Small Barrels

[Pervy Sage]

I asked a micro-distillery for advice and they said it would be okay to post their answers....

1.) In a small charred barrel how would you describe the changes in taste and mellowing when aged for only one month, three months and five months (assuming it's the fist time the barrel has been used) ??

40 days per gallon in oak (3 gal = 120 days) approximately
Sweeter, more vanilla, more caramel in small barrels
first month is greatest influence on spirit



2.) Do you buy your small barrels from Gibbs or another company?

Yes Gibbs and Barrel Mill



3.) Are they new or used barrels?

New



4.) Do you reuse the barrels?

Yes, for steering flavor of non-whiskey products



5.) If no, then are the used ones available for purchase?



6.) If yes, then do you find the rule of thumb is to age twice as long on the second use or do you just have to keep checking for when it's done?

Keep checking



7.) Have you experimented with barrel wrapping to reduce loss (angel's share)?

No



Thank you in advance for your time,

Okay to post this.



Ralph Erenzo

Tuthilltown Spirits, NY
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EDIT:
one more question please:

8.) How would you characterize product that's been in a small barrel too long, and how do you correct it? (i.e. add some white dog?)



We occasionally have small amounts of over-oaked material. We would either save it for blending or redistill. We don’t manipulate by adding unaged, and I doubt that would solve the problem of the over oaked material in a way that would “bring it back”; can’t un-ring a bell, I think.



Ralph

[goinbroke2]

Always nice to pickthe brain of a "professional".

I talked to a guy from Glennora Distillery and asked a few question. I think they want to lose the "angels share" because this is the lighter stuff that's no good anyway. Kind of like airing you whisky for a day when it first comes off. Only they let it slowly evaporate off while enclosed in a barrel.

I think of race gas, if you leave a Jerry can open all the light aromatic's evaporate and the chemical mix changes. It puts out less power and can absorb water etc. What is left is the heavier carbon chains which burn ok but don't "light off" as easy as the light ends. In theory I suppose it would increase the ant-knock properties but in reality it doesn't, it just slows the car down.

For whisky, having just the "heavy ends" left, it has more concentrated the flavours and let the lighter bad flavours go. If there was trace acetone for example, over time it would evap on it's own, through the barrel.


No I'm not a chemist...it's all theory...logic?


edit: I just realized I didn't point out I was referring to question # 7. (that should make my answer a little more sensible...)

[Dnderhead]

that is what I always Thought also . slow proses of release of lighter alcohol and some intake of 02. the problem is with to small a barrel that
you lose so much.partly rapping a 4-10L barrel mite be a idea. I asked a local winery what they did with there small barrels and also got ignored.
(they put Specialty wine in some that is about 25 gal )

[goinbroke2]

I saw on Ian Smiley's site he has barrels for sale. Are those ornamental or can you fill them with whitedog for aging?