Solera system aging discussion in here!

[Beerswimmer]

Discussion for anything and everything solera system related.

Who has them, who had them,why do you still have one, why did you, why do you not still use one, how many barrels, sizes of barrels, one big one for the base or two or even more, barrel char, no char, WTF even is a solera system, solera systems suck, solera systems are the best, climate issues, what you should do instead of a solera, how many months or years between fills, no SiB no way, post way too many pictures of your solera pretty please with sugar on top, what spirits are soleras good for, what spirits are horrible for soleras, how do you maintain your solera, how much room does yours take, same recipe each time, different each time, different for specific barrels, different cuts for specific barrels, when do you change your barrels for new ones, change them for used, all new, all used, all spent, a few of each, tips & tricks for solera perfection, problems, solutions, tell me I'm an idiot for wanting one, tell me it's the best thing I'll ever do in the hobby.......... so basically any and all discussion and media is absolutely welcomed by me!!


I want one!

[Beerswimmer]

I've wanted one for a long time, and now I'm getting after it. All the questions above are running around in my head, but here's my general plan as of now that is open to immediate change for a 5 barrel system:

I've been running the same recipe for the past few months, 85% corn 15% rolled oats(probably a much higher rolled oats % when I'm done, I love it!!), and my 2024 plan is to fill a big 20-30 gallon new heavy char American oak barrel with it as the base of an oated bourbon-ish whiskey solera system. In my head, a 20-30 gallon barrel in my cool PNW coastal maritime climate ~4-6 years should be about the sweet spot. It doesn't get hot here, rarely if ever in the 80's in the summer and only the occasional frost in winter. Normally 60's during the day and 50-40's at night. But that's MY dumb head, so help me if I'm being dumb!

In 2025(or wait until 26??) get two used 10 gallon barrels that probably held very different whiskies for several years and fill them with 2 probably very different bourbon-ish whiskies with more/different grains and %'s. Some barley here, some rye there. '27 age. '28 fill two new 5 gallon charred barrels with some bourbon of some sort. Then at long last in 2029 pull & bottle or finish, or a bit of both, 10 gallons from the 20 barrel. Finally! I'll top it back off right away with 5 or so gallons from each of the 10 gallon barrels, and then top those off with the 5's. Lastly, refill one of the used 5's and a brand new charred 5 with new tasty and probably oated and different grain % spirits. Change the 5's by switching one for a new barrel every year. Use the 5's for 2-3 years max and 10's and 20's maybe 6-10?

So then every year before the first pull I would buy a new 5 gallon barrel and make enough whiskey to fill it plus another one of the used 5's. That's easy, to do for me, that's the goal.

That's the plan as of now. Gibbs makes a new 20, new 30's are occasionally available from other places. Who makes one between 20-30-35 gallons that's high quality?

Eventually I would like to/long term plan have 2 more solera systems if I can find the room and the wife lets me use the room I found. #1 is the bourbon-ish one I'm doing first because it's so cheap to make here due to the low cost of ingredients for me. #2 a same sized solera system for rum that will be all re-used barrels and made by me much less often and aged longer between dumps & refills due to hard to find and expensive mola$$es where I live. #3 a 2 barrel heavily peated Islay style Scotch one due to the premium cost of it. That one will be my re-used bourbon-ish dumped barrels if/when available and dumped & re-filled much much much less often.Maybe a used 10 and a spent 10?? Only pull 5 gallons every 5 years?? Once all that is rolling along it'll be pretty easy to keep up with, plus I can speed up or delay whenever. If that's all that I ever distill from then going forward I'll be set! I just retired pretty young, so I have all the time that I want now for my hobbies! Long term projects are just everyday projects now

[Sporacle]

With the Solera system mines a 20 L, 10, 5 and 2.
Make sure you have another recipe for an everyday drinker so you don't touch the stuff that's supposed to be aging.
I've only taken one bottle from mine and it's been aging for 14 months.
Thanks to Uncle Jesse for the UJSSM and thanks to Old Dog for the flute.
Stay patient

[Beerswimmer]

With the Solera system mines a 20 L, 10, 5 and 2.
Make sure you have another recipe for an everyday drinker so you don't touch the stuff that's supposed to be aging.
I've only taken one bottle from mine and it's been aging for 14 months.
Thanks to Uncle Jesse for the UJSSM and thanks to Old Dog for the flute.
Stay patient

Thanks so much!! Yeah, I've been barreling a bit now so I know patience! How do you think that your solera aged spirits compare to normally aged? I know it's early

[Sporacle]

Thanks so much!! Yeah, I've been barreling a bit now so I know patience! How do you think that your solera aged spirits compare to normally aged? I know it's early

I suppose that's the point it's early my bottle I've taken is a combination of all the barrels in my system as everything was at 12 months initially so I just rotated and blended it through all the barrels in my system.
The rums nice initially, is it as good as Crackers rum...... nope

[Saltbush Bill]

My first is a 50L ,which is used to top up a 25L ,this then tops up a series of 5 or 6 L barrels.
The 50 is kept full from a 50L stainless beer keg full of Rum which has a heap of old used Dominos and used home made toasted sticks in it to help with pre-oaking......most of my barrels have done a lot of work...pre oaking lightens their load
This method works well imo, that end barrel will end up having a blend of all that you have made over many generations and many years.

[jonnys_spirit]

I enjoy the blending a solera contributes as SBB suggests. I had a four vessel straight honey shine solera with different wood in each vessel and kept each about 1/3 to 1/2 full.

It averages out different cuts I may make and allows me to test the progress of those cuts over some time and perhaps tighten or loosen up the new make cuts on next run to blend down the line over time.

I have aspirations to do this with bourbon too using a neutral 5g gibbs, a new 5g gibbs, and a neutral badmo at the end if the chain.

After that or maybe alongside will be a rum solera.

Cheers,
j

[Saltbush Bill]

Off topic, but ...I love and hate barrels at the same time .......in past weeks fixed more leaks in my Rum barrels, all seem Rum tight for now.

[higgins]

About 6 months ago I decided to create a solera system for my house bourbon. I had about 8 different batches aging in glass for up to 2 1/2 years, all using different mash bills, some high rye, some low rye, some wheated. I do not have any true 'barrels' in my system, but if/when I can find a decent used 5 gal/19 L barrel I'd replace my solera jug in a heartbeat.

Everything < 1 year old was designated level 1, and are in separate 1 gallon / 3.8L glass jugs with sticks.
Everything 1-2 years old was designated level 2, and are in separate jugs/sticks.
Everything > 2 years old was designated level 3, and went into a 3 gallon carboy (solera jug), including the sticks I was using for them. This became my source for making up drinking stock. I'll probably toss a new stick or two into the solera jug once a year or so.

When I make up a 1.75L bottle for the liquor cabinet I take 1.2-1.3 L from the solera jug and proof down to about 95-100. I'll take equal amounts from each of the level 2 jugs to replace that 1.2-1.3L, and then do the same from level 1 to level 2. When I make a new batch of bourbon I try to get close to 2 gallons/7.6L so I get enough to fill a 5L badmo, with around 2-3L to put in glass, which is added to level 1.

At this point I have four 1 gallon jugs at level 1, three 1 gallon jugs at level 2, and a 3 gallon jug as level 3 (solera jug)

So I get the best of both worlds ... single barrel bourbons & solera aged blended bourbon. I've got some badmos that are approaching 2 years now, and some of those could find their way into the solera blend too.

[MooseMan]

Thanks for starting this thread, I really hope we get lots and lots of posts from varied members with varied opinions and ways to achieve the same end.

I'll set up a solera when I'm ready to, but that's going to be when both of the kids have moved out and we have more room.
It will have to be a wife friendly one, so the look of it will have to be considered carefully too.
That's why I'm also hoping for lots of photos.

Your second post was long and full of great, very interesting information, but the last paragraph got me big time.
You have retired young?
Damn I'm so envious man.

[Beerswimmer]

Thanks for the replies! It sounds like people are going at their soleras differently that I was planning, new make into the bigger barrels and then into smaller ones..... I could do it that way too, but does it matter?

Your second post was long and full of great, very interesting information, but the last paragraph got me big time.
You have retired young?
Damn I'm so envious man.

Did 25 in the military and retired at 46, so kinda young

[Dougmatt]

My Solera is reversed from your plan. Small barrels (by impact) to larger barrels (actually a badmo which just ages slower).

I have a rum solara. Glass to 5G former wine barrel (Chardonnay, 2 uses, about 6 months in service to rum) to 5G former bourbon that is now almost 1.5 years in service, to badmo (no char, medium toast, going on 2 years in service). I may have mine backwards, but initially though slowest aging format last….

My problem is that I don’t drink it fast enough to get it out of the fast aging 5G barrels that even though they are pretty used, still have a relatively fast, big impact.

Kids just bought me a 53G fresh dump bourbon barrel…. Thinking about moving that to the end of the line so I can move things through fast, but that’s a lot of work to fill that massive thing!!

Btw I “retired” in my 40’s for a year…. Went stir crazy and rejoined the work force. Good luck to you. Have a plan and keep busy!

[Beerswimmer]

I'm having the best time of my life!

[NZChris]

Solera systems in barrels and imitation solera systems in glass should be separate threads.

There are no barrels in my shed, but there is a lot of old oak breaking down in glass demijohns that have been used for a lot more years than the spirit in them has been aging for.

[higgins]

Solera systems in barrels and imitation solera systems in glass should be separate threads.
...

Discussion for anything and everything solera system related.

...

so basically any and all discussion and media is absolutely welcomed by me!!

I want one!

OP wants it all here.

All solera systems are "imitation" unless they are for sherry wine.

[Saltbush Bill]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solera# ... ny%20years.
Quite a few things are aged in Solera , including some of the world's best and most expensive vinegars.

[Bushman]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solera# ... ny%20years.
Quite a few things are aged in Solera , including some of the world's best and most expensive vinegars.

Good article SBB.

[higgins]

This article on Whisky Advocate explains how some distilleries use a solera vat instead of several barrels.

Here is another from Distiller.com

[Twisted Brick]

This article on Whisky Advocate explains how some distilleries use a solera vat instead of several barrels.

Cool article higgins, thanks. On top of the inherent blending, the concept of using different barrel profiles is sexy. I still have a couple bottles of Hillrock Solera bourbon stashed and the spirit is quite good.

[Beerswimmer]

Well the day has FINALLY come that I filled a 30 gallon used bourbon barrel!!! So My plan going forward is to fill a used 15 gallon barrel every year with a similar-ish recipe. In 2027-28 pull 10 gallons from the 30 gallon barrel for bottling and top it off with the oldest 15. Every year do the same after.

Filled with 85% corn 15% oats @120 proof. Placed into my outdoor shed in the PNW before filling, can't move it now!

[MooseMan]

Wow! a 30 gallon barrel full of aging stock, that's a mighty big base for a solera system and surely will last you for life if you keep it ticking over as planned, or even if you were to take a year off!

I can only dream...

[Bee]

Anyone just top off a barrel with new make?

[Sporacle]

Anyone just top off a barrel with new make?

Yeah new make goes into my biggest but only after I've topped up all the subsequent barrels first

[Beerswimmer]

Wow! a 30 gallon barrel full of aging stock, that's a mighty big base for a solera system and surely will last you for life if you keep it ticking over as planned, or even if you were to take a year off!

I can only dream...

I sure hope the effort pays off in flavor, thanks!

[Beerswimmer]

Anyone just top off a barrel with new make?

I wouldn't unless it was my only barrel. I'd top off from the 2nd oldest, then the 3rd, and so on.

[Saltbush Bill]

Here the first barrel gets the top up, but only after the 3rd barrel has been topped from the second Barrel and the second from the first.

[VLAGAVULVIN]

what you should do instead of a solera

Maybe this one... Glass jars Solera system (dynamic spirits aging)

But it's not kind of safe. And the Missus should be very kind to look at all of it every single day.

[brewbob]

This is my small solera for my sipping bottle. They are 1/2 gal mason jars. 250ml gets poured every 2 weeks. It took about 8 months for the first bottle to come out. When it was started I used a 6mo aged sour mash, white after that. I only add the same triple distilled sour mash recipe that it started with and only hearts, everything else gets a queens run and aged separately. All jars have oak staves, first 2 jars charred, last 2 jars toasted. This has been going for a little over 2 years and it's very consistent as long as you do your part and stay on track.

[MooseMan]

I really like that for a small solera Bob, simple and easy to maintain.

[brewbob]

I really like that for a small solera Bob, simple and easy to maintain.

It's been a fun project, watching the color develop and the flavor stabilize. I'm not perfect so I'll admit a couple times it went 3 weeks before pour. I've also gotten greedy and poured 500ml, pour 250ml then reset by transferring like normal, then pour another 250ml....I wanted a bottle for deer camp.