The Barrel Thread

jez

Thanks K,D,S
I tried to get more info on the barrel but to no luck. I purchased it from the one stop bar shop in Queensland and had it sent to Adelaide.
I gave it a good soaking with water for 3 days to stop the leaks, then had this crazy idea to put 4lt of sweet sherry in it for 3 days turning it every day. Drained it then filled it up with 50% right to the top. 4 months in I drained it out and it was full of crap so I ran it thru a carbon filter and returned it to the barrel had to add a couple of litres to fill it again.
After 9 months it taste good and has a nice colour to it.
The first thing I did with the barrel was change the tap with a 316 grade stainless tap not the brass one as in the pic.

I used neutral because i only have a custom built full copper boka still.
1.6m tall the first 1m is full with 60 stainless scrubbers its all copper and has been copper tig welded together.
Im only learning but have purchased a few books and now have the SD 2.5" crystal dragon ace of hearts on order and cannot wait to learn more.

thanks for your advice much appreciated

punkin

Sounds like you have it going right mate.

I use these guys for barrels, they are a good little business and customer focused.

jez

Thanks for the link punkin .had a look this morning. There's not many places in Adelaide to buy barrels except for a place in the Barossa and im sure there gold plated buy the price they want.. :)

punkin

You can get the once used Octavius barrels from Yalumba cheap at times local to you. They are 100l though.

jez

thanks punkin .the company I work for own ladybay vine yard and have been offered a 220 lt French oak barrel but would take 20 yrs for me to fill lol.

popcorn

Corsair distillery has 15 gallon freshly dumped triple smoke barrels for $50 a piece :D

Unsensibel

@popcorn - unfortunately that's incorrect it's $125 now

popcorn

Since when talked to a fellow today

popcorn

Just problay haven't updated the site he told me tell everyone I know before they start chipping them up for smoke chips.

FloridaCracker

That's where I got my 15 gallon barrel from and it was in excellent condition. Originally from Barrel Mill and used once for rye.

I was about to order 6 when I saw the $50 price. Don't really need anymore but at $50...........

popcorn

Lol that's what I said I have one already and I am impressed for what I got @ 125$ but 50$ that's a steal

Unsensibel

@popcorn @FloridaCracker sis you guys call them to get the lower price? At $50, I'm totally in!!!

punkin

BULK BUY!!!!

popcorn

tyler@corsairartisan.com Email this cat I just got off the phone with a employee and he said it's a gift shop only deal but Tyler could probably work out something for the online people

popcorn

Let me know what you find out

FloridaCracker

They also have 10 gallon ones. If we have a choice, I would go with that one. Lotta work to fill a 15 for a hobby guy. Mine only gets half-filled now. Looking forward to filling my 5 gallon.

I would be interested in a group buy as well.

Unsensibel

I got "only in store special " as answer. Looks like no exceptions :((

popcorn

Well crap sorry for the false hope

Unsensibel

No worries. Will do with the 5L that I have then for now...

stickrod

I own 8 corsair barrels for beer. Mostly sour. I live in Nashville, so it's convenient. They are currently on sale for a limited time for $50, pick up only.

punkin

Perhaps one of you local guys can be the organiser and ship to where everyone else is?

jacksonbrown

Can barrels be broken down and reassembled by the average Joe and still be water tight?
Would it help to number the staves?

FloridaCracker

@jacksonbrown said: Can barrels be broken down and reassembled by the average Joe and still be water tight?
Would it help to number the staves?

If that's the case, count me out :))

I wouldn't even want to attempt that job. Looks like it would take 8 hands and a set of specialized tools.

I'm about 10 hours from the distillery. Guess that rules me out for the pickup. $50 is a fucking deal for these barrels. Hope somebody here can take advantage of it.

Littlechicago

I will have 4x4x8 white oak available (any size can be made). Charred to spec with lab analysis . The lab sheet will have char level, moisture level and can be done repeatedly . The local company that does this for me use a state of the art Japanese charcoal ,flameless kiln. pm if anyone is interested. I can post pics of the product this afternoon.

grim

If we're making legal whiskey (bourbon, rye, etc), still needs to be an a charred new oak cask.

Although, believe me, I've considered making a 100 gallon "hot tub" out of charred new oak, and calling it a cask. You can make a cylindrical liquid tight container out of tongue and groove planks. Whether or not the TTB would approve, that's another story. Although it seems odd that they would argue about geometry.

CothermanDistilling

corsair is awesome, used barrels awesome for brewers....

but like@grim said, distillers need new... For $200 you get a new 15 gal barrel, after 2 years, you have 20gal+ of 80+ proof whiskey, a free used barrel every bit as good as corsair's... then you can make light whiskey(scotch), then you can use it for rum or something...

if you use it 3 times(whiskey, light whiskey, rum, you are nearly at that $50, throw in gin for a 4th use and you are at the $50/use...

CothermanDistilling

in other words... save up product do get 16-18 gal of 120 proof whiskey... buy the barrel AFTER you have this... fill the barrel straight away when you get it with water and check for leaks, dump it and fill with 120... now you have 2 years to come up with 15 gal of light whiskey.... at ~2years, dump and refill... proof and bottle 100 bottles of whiskey.... your $250 investment in a barrel seems pretty trivial at this point....

popcorn

Ok guys so I'm looking for opinions on this one. So when I first started distilling I decided that I wanted to put back 5 gal for each of my two boys so when they got married the would have some really good and old hooch. So I started working on my goal the first five gallons went jnto a never used charred oak barrel for around 5 months then I pulled it in order to not over oak it. Second 5 gals went in the same barrel for around 1 year then pulled it. Both went into carboys about a year ago I decided that I wanted them in a barrel again. so I got a used 15 gal barrel made up another 5 gals and added all to the barrel. I will say the first 10 gals had more heads than i now would ever have kept, but as we grow in out hobbies so grows our skills. The last 5 gals is much cleaner in product. So all has been mellowing away nicely for 10 months I pulled a sample and was very upset thinking that I have to much heads in there I am wondering if a) I should just let it sit because I have plenty of time for it to get better, b)re-run it all pot still style and make better cuts and put back in the same barrel, or c) re- run it pot still style and put it back in another second use barrel.

I did just get another barrel that I was going to use for Rum so now I have choices

CothermanDistilling

you could put it into an old charred barrel in my opinion, but not a newer one, that would add too much

popcorn

Forgot to add the mash bill was Ujsm