Shed aging/oaking - summer is here

[PalCabral]

Hiya.

Thought I'd share how I age my liquor and get your feedback. I have a Panela Rum and a Wheated Bourbon in glass jars with toasted and charred oak sticks maturing. Both are within their first three months of aging/oaking.

During most time of the year I am storing my jars in the house cellar, at fairly even temperatures, 16C (60F) during winter, around 18C (64F) during fall/spring. However, now that we've got summer at last I have moved my jars to the garden shed. The garden shed is not isolated and the temps fluctuate over the day. At night we're down to 8C (46F) and tops during day at 22C (71F). So a fair spread of temps over 24 hours.

I am under the impression that these temp changes over the day is promoting the extraction of flavors from the oak. Is this a correct assumption?

My plan is to allow each jar to sit with a cork lid for a week each, while sitting in the shed, to allow some breathing and oxygenation. I am expecting a bit of losses to the angels but not too much.

Finally, I will be freeze aging during the summer. One jar will be put into the freezer over night and then put back into the shed over the day. Again to promote extraction. This rotation will go on for 5-7 days per jar.

What are your thoughts? Sounds about right or do you have suggestions for improvement?

[Swedish Pride]

I'd just leave it in the shed year round.

Cork isn't going to let it breathe, need to take if off ever so often.
Or what I like to do is only fill up the demis to about ⅔ full, that leaves a lot of air in to to help it improve.
I've moved away from corks lately.
Recently I routed out oak tpd that just sit on top of the demi , before that I had some tissues stuffed down the top, both is to allow for more air exchange

[PalCabral]

I'd just leave it in the shed year round.

Cork isn't going to let it breathe, need to take if off ever so often.
Or what I like to do is only fill up the demis to about ⅔ full, that leaves a lot of air in to to help it improve.
I've moved away from corks lately.
Recently I routed out oak tpd that just sit on top of the demi , before that I had some tissues stuffed down the top, both is to allow for more air exchange

How long do you let the jar breathe, SP? A couple of hours or days?

My demis are full of low wines waiting for spirit runs. I am building stock, not ready yet to use the demis for aging,

[Homebrewer11777]

Most of my all grain is aging in Badmo barrels but I age my sugar/gumball heads in glass. I use 1 gallon glass "jugs" with tapered neck and finger handle and fill up to about where the fat part of the bottle starts to narrow. Charred oak sticks in the jugs. I use #14 natural corks and just set the corks in the openings loosely - I don't get the corks wet and don't push them in to seal. They are tight enough to keep bugs out but still seem to permit some air exchange.

My Badmos are in unheated partially insulated attic and my jugs are in the basement. Temperature swings about 10F daily in the attic but basement is pretty stable. I've been happy enough with the jugs at 6 months (even 4 was pretty good) to keep me out of the Badmos. I weigh the badmos every 3 months to check for angels share and aging progress. If anything the jugs seem to age faster than the Badmos which is opposite of what I would expect if they were either not getting oxygen through those corks or daily temperature fluctuations were making a big difference.

[PalCabral]

If anything the jugs seem to age faster than the Badmos which is opposite of what I would expect if they were either not getting oxygen through those corks or daily temperature fluctuations were making a big difference.

Yes, that is interesting. You'd think the Badmos would develop faster with the temp swings in the attic. But the Badmos are dimensioned for aging in the same pace as 200L barrels, so 1,5 to 3 years. Maybe your jugs have more oak vs whiskey surface?

[Swedish Pride]

I'd just leave it in the shed year round.

Cork isn't going to let it breathe, need to take if off ever so often.
Or what I like to do is only fill up the demis to about ⅔ full, that leaves a lot of air in to to help it improve.
I've moved away from corks lately.
Recently I routed out oak tpd that just sit on top of the demi , before that I had some tissues stuffed down the top, both is to allow for more air exchange

How long do you let the jar breathe, SP? A couple of hours or days?

My demis are full of low wines waiting for spirit runs. I am building stock, not ready yet to use the demis for aging,

A few minutes every so often, maybe every month or two.
But also leave airspace in the jar.

[NZChris]

Chemical reactions occur faster as the temperature rises, so I've never followed advice that uses cooling to help aging. Even 22C is cold for rum, which is usually aged in the tropics.

A lot of mine is aged in an old fridge that is controlled to 25C minimum. Cork bungs are not banged in so tight that they can't breathe. Never more than 2/3 full.

Pressure changes will have a greater effect on extraction if the likker is in the wood than if the wood is in the likker, but extraction is only the beginning of aging. The compounds from the wood then react with the compounds in the likker, which then react with the compounds from the wood and in the likker and each other, ad infinitum, until you bottle it. Look at tasting notes for various ages of a product from a single distillery and you can see flavors appearing and disappearing and getting more complex as time goes on.

[Saltbush Bill]

Pressure changes will have a greater effect on extraction if the likker is in the wood than if the wood is in the likker, but extraction is only the beginning of aging.

My barrels do this, lots of pressure build up then a vacuum, constant pressure change has to have an effect over a long period of time.

[Yummyrum]

Pressure changes will have a greater effect on extraction if the likker is in the wood than if the wood is in the likker, but extraction is only the beginning of aging.

My barrels do this, lots of pressure build up then a vacuum, constant pressure change has to have an effect over a long period of time.

Yup , I remember the first time I opened the tap , there was a gurgling sound and nothing came out for a few seconds . I thought my barrel was empty .

[Swedish Pride]

Recently I routed out oak tpd that just sit on top of the demi , before that I had some tissues stuffed down the top, both is to allow for more air exchange

A pic is always better than words to describe something like this.

IMG20250617225301.jpg

IMG20250617225244.jpg

[PalCabral]

Shed season is getting nearer again. I put one of those thermometers that register high and low temps as well as current temp in the shed and I've been there the last couple of days to check on the temp span during the day and night. Lows are -1/+1 of zero Celsius, and highs have soared to 15C, but typically sits at 10C. It means that this weekend most of my jars are going out this weekend. My plan is to use the shed from April to end September. It was a nice ritual last summer to go and visit the jars every morning, maybe give them a shake and/or open them for a minute to breathe. Only jars that are close to be bottled will stay in the cellar.

My Badmo will go out in a month from now. I am waiting until lows are above zero.

Has your shed season already started or are you waiting for specific temperature before moving your jars out? Or maybe your jars are always in the shed?

[subbrew]

My jars and badmos sit in my shop. Winter I keep it heated to only about 55, but a sunny day and west windows means it will often get to 70 or more during the day. No AC in summer so it easily hits 100 during the day and open the windows at night will drop it to 60. All F temps of course. I have never checked the temp of the liquor but the thermal mass is enough that I would suspect in only has a swing of perhaps 1/2 to 2/3 the air temp swing. Just be aware, I had one badmo sitting where the sun could hit it. One of 100 degree days and some sun and the lid popped. 1.8 gallons of HBB on the floor. Man, my shop smelled wonderful for 12 hours.

[MooseMan]

I too follow the heat cycling school of thought.

I shoulder fill Demi's with oak staves, and one of every batch I make goes into the conservatory, year round.
Even in winter it can get warm on a sunny day and drop to almost freezing overnight.

I give them a hard swirl, and a hearty sniff as often as I can which helps to exchange the headspace air.

The ones in there, definitely age better than the ones in the garage.

[PalCabral]

I too follow the heat cycling school of thought.

I shoulder fill Demi's with oak staves, and one of every batch I make goes into the conservatory, year round.
Even in winter it can get warm on a sunny day and drop to almost freezing overnight.

I give them a hard swirl, and a hearty sniff as often as I can which helps to exchange the headspace air.

The ones in there, definitely age better than the ones in the garage.

You have found the sweet spot in your private rickhouse, Moose. I need to get myself a conservatory...

My shed has no electricity or water so it's not a place for brewing or distilling. It's the classic garden tools, bicycles, various boxes, kids toys, and canisters with lawn mover fuel shed, packed to the rim. But I have found spots on the shelves and under the ceiling where it's possible to stash jars, a bit out of sight. The temp cycles are definitely real in my shed.

[Saltbush Bill]

I have never checked the temp of the liquor but the thermal mass is enough that I would suspect in only has a swing of perhaps 1/2 to 2/3 the air temp swing.

Interesting that you bought that up, Ive always thought the same way about ferments that are being done in un insulated sheds. "OH but its to hot to ferment at this time of year" people say ......, but its only hot for part of the 24 hour period. Because of thermal mass how hot or cold does that ferment really get.....no where near the variation in air temp for the same 24 hour period.

[Yummyrum]

I have never checked the temp of the liquor but the thermal mass is enough that I would suspect in only has a swing of perhaps 1/2 to 2/3 the air temp swing.

Interesting that you bought that up, Ive always thought the same way about ferments that are being done in un insulated sheds. "OH but its to hot to ferment at this time of year" people say ......, but its only hot for part of the 24 hour period. Because of thermal mass how hot or cold does that ferment really get.....no where near the variation in air temp for the same 24 hour period.

I’ll also jump on this band wagon . Big …200litre ferment hold their own due to thermal mass. A blanket in winter helps . … sometimes also a submersible element

But this is about Oaking .
I just love when I take a draw from the barrel. It always surprises me . Sometimes it gushes out …… sometimes it gurgles air back

It is what it is in the shed …. It’s my shed ….my booze does it’s own shit in it . … makes it mine
There is only so much you can control






Q

[Bee]

Keep in mind that distilleries get their young barrels from the portions of the rickhouse that has have the most variable conditions (usually the top) and they get their oldest barrels where conditions are the most even.

I would not let the product air out. To me, it just makes it flat.