did was get hotter and look like weak tea. There are many important changes that happen during aging and oxygen is the catalyst.

https://www.iscbarrels.com/2018/01/30/o ... on-part-1/

https://www.iscbarrels.com/2018/04/16/t ... s-part-ii/

[Deplorable]

.
Sailman,

Instead of one longer stave, you might think about going with multiple smaller pieces that allow adding and subtracting depending on the extraction rate of your wood. You could also vary the char of each piece as you wish.
.
IMG_8004.jpg

That pic gives me vertigo. Weird...

[NZChris]

What are you trying to accomplish?

If you are wanting to drink it in the near future, how you treat and use the oak should be very different for if you want to age it for years.

[Sailman]

I learned about airspace with my glass handles. Not a whole lot happened until I went with 25-30% airspace (consensus of HD members). Without a barrel's breatheability, glass vessels need the oxygen to interact with the spirits' compounds and provide a space for the volatiles to collect. After 3mos in (full) glass, all my spirit did was get hotter and look like weak tea. There are many important changes that happen during aging and oxygen is the catalyst.

https://www.iscbarrels.com/2018/01/30/o ... on-part-1/

https://www.iscbarrels.com/2018/04/16/t ... s-part-ii/

Thanks for the links, that was a very interesting read. I will have to look into this further cuz I had no clue that I needed any airspace. If I have 20% of airspace in the 5.2 gallon keg that means I could only put 4.4 gallons of liquid to be aged.


I do have one question, what if I was to fill it up to the five gallon mark and then periodically go and open the keg and let the volatiles air out in essence adding fresh oxygen to the mix. I'm sure I'll find the answer to that question when I'm poking around.

[Sailman]

What are you trying to accomplish?

If you are wanting to drink it in the near future, how you treat and use the oak should be very different for if you want to age it for years.

This is going to be a long-term storage type situation. I won't even think about bottling this until sometime late summer maybe even too late fall of next year. The goal is to try and have it ready for next Christmas.

[Sailman]

Here is the results of the toasting. I set the oven at 400 degrees and Let It Go go for about two and a half hours or so. The only thing left is to do the Char.

[Twisted Brick]

I do have one question, what if I was to fill it up to the five gallon mark and then periodically go and open the keg and let the volatiles air out in essence adding fresh oxygen to the mix. I'm sure I'll find the answer to that question when I'm poking around.

Not enough oxygen - I discovered that the hard way. Sure, you’ll let out maybe 3-5% of ‘collected’ volatiles (random guess) but compare that to the daily cycling of oxygen in/volatiles out via the exchange surface area of a 5gal barrel.

Maybe just use two vessels with optimum air space?

[Deplorable]

Thinking out loud here. What if he was to hook up an aerator to the OUTLET ball lock, and vent the INLET ball lock to atmosphere, and set up an inkbird to aerate daily for a few minutes. This would push air through the whiskey, and push volatiles out the vent.

[NZChris]

If you only bottle enough for your needs, the rest will carry on improving.

I wouldn't go hooking up an aerator without reading what's already been posted.

[Sailman]

I think I'm going to do like Twisted Brick suggested. I'm going to start with four gallons of spirit on Oak for aging, that will get me closer to the square inches that I need. Then when I cut it to drinking strength that will get me more than 20 750ml bottles.

[The Baker]

I think I'm going to do like Twisted Brick suggested. I'm going to start with four gallons of spirit on Oak for aging, that will get me closer to the square inches that I need. Then when I cut it to drinking strength that will get me more than 20 750ml bottles.

It will be an aging advantage if the bottles have corks.

Geoff

[Sailman]

This really doesn't pertain to this thread but I guess it's my thread in if I want to Sidetrack it I can for a little bit. This is a sweet feed that I've had on Oak for about a month. I've been opening it up about once a week and letting it air out and giving it a good shake whenever I think about it. Usually when I open it up I stick my nose in it and smell and it burns the inside of my nose well today I did the same thing and it got me thinking. All I have been smelling was the volatile compound's on top of the liquid coming off so today I let it air out and then got another sniff. The burn on the nose is just about gone and I can start the smell a little Oak. I started with one gallon of a 116 proof on 2 oz of heavy Toast Oak chips which I found out that was too much. For the majority of this time it is only been on 1 oz.

[Durhommer]

Nice color

[Sailman]

Thanks

[Sailman]

This is my first attempt at trying to char some Oak, how does it look I was trying for a medium.

[Durhommer]

anyone use this barrel before Looks toasted from the pic honestly buddy you want it to alligator on you

[SaltyStaves]

This is my first attempt at trying to char some Oak, how does it look I was trying for a medium.
IMG_20200929_173234.jpg

Looks nothing like a char. More like a heavy toast. Although photos can be deceptive.
Char is literally black charcoal, which will rub off easily onto your fingers.

[Sailman]

I added two more heat and quench Cycles through this wood. i run the touch across it until the center was glowing red and the edges were on fire.