Gibbs barrel question. toasted and charred or just charred?

[Newtothis]

So i have been squirreling away some distillate to fill a 10 gallon barrel and i am finally there. Its a 4 grain run 60 % corn, 20 % red wheat, 10 % rye, and 10% barley. 325 lbs of grain made 150 gallons of mash that distilled down to 10+ gallons of 130 proof goodness. So much work. So my question is, i am looking to get a gibbs 10 gallon barrel and i figure with a 10 gallon i can let it sit for a while without worry of over oaking. My question is should i get a medium toasted barrel with a #3 or #4 char, or just a #3 or #4 char. Also wondering if anyone has experience on how long i may be able to let this sit for? Thanks for the input

[LordL]

I think it's very much personal preference, myself would have chosen medium to heavy toast and heavy char...

[Newtothis]

I think it's very much personal preference, myself would have chosen medium to heavy toast and heavy char...

Havent picked one out yet but i like where you are going with this. So the heaviest char they do is a #4 and up to a heavy toast. I have read that toasting the barrel can lead to more caramel and vanilla notes, does that seem to be the correct assumption about adding a toasting to the charred barrel?

[TwoSheds]

So charring tends to be done quickly then quenched meaning it doesn't heat/toast the wood under it very much, thus the interest in toasting before charring allowing the wood to be toasted more deeply meaning more of the toasted flavors come out.

I can't say I have a strong opinion on what's right, even for myself, but before you overthink it (I know, too late) you might want to call Gibbs and ask what they have on hand. When I bought my 5 gallon barrel a couple months ago it was the last 5 gal they had on hand. That settled my debate on #3 or #4 when all they had on hand was a #4.

If you're willing to wait I'm sure they can provide whatever you want, but if you're planning to get it in there, a quick call for availability would be in order.

The barrel I got is very impressive! Can't speak to the product out of it yet (other than a quick sample at 6 weeks) but as a fairly serious amateur woodworker I'll say the build quality is absolutely top notch.

[jonnys_spirit]

I don't believe commercial distillers typically do both a dedicated toast and char. The Char does toast down to a certain depth underneath the char but I feel like it's on a gradient which lends better to covering a spectrum of flavors being extracted over time whereas an even toast under the char wouldn't have as much of that gradient...

10g barrel sounds like a future goal!

Cheers,
jonny

EDIT: Posted same time as TwoSheds - I guess if they quench it with water there would be less toasting under the char. Best to ask Gibbs. When I asked them they said it was up to the master distiller and I should talk to them lol...

[Newtothis]

If you're willing to wait I'm sure they can provide whatever you want, but if you're planning to get it in there, a quick call for availability would be in order.

Too funny, I was on the phone with them as i saw your message about calling them. They still have some tens and he recommend the #4 char as well, as well as mentioning they do pre toast all there barrels anyway. I have a few of there fives right now, they are beautiful. And yes i am way over thinking this.

[tjsc5f]

Also wondering if anyone has experience on how long i may be able to let this sit for?

There's a small distillery in Colorado that exclusively uses 10gallon barrels (Distillery 291). Most of their stuff sits in barrels for about a year and I think it's pretty good.

[TwoSheds]

Too funny, I was on the phone with them as i saw your message about calling them. They still have some tens and he recommend the #4 char as well, as well as mentioning they do pre toast all there barrels anyway. I have a few of there fives right now, they are beautiful. And yes i am way over thinking this.

Newtothis already knows, but I meant to also mention that if in doubt, give them a call. They're super friendly, helpful, and thankfully willing to deal with individuals like us.

[LordL]

I think it's very much personal preference, myself would have chosen medium to heavy toast and heavy char...

Havent picked one out yet but i like where you are going with this. So the heaviest char they do is a #4 and up to a heavy toast. I have read that toasting the barrel can lead to more caramel and vanilla notes, does that seem to be the correct assumption about adding a toasting to the charred barrel?

I'm sure you have seen this one:

https://learntomoonshine.com/wp-content ... time-1.jpg

If I'm not completely wrong. Most people toasts at around 200°C, the degree of toasting is instead time. I think Ben "the bad motivator" toasts light for 15 min, heavy 45 min, but always around 200°C as per the chart above.

As mentioned in this thread already, most seem to quench after charring, probably because it gives predictable results and makes the fire stop...

Most burboun type whiskys seem to be put on quite heavy charred barrels, so that's what I'm aiming for myself.

Good luck! I'm sure it will be a great drink within a year or four..

[Wildcats]

I haven't got any barrels yet. But have been looking at the Gibbs ones. I do plan to get some soon. This post has been helpful for me in my planning. Just another reason why I love this site.

[Dougmatt]

So much of this depends on what you are aging. I like a medium toast, heavy char for my bourbons…. I like the toasty sweet caramel flavor for those. Here’s a link on toasting which seems to be where your questions are:

https://www.worldcooperage.com/toasting-chemistry/

For char, heavy for whiskies. None for rums (or second / third use after the bourbons are done.)


For more about char, I like this article: https://www.rabbitholedistillery.com/bl ... har-levels

Describes char levels and a little about char in addition to toast.

[PLAYMP]

The wider your cuts the heavier the char should be. If you already have a clean spirit you’d hate to put it in a 4 char and have it cleaned up any further.