SD Dominos added to an Oak Barrel

Since my 15 gallon oak barrel is larger than I really need for a hobby sized operation, I have been trying to figure out a way to keep it stocked while giving up some of the booty. Filling it full for an extended time isn't feasible. I've been filling it about halfway and then emptying it until this last use when I removed about 3 of the 7 gallons that were in it. I plan on starting a quazi-solera style where I never remove all of the rum and then just add to it, maybe eventually until it is full. When the rum ages to my satisfaction, I will then again remove a portion of it. I also have a 5 gallon barrel that I haven't used yet.

I want to add some French oak dominos to the barrel to kind of supplement the oak. I will probably add 3 or 4 per gallon and have 2 questions to throw out there.

First, has anyone ever charred the French oak dominoes? I was thinking of charring one side and leaving the other side toasted.

Second, I want to tie the dominos together on some kind of string, maybe 6" apart so that I will be able to get them out whenever I want to. I don't want to drill a bigger hole in the barrel so getting them out will be a challenge. Pouring the rum out of the barrel is a big enough pain without wood chunks plugging up the hole. My question is what kind of string, twine, monofiliment should I use that won't disintegrate in the alcohol?

Comments

  • have you checked out what barrel mill does? they do the same with their spiral inserts

    Also, do the dominoes fit through a bunghole? I recall them being pretty wide.

  • To do it the way you want to drill a hole in the end of each one and run them on a length of stainless wire.

    To do it the way i always did, fill the barrel and keep pulling 10-15% of it and topping it up till full every few months. Age that on oak dominoes in a seperate vessel, it's pretty easy to find larger wide moth vessels that size, corny keg, glass widemouth gallon jars, small stainless tank etc.

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  • @Kill_Devil_Spirit_Co said: have you checked out what barrel mill does? they do the same with their spiral inserts

    Also, do the dominoes fit through a bunghole? I recall them being pretty wide.

    The French ones are pretty narrow, more so than the American medium.

  • @punkin said: To do it the way you want to drill a hole in the end of each one and run them on a length of stainless wire.

    To do it the way i always did, fill the barrel and keep pulling 10-15% of it and topping it up till full every few months. Age that on oak dominoes in a seperate vessel, it's pretty easy to find larger wide moth vessels that size, corny keg, glass widemouth gallon jars, small stainless tank etc.

    Never thought of SS wire; I actually have a roll of it somewhere and that will work perfectly.

  • Aye. I'd probably lay off the charring and wait to see your initial results, you can always add if you want. Granted if they are used barrels you are a lot safer than new char

  • edited January 2016

    @FloridaCracker said: Second, I want to tie the dominos together on some kind of string, maybe 6" apart so that I will be able to get them out whenever I want to. I don't want to drill a bigger hole in the barrel so getting them out will be a challenge. Pouring the rum out of the barrel is a big enough pain without wood chunks plugging up the hole. My question is what kind of string, twine, monofiliment should I use that won't disintegrate in the alcohol?

    I have done this for a considerable number of years - As per @punkin - I also use a fine single strand stainless steel wire I bought from a ships chandler - drilled a hole in each end of each 'finger' (as I call my home cut pieces) - the wire strand can be easily twisted to secure the dominoes - drop the chain in and trap the end in the bung/cap - job done

  • I figure if I have them on a SS string then I can just reach in with a stiff wire and hook the string. Was going to leave the wire outside of the bung, but didn't want to compromise the seal.

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