Anybody Barrel Age their own spirits? (first batch results in O.P.)
Girlfriend gave me a barrel for my birthday. I've been thinking what what to try and found this recipe for Old Fashions. Thinking I will give it a try.
Just sampled my first batch of Old Fashioned after aging for 30 days.
Taste is delicious, very glad I did it. Going to let the barrel soak for a few days and then begin a new batch. May try Knob Creek Maple this time around.
A few stats: Used a 2L barrel. Holds 68 oz of total liquid.
Net product was 40oz of liquid. 28oz evaporation/leakage (Angels Share).
Average known evaporation = 3%-10% My evaporation = 41%
Learnings: Find a cooler and less humid area to store barrel. Thinking Sump Pump Room.
Be more consistent in rotating barrel. It took me about a week to figure out that I should be flipping the barrel every day to prevent the top from drying out.
Will be interesting to see if I notice a significant reduction in evaporation by making these adjustments.
I ordered 2 new barrels so that I can get them going and then bottle store the end results.
Will check back with results after the next batch!This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ronin1069, April 28, 2020 03:42 PM
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September 23, 2019, 10:52 AM
12GA
I’ve done it. My experience was that the angels took far larger a share than expected and I’m not nearly patient enough to allow it to age long enough for it to be palatable. YMMV.
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September 23, 2019, 12:54 PM
berto
Fill with water and empty it first. The small barrels are best used for aging cocktails or finishing an already good spirit. They impart a lot of wood quickly and suffer from evaporation quickly. A barrel aged Old Fashioned sounds good. So does rum or wine finished bourbon or rye.
September 23, 2019, 01:15 PM
Mr.9mm
I received a barrel as a gift a few years ago. The white liquor that came with it smelled too much like cheap tequila for me to ever want to try aging it, so I set it on a shelf.
Couple of years went by and I was considering what to do with it and 5 or 6 bottles of low-end Scotch that had accumulated in my liquor cabinet. Decided to try an experiment with aging lower-quality Scotch to see if I could make it a drinkable, port-infused Scotch.
After seasoning, I filled the cask with Taylor Port (Yeah, the $5 for 3 liter cheap one) Let that sit for about 8 weeks, tasting weekly until it was smoothed out. Bottled the Port and then filled the cask with a mix of blended Scotch including Johnny Walker, Grant's, Bells and other low-end blended stuff.
After another 8 weeks, I had a very drinkable, port-infused Scotch. The other side benefit was it made the Port extra smooth and my wife has really enjoyed it as well.
Only down-side foe me was that the barrel was fine with Port in it, but the higher alcohol content of the Whisky really dried out the wood. I had to soak it weekly to keep the barrel from cracking completely through.
After bottling the Scotch, the barrel was beyond salvage, so I used the barrel in my smoker to smoke a bacon-wrapped turkey breast last Thanksgiving. Best turkey breast I have ever smoked!
September 23, 2019, 01:31 PM
jhe888
I think Rainman64 has done this. He has been happy with his experiments, I believe.
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September 23, 2019, 04:41 PM
ulsterman
I have a small barrel I age young bourbons in. Be careful that you don't leave it in the barrel too long.
September 24, 2019, 10:26 AM
ShouldBFishin
I've looked at those barrels and have been tempted. Looking forward to hearing what you think.
I believe you're somewhat local to me - have you tried the Smoked Maple Old Fashioned at Brick & Bourbon? I liked that so much I purchased a smoking gun so I could make them at home
September 24, 2019, 12:00 PM
Ronin1069
quote:
Originally posted by ShouldBFishin: I've looked at those barrels and have been tempted. Looking forward to hearing what you think.
I believe you're somewhat local to me - have you tried the Smoked Maple Old Fashioned at Brick & Bourbon? I liked that so much I purchased a smoking gun so I could make them at home
I’m not a fan of Brick & Bourbon, but I have tried the barreled Maple Syrup Old Fashioned at JD Hoyt’s- delicious, but not worth $17.
For this first round I am going to try and keep it simple, will for sure try a maple type sweetener the next time around.
___________________________ All it takes...is all you got. ____________________________ For those who have fought for it, Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know
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April 28, 2020, 03:40 PM
Ronin1069
Bump for first batch results in OP
___________________________ All it takes...is all you got. ____________________________ For those who have fought for it, Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know
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April 28, 2020, 04:51 PM
dlc444
rebump for a new source for the barrels
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April 28, 2020, 05:15 PM
MikeinNC
So I heard somewhere how moonshiners put wood chips in the pickle barrels (plastic) they use to store their liquor...wonder if that imparts any flavor?
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April 28, 2020, 05:21 PM
46and2
I really like the idea of premade, aged, cocktails like the Old Fashioned.
I may try that.
As for regular whiskey, I'll leave that to the big barrels and experts.
April 28, 2020, 05:23 PM
46and2
quote:
Originally posted by MikeinNC: So I heard somewhere how moonshiners put wood chips in the pickle barrels (plastic) they use to store their liquor...wonder if that imparts any flavor?
Sure.
Makers Mark 46 has wood staves added during the rebarrel period.
Chips. Staves, whatever. Wood is wood and surface contact is the name of the game.
April 28, 2020, 07:15 PM
roarindan
quote:
Originally posted by dlc444: rebump for a new so We have 10 gallon barrels for $75.
Kenneth W. Gibbons The Schenectady Distilling Co. Inc. 36 Locks Distillery and Tasting Room 3304 Amsterdam Road Glenville, New York 12302 518-952-1211 urce for the barrels
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April 28, 2020, 09:05 PM
jigray3
I got a 2 L barrel from my FIL and tried aging a relatively inexpensive bourbon, Ancient Age, to see if I could improve it. Most people say it works better with cocktails, but they're not my thing. I would really have preferred something in a much higher proof, but wasn't willing to risk the money or the bourbon.
In the end, it changed the profile, but I wouldn't say it was better. Certainly woody, but kind of a wet musty wood taste. Tried it a second time, varying the location of the barrel and the time, but results didn't change a whole lot. YMMV
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April 28, 2020, 10:12 PM
dsiets
quote:
Originally posted by MikeinNC: So I heard somewhere how moonshiners put wood chips in the pickle barrels (plastic) they use to store their liquor...wonder if that imparts any flavor?
It works. Staves or chips are used frequently in the homebrewing world. I've used french oak chips for mead. I think it was an oz. or two in a 5 gal. batch for 1 to 2 weeks.
April 28, 2020, 10:13 PM
46and2
Aging regular barrels of great whiskey is so finicky that sometimes the really good shit *only* comes from something like the NE corner of Warehouse C, Row 7 (of 40), because of the way the summer breeze cools that cormer of the building or some such near-black magic.
Anyway. No wonder home experiments outside of cocktails are meh...
It just isn't that easy to replicate at home.
April 29, 2020, 09:01 AM
joel9507
Still seems odd to me that alcohol gets better by extracting chemicals out of wood.
Not suggesting it doesn't/can't, but it just seems odd.
Maybe the old habit of chewing toothpicks had merit? Maybe we should get toothpicks made from barrel materials.....
April 29, 2020, 09:29 AM
ShouldBFishin
quote:
Originally posted by Ronin1069: First Batch Results 04/27/20
Just sampled my first batch of Old Fashioned after aging for 30 days.
Taste is delicious, very glad I did it.
Thanks for the update!
April 29, 2020, 09:56 AM
46and2
quote:
Originally posted by joel9507: Still seems odd to me that alcohol gets better by extracting chemicals out of wood.
Not suggesting it doesn't/can't, but it just seems odd.
Maybe the old habit of chewing toothpicks had merit? Maybe we should get toothpicks made from barrel materials.....
Fun Facts: It's tricking our brains, too.
When whiskey is aged in a charred barrel it picks up phenols and other compounds, things in and commonly associated with vanilla and tobacco and the like, which is enough to confuse us into thinking it's actually sweet or vanilla.
Caramel is just burned sugar. Steak is just burned muscle. Heat + Time + Stuff = More Interesting Stuff. I suspect it's how we ourselves got here.
Anyway, a barrel isn't adding any actual sugar, or vanilla, for instance, but simply hints of familiar flavors. Our brain connects the dots and like magic... distilled spirits "tastes" sweet and whatever.
