How To Prepare A Barrel To Age Spirits
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- Опубликовано: 8 апр 2021
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This channel is long overdue for some barrel action! Let's condition this barrel up so we can fill it up with the love child (watch this space)!
So how do you stop a barrel leaking? Barrel Conditioning!
Its important to understand that many barrels will not be ready to put spirits into right away. They will leak all over the place. We need to condition the barrel first. By hydrating the wood staves we cause them to expand and create a tighter fit, hopefully, a watertight one.
If after 10-14 days of refining the barrel doesn't stop the leaking you have a few options.
1- Beeswax, rub it in or melt it and pour it on
2 - More aggressive hydration
3 - Tighten the hoops
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This will not change the price for you at all, But the seller will buy my a cup of coffee if you purchase from one of the links. Choice eh? 
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Right behind you!, push your wall back and add shelves to showcase the fruits of your labour
Yes, Do This!
And add that piece of wood to your bar. Good god how long must we wait. :)
@@kevinbaxter2578 I've been thinking the same thing!!! He has other priorities I suppose 🤣
Or move your bench further from the wall!
@@daelrance6866 sounds difficult, just push the wall back
If you have a really stubborn leak that just won't quit, especially from a stave end, I did a barrel leak repair video on my channel. Really easy to do with a hammer, a nail and some toothpicks. Excellent video dude!
Came here to mention that video, I used the guidelines to fix one of my virgin oak barrels. The principle works the same as leaks along the length of the stave too, however you add a wedge as opposed to a 'spike'. Both videos are good and contain great information. Thanks to you both!
I'll be going to have a look at that video. Have one stave end that didn't seem to be sitting correctly and is the only leak I've got in my barrel. And the rum is ap.ost ready to go in!!! 😦
Wrap the barrel in cling wrap before you fill it with water. Keeps the outside wet.
Awesome will use it with my barrels
I managed to get two 5 litre oak barrels. After soaking, I first filled them with sloe wine for a year, then refilled them with some illicit Irish spirit, that the Wee Folk left for me. Both have been buried in peat bog. One is to be exhumed shortly and the other will stay in the bog until 2031, for my seventieth birthday. Number one son has the co-ordinates, just in case I don't make it and it is to be shared at my interment.
Potential video idea: reach out to Barry’s barrels and see if you can go through the process make a barrel from scratch with them. That could be cool (if they are actual coopers I guess).
They just import them
I bought a 55 gallon wine keg- for storage of distilled product and realized there were 24 flavouring staves attached to the inside of my keg .They were too large to get out of the bung hole (1 3/4 in) , I googled and watched 3 videos on coppering, dissassembled the one end of the keg and removed the end (3 pieces) removed the staves reassembled the keg- used a very large chisel instead of a pry bar,made a coopering tool to hold the end in place and re assembled it by myself ( took numerous tries as you need more than two hands) Filled it up, checked for leaks and was good-would recommend 2 people doing the job !!
Depending on what method of attachment the barrel hoops use, you may need to use a different procedure to tap them closer to the middle. Same basic setup as you've shown, but you tapped them with your hammer and crowbar, moved a few inches around the barrel, tapped it, rinse and repeat. Let's call that the "round the clock" method. Especially for hoops that are pressure fitted (not pinned or attached with screws), using the round the clock method will actually remove the hoop, because tapping down one side will raise up the hoop 180° from where you struck the crowbar. If this happens, stop going around the clock (1, 2, 3, 4, etc) and tap it at opposing sides, then go one position around the clock, tap it, then go to the opposite side (1, 7, 2, 8, 3, 9, 4, 10, etc). Another method is to only tap at four cardinal points, switching between them to keep the hoop even around the barrel. Long rant, I know, but just something to keep in mind when altering your barrels.
Doppelganger at 6:15!!!
Someone’s getting better at editing.
YEEEEEES STILL IT is now ready to barrel age, been waiting for this momentous occasion, Good on you Jess.
I actually just got a Barry's Barrels, Barrel for my birthday! Great timing for this guide, I cant wait to get to using it :)
Great video Jessie! I have a 10 L barrel that I now have several different multi flavored Brandys/vodkas in. This is the second round for this barrel; the first time I filled it, it was with my Christmas rum. It turned out great. So all these different flavored vodkas and Brandy‘s that are now in it should also pick up some of the Christmas rum flavor. I’ll tell you one thing though, I lost an awful lot due to the Angels share. So when you fill your barrel up I’d like you to keep us informed on how much you actually lose to those thirsty angels! Keep safe my friend.
I did this in the bathtub, worked a treat. Love BB's got a 10L one as a bday present.
Barry's Barrels is where I source my plastic drums for fermenting. As food grade drums are hard to come by down south.
Good man! It is about time you got a barrel. You will be able to utilize that barrel three or four times because of its smaller size and its ratio of wood to distillate. Test is frequently, especially after its first filling. I had one barrel that never leaked a drop and another that never held a drop. About a gallon per day leaked from my 5 gallon barrel and it never sealed.
I highly recommend planning multiple aging batches from the beginning. Assuming it's charred and you'll get a nice whiskey batch, think about what would taste good aged in a whiskey barrel and keep going. I've done whiskey, then rum, then port, then brandy, then rum again. Each spirit flavours the next. Of course eventually you'd need to re-char it, or bust it up and use it in the smoker.
Once upon a time, re-charred a used 3 gallon barrel: marked the staves with letter punches and marks to denote direction for letters that look the same upside down (punched two places in case the letter depression sprang back); marked the ends in three spots using dots and letters even though generally the grain goes (edit) "side-to-side" when the bung is on top. Marked hoops at one end with a "T" for top.
Disassembled, and using an angle grinder and 80 grit flap wheel sanded down the inside surfaces of each stave and end.
Re-assembled after lightly scouring the mating faces of the staves so debris wouldn't be trapped there.
Watching coopering videos helps with re-assy...banging on staves to make them flush to each other, using a brick chisel and dead-blow mallet to drive first the inner hoops, leaving the outer ones to last -- leaving the ends off until re-charring is done.
Re-charred using a propane torch, focused on the center of each stave, avoiding the end where the groove is.
Didn't char the ends as others have warned they quickly warp (but I'm glad I disassembled because there was a green color on the end plates, which may've been the source of the slightly off flavor I noticed was being introduced, which was the main reason I decided to do this besides that it'd been used 2 or 3 times already).
Melted beeswax into a shallow tin and rolled the end plates to just get the edges waxed (as that's how it came from Gibbs Brothers orig).
Loosened both hoops on one end and put that end plate in, then tightened the inner hoop until the end hoop could be put on.
Then followed what Jess said.
Nice going. I got a 5 gallon keg a few weeks ago and the place i got it from steamed it before they shipped it, It came out of Texas. As soon as I got it I filled it with water and I didn't have any leaks. I'm going to get a 15 gallon here shortly that is fresh dumped of whiskey and that should make some interesting flavors.
I got a 20L barrel from local distillery, was used of course. Small leak that was fixed with jamming a bit of 100% cotton and beeswax in and gave it a few more days and now it's sealed up nice.
Seems we are about the same spot with "needing" to fill 20L barrel and then let it ride 6months to a year. Cheers!!
Nice buy mate. Can't wait to see your tasting notes from the spirit you add to it. Pro tip. On your next one try standing it up in a large bucket or vessel with the tap hole up. Fill the vessel and barrel with water. Keep submerged using a brick or other heave object. Barrel will swell and seal up in 24-48 hours.
I found end seams can be sealed easy with the bees wax and a little heat from a torch. Looking forward to seeing what you got coming for us on the spirit.
For sealing leaking end grain in a barrel I used an idea I got from beekeeping. I emptied the barrel, stood the leaky end up (much as you say in the video), then melted some beeswax onto it. The trick is to then keep heating the top inch of the stave until the water starts to gently boil out of the leak. Once it's done that long enough to start slowing down slightly remove the heat; as the water cools and it'll wick the beeswax into the crack. Let it cool for a few of hours and avoid heating that spot again if the leak is fixed.
In the US... Gibbs Brothers Cooperage barrels are by far the best quality new barrels for home distillers and small batch distillers. Gibbs barrels are made with properly seasoned new white oak staves harvested from the same trees that the big distillers in Kentucky and Tennessee use. Barrels, including how they are made and what type of wood are just as if not more important than your spirit that you put into it. You simply will not reach the highest potential of your spirits in aging if you age in a poorly selected wood/barrels.
Also good advice for the hobbyist is to research your barrel maker and read their reviews. We are a startup distillery who got ripped off 2.5k from a place in QLD (Craft Barrels) on our first attempt. We ended up just going bigger and buying from a larger barrel maker in SA afterwards, but it was a lesson I wish we didn’t have to learn, and one that’s could have been pretty easy to avoid in hindsight. Do your research, trust your community, remember that talk is cheap, and money is easy to lose.
Suggestion, Whatever your filling that barrel with, how about doing a Chips vs Staves vs Spirals vs Barrel thing then in a few years when the contents of the barrel is ready you could do a side by side comparison.
Looking forward to the 1st tasting from the barrel. This is worth a number of videos.
As bearded said, you can push the wood fibers together with toothpicks or nails. You can also try tightening the hoops a very small amount before you swell the barrel, that will give you extra compression. What I have done personally is convert a wallpaper steamer into a barrel steamer. Just remove the plastic but on the ends of the hose and add a threaded pipe with holes drilled in. Works a charm
Super video, been looking into a barrel.
Thank you brother.
Make a shelve behind you
Store the barrel in a location that best reflects your areas change in temperature.
That way it’s more regional
Thanks mate just proof down my First all grain mash I know now what I I been missing out on thanks mate
I bought a 55 gallon wine keg- for storage of distilled product and realized there were 24 flavouring staves attached to the inside of my keg .They were too large to get out of the bung hole (1 3/4 in) , I googled and watched 3 videos on coopering then disassembled the one end of the keg (3 pieces) removed the staves reassembled the keg- used a very large chisel instead of a pry bar,made a coopering tool to hold the end in place and re assembled it by myself ( took numerous tries as you need more than two hands) Filled it up, checked for leaks- was good ! I would recommend two people to do this job!
I bought a 5 liter barrel in the Netherlands last year. Works amazing and already gives lots of flavour. First hammer the rings tight. Then I used the cold method to stop leaking. This is done by filling it up with 1/3 of cold water. Let it rest for a day. Fill it up with another 1/3. Same process untill it is fully filled.
Then infilled it with pedro Ximenez sherry befor I filled it with my own made single malt whisky. Now just let it wait for 3 years. If you want the company, which is not mine, let me know. I can help you out. Thanks for the video.
Ive tried both white oak (raw, toasted, charred) and also a barrel. There is NOTHING like the flavour from a barrel.... so good
It's your 100k barrel. I say put it over the shoulder on a shelf on either side - perhaps just out of your normal camera field of view so you can choose to include or dis-include the barrel in your shot. Maybe cut a hole in your faux wall for the lid/tap to come through, and the shelf can all be hidden behind.
This gets my vote. I was thinking same thing.
I HAVE TO SAY the love child of bourbon and run sounds a lot like a SWEET FEED spirit and I have to say it's a great white spirit. For those that don't have sweet feed near them what I can get is Corn Oats, Barley and Molasses, it seams pretty even percentage from what I can see while grindo. Because it's animal feed I would imagine is black strap molasses and I highly recommend 👍👍👍. I've got some aging at 55% so we'll see but at 2 months it's picking up a lot of color so far.
I bought a 55 gallon wine keg- for storage of distilled product and realized there were 24 flavouring staves attached to the inside of my keg .They were too large to get out of the bung hole (1 3/4 in) , I googled and !!!!watched 3 videos on coppering, dissassembled the one end of the keg and removed the end (3 pieces) removed the staves reassembled the keg- used a very large chisel instead of a pry bar,made a coopering tool to hold the end in place and re assembled it by myself ( took numerous tries as you need more than two hands) Filled it up, checked for leaks and was good-would recommend 2 people doing the job !!!!!!
!!
I have sort of a similar barrel, my problem was not with the barrel itself but with the wooden tap that came with it. The damn thing held ok for like a month or so after i bought the barrel, then it started leaking like crazy. After weeks of not knowing what to do and thinking about removing the tap and just plugging the hole some old dude gave me a piece of advice. He told me to remove the tap completely, disassemble it (its made of two parts), dry it and grease it like crazy. I actually used some lard from our cows we had lying around. Well, ever since i had no leakage in the tap whatsoever. Every month or so i check the tap and if is getting wet by feel (not yet leaking) i know it is time to apply some more lard (on the ouside of tap - so no disassembly is required). I also experimented couple of times by applying a coat of linseed oil on the tap, however i found out that lard held out longer.
I had the same problem but my problem was I had a 300L barrel. Long storie short I got I sealed and have been filling it with rum. I made a coffee table of my barrel and would love to share a photo ....
Awesome video. Great info. Thank you so much
Tips: Soak the tap and bung for 1/2hr or so first to help the seal.
When soaking the barrel, as the wood soaks in the water, turn the barrel a quarter turn every half hour to keep everything evenly wet. Or turn from the initial 12 o'clock position to 10 then to 2 after a couple hours to keep everything soaking.
Don't use tap water because of chlorine, use filtered water and pre-boiled water/distilled.
When using beeswax, heat the wood first then rub the wax in, and then heat again to melt the wax into the crack. Use a heat gun or hair dryer.
fill with a higher ABV as the wood will drop the ABV by a few %.
When moving the bands you will need to pull them up first and turn so that the screw holes are not in line because if you only are able to move the band a couple of mm then the next screw hole will fall into the original screw hole and you will only end up creating a loose connection unless you fill the original hole with wood bog ... in which case you would need to lift the band to bog it... just move it to the left or right to avoid seeing the original holes.
Thanks Jesse! Bearded has a great video on how to fix a leaky barrel, so be sure to check that out.
It’s important to “age” your barrel before putting your first distillation into it. First time use of a barrel can produce an overly strong wood taste to your product. I suggest buying a similar type of alcohol that you plan to make and fill your barrel with the store bought stuff. Leave it for a few weeks to pull out the stronger woody notes.
Could also do what others have suggested by racking off half, saving it and blending back
My last barrel leaked pretty bad because I had purchased it and let it sit on the shelf for too long. I rang the Cooper and he said bang the hoops on a little tighter and next time only buy a barrel when your ready to fill it. The longer they sit the dryer the wood gets.
I've always soaked my barrel in water in a bug tub, inside and out, helps the staves expand faster.
Hoping to put my product in an oak barrel is why I attempted to up my game and ferment in a 55 gallon barrel. Multiple batches and hopefully enough to put into oak barrels. I still have not come up with enough quality product to fill that size barrel. Maybe one or two gallons tops...
14:02 I don't know anything about coopering or aging spirits, but I wanted 14:02 of a cool video so I suppose I'm an expert. The woodworker in me says that the hoops aren't going to move much, at all. Which means that putting the screws back in the same holes may allow the hoop to slide back to its original position as the barrel expands and contracts as the humidity changes. Also, trace a pencil line around the top of the hoop so you can see how much it moved and verify that distance is the same all the way around.
Hey. How about making a shelf on the backside of the wall, and a hole in the wall the front of the pretty barrel can showcase through ? And a brand new barrel. Make a Bourbon mash for it. Maybe whith a twist of peat.:-)
Wax the barrel and apply food quality lacquer on top, zero leaks. Good tips on using the tools, those are rarely needed with good barrels.
I purchased a 53 gallon used Wild Turkey barrel, which leaked wildly on the bottom. It wouldn't hold water AT ALL! So, I just laid the barrel on it's side inside a small kiddie pool (maybe 30 gallon capacity, or 12 inches tall by 4 feet wide) filled with spring water and let it soak for 2 days, which fixed the problem. Zero adverse effects on the barrel. Give that a try next time you don't want to keep pouring hot/cold water into it for hours/days/weeks/etc...
I live and work right beside the wild Turkey distillery.
Great video, thx.
Question similiar to others, what type of inside does the barrel have, charred,....?
Nice looking barrel. Wouldn't have expected it to seal up any quicker really. They always seem to take a week or more to seal really well, and even then, you may get an odd minor leak just appear. What char level is it, one what oak, European or American? There is a difference in the flavors. BTW, always admired those shirts, I'll have to go get myself hooked up, glad you got a sponsor out of wearing something you already liked!
Awesome...
Another interesting topic.
Good stuff as always.💪👍🥃
P.s...
I think you should keep the barrel at my place...
I’ll take GOOD care of it.🤣
Sorry for the multi comment, but if you painters tape on either side of your barrel leak, it makes enough of a ridge that the wax will settle nicely when you pour it over.
Eventually you might discuss the practice, benefits, and disadvantages of burning the inside of a barrel such as is done for Bourbon. These small barrels might be difficult to do that though. In fact I think for Bourbon it is done during manufacturing before putting the tops on the barrels.
Cattail or bullrush is what you use between your staves ,, of course this means you will need to take it apart to Cooper it properly generally you use wax on the heads between the Chime and Crowes
It's interesting, on the small barrel I played with, the hoops were held on by pressure alone.
I've been trying to get my barrel to seal up for 2 weeks. It had finally stopped leaking and was drying up when it just started leaking pretty bad from around one of the end caps. It's starting to dry up again. Makes me a little worried about putting my spirits in it. I like the bee's wax trick. May have to try that if it starts leaking.
All the barrels I have used have been super small and the angels took all my good stuff
6L barrels for 3 to 6 months then bottle I think. Equals 1 to 2 years in a 220L barrel
Definitely a good way to seal up barrels….. I hate waiting and watching mine, I use beeswax and a blow torch, to seal it, really a simple way and fast
I'm so very envyous of your freedom to distill.
To add an efficiency to test your barrel water proof is to make a positive pressure inside the barrel. First fill the barrel full of water. Then push more water inside the barrel thru the filling hole via the hose tightened in the filling hole of the barrel. Now with the burst of pressure washer, you add a liquid pressure inside the barrel equally thru the barrel walls. If the wall not leaking, the barrel is leak proof in the room pressure. Other method to test the leak proof is to "paint" the barrel outside with a strong viscose "oily" soapy liquid with, then burst an air inside the barrel with air compressor to create a small positive pressure inside the barrel. Now, if there coming a bubbles somewhere outside the barrel surface, there is a leak presented.
After you've emptied the barrel of aged spirit and you're going to fill it back with distilled water and a few campden tablets and you will be ready for another aging. It keeps mold growing on the inside of the barrel. You just can't call it bourbon after it's first use. Cheers Jessie and Congratulations on 150K!🥃
So how many times can a person age spirits in a 3l barrel? And putting water with campiden pellets in a barrel, does it strip flavors from the barrel?
email: Maxc321.mm@gmail.com
@@2wicepipes , I have a 10 L barrel and I've aged twice already. First time was for 4 months and the second time for a year. The second batch was way better!!! I never got any off flavors from the campden tablets but I gave it a thorough rinsing before filling. I think I have at least 3 more fills before having to re char. I probably won't. I'll buy another fresh barrel, probably. I hope this dis spells any fears. Cheers!
What, if anything, do you do to the barrel before you pour the spirits in? I saw one video that said you should wait four hours after dumping the water before filling it. Do you do this? I have been thoroughly enjoying your videos. Thank you.
Can confirm, the wooden tap holds liquids over time. At least mead.
Great video! Is it possible to re use a barrel after aging a whiskey? So after your whiskey is finished you use it for a grappa or calvados?
A week ago Bearded posted a photo of you I believe it is attached to the Chase the Heat site with your beard well trimmed make you look like a college professor
4:14 pretty funny that when asking where the barrel should sit, it's pretty much sitting in the spot we see it a year later.
you need to wet the tap before you put it in then it will swell up and be water tight and stay wet as long as it remains wet a quick 10 minute soak will go a long way to getting a tap to seal
Hey mate. Same process if I was putting mead into the barrel? Working on the boss to get a still almost there.....
Thank you
When you say a “sanitary solution” do you mean something like a Star San solution to sanitize the barrel or pre boiled and cooled water?
Sigh, all I have is the Clawhammer Mighty Pint barrel, same prep though...
Here is a tip for you barrel owners,as mentioned,you cannot leave a barrel empty,so the old school method is to make a storage solution.Using warm water to help dissolve,sodium/met 1 gram per litre,citric acid 1 gram per litre.When you're ready to use barrel,empty then rinse with a citric acid solution to cleanse,1 gram per litre citric acid will do the job.
Where can you get the citric acid? I suppose it is in a powder form
local brew shops or supermarket.@@crow13695
When you get to 300k subscribers, you could treat yourself to a piece of wood and finish edging the front of your counter!!!:)
Love your work.
I got a huge barrel, made of French oak from nobilo wines... Had red wine in it but it's in mint condition. I want to fill it with moonshine but I want to open, clean and char it first because it's got a lot of dried sediment in it. It's a little bit hard finding information on how to do this with a full size barrel. I want to get it right first time as it's a beautiful barrel and I don't want to wreck it.... Can you help bro? Chur
How do you char the smaller barrels to get the most flavor out the wood with out compromising it
Help please!!!!!! I have a question i have a 1 liter barrel with a spigot. If i turn the spigot nothing comes out, unless i remove the cork in the bung. Then the liquor flows from the spigot. Is that how it is supposed to be?
I might in addition to rubbing wax on it might heat the area with a heat gun.
Guys I am making 500ml to 100Liter Barrels from American White Oak and French. Reason for 500ml is to give you an indication on flavor you can expect from your required toast and char. Also awesome gift. Want to send a few mini barrels over
I'd be curious as to the characteristics of different woods. I could even see a specialty liquor made using barrels made of high resin woods, a la Chartreuse (which is reminiscent of paint thinner to the uninitiated!🤪 But a very interesting sipping liqueur once you get used to it).
I use boiled water. Once it’s hot. Not boiling I pour it inside. Ensures the water has no containment’s or nasties which can spoil the barrel
Generally. If it leaks like a hose. Dunk the whole barrel under water for 12 hrs. And see if it stops
Dunk again for another 12 hrs to further reduce leaks. Honestly. Should fix about 95% of all bad leaks
Make sure the inside is free from wood chips and craps
Then season with yr desired liquid and always make sure it’s full after use. Or it’ll dry out again.
Ports. Use tawny ports only. Make sure all alcohol is above 18%. Do not put any milk type products inside or anything with mint. Milk will cause issues and mint will permeate yr mixes for years to come. Bad
Hope that helps lads
Quick question m8 you always leave your spirits overnight with a towel on the top for the nasties to evaporate , is that always before you proof it down and does it make a difference if you dilute it first ?
THANK YOU.. DES CREAN,, BELFAST ,, IRELAND
I have been considering doing a rye whiskey from grain and buying a 50L barrel for it. Would end up costing me 1k AUD for the barrel and to fill it i think. So tempting.
Try looking at SA cooperage website. About 500ish plus freight, depending on what timber/finish you want). And grain for 50L from cry malt or Baird's shouldn't be much more than another couple hundred. Might still end up as closer to 700-800 but hope that helps
Is it ok to leave the water in it until you add some beer?
Should I dump the water and add a fresh batch? Any suggestions for getting the barrel ready for the spirits store welcome.
Barrels are like the old wooden bucket in that to keep them watertight you must keep water in them so the wood swells.
I couldn't help noticing at 6:10, when you rolled the barrel over, I could see what looks like a cracked stave.
Silly question, maybe, but why don't you sink it in water (holes opened) for a while to help speed up with the wood dilatation ? It would take less work than filling it up every now and then.
Do you have power to wait long enough for a 20 lt barrel?
I fixed a wine barrel where the metal circles were literally loose. I have tightened the circles, nailed but this is not enough, we need to wet the wood. I used your own technique but at the outside I spread out of the rags keeping them wet and the result is great with this trick.
I believe it’s works better with hot water because it make the barrel expand closing the holes
Finally using a barrel. Way to go. You just can't replicate barrel ageing.
Novice here. But how will you toast or char the interior? Or is that already done? Or if it isn’t done do you plan on doing that?
6:15 messed with my head... ive had a couple drinks and when i saw that i thought i had 1 too many! XD
Jesse, what about charring?
What would happen if you use an ultrasonic cleaner machine to force age your spirits?
Could you preseason the barrel with a cordial or favorite flavor? What if you sealed it with bacon grease? 🤪🤷♂️👍👍👍👍
steam is uesfull when getting the wax into the cracks, a steam iron will work but a wallpaper steamer is better but a steam cleaner is best , somthing like a Ovation 1000W
Can also run a water run through the still hard and fast
Was that barrel charred, and how is that accomplished?
what is the longest time you can age in a barrel ?
Hi there this might sound like the obvious rookie question.... But you mentioned a sanitary solution for the barrel if not in use can you recommend something
Most people recommend a barrel storage solution, you can buy a blend of it or make your own with potassium metabisulfate and or sorbate. When you're ready to use the barrel, dump the liquid, give it a rinse and you're set.
Can it live at my house after you fill it???