Birdman's Re-Barrel OWA

[birdman1099]

I started this thread to cronicle the progression of my re-barrel project.

I just ordered a 5L barrel, medium char, from Oak Barrels LTD.

I decided to put 4.5 liters of new label OWA in it. It will be stored in my attached garage. I will see fairly big temp swings, but not like an out building... but that is all I have.:rolleyes:

My thoughts are that during the winter I will not see a big difference over a few months. If I am incorrect, please chime in.

Also feel free to give me your 2 cents on what to do throughout this project. I have never done this before, so all input would be appreciated.


and 1 quick question....

I was surprised how much of Greg's juice was lost due to evaporation and sampling.... What would be the affects of wrapping the barrell in Saran Wrap to cut down on evaporation????


Wish me luck !!!:grin:

[ggilbertva]

I started this thread to cronicle the progression of my re-barrel project.

I just ordered a 5L barrel, medium char, from Oak Barrels LTD.

I decided to put 4.5 liters of new label OWA in it. It will be stored in my attached garage. I will see fairly big temp swings, but not like an out building... but that is all I have.:rolleyes:

My thoughts are that during the winter I will not see a big difference over a few months. If I am incorrect, please chime in.

Also feel free to give me your 2 cents on what to do throughout this project. I have never done this before, so all input would be appreciated.


and 1 quick question....

I was surprised how much of Greg's juice was lost due to evaporation and sampling.... What would be the affects of wrapping the barrell in Saran Wrap to cut down on evaporation????


Wish me luck !!!:grin:

Scott - sounds like a great project and nice selection on the OWA. Don't underestimate the changes a new barrel will bring. I put my VOB in barrel November and the changes were fast and dramatic in the beginning and then leveled off over the subsequent 8 months.

[OscarV]

Good luck Scott, any chance I could taste to see if it worthy of, "Selected by and bottled for OscarV.":grin:

[birdman1099]

Good luck Scott, any chance I could taste to see if it worthy of, "Selected by and bottled for OscarV.":grin:


Im sure we could work something out....:grin:

[harshest]

and 1 quick question....

I was surprised how much of Greg's juice was lost due to evaporation and sampling.... What would be the affects of wrapping the barrell in Saran Wrap to cut down on evaporation????


I just watched this video on the BT web site, it was Elmer T Lee talking about the whole bourbon making process. When he started talking about the barrels he mentioned that for the 53 gallon barrels they lose 6-7% when they initially fill the barrel as the wood soaks it in, within about a month. Then they lose another 3% per year.

I don't think that really helped answer your question but I thought it was pretty interesting and wanted to share with someone who would appreciate it, my wife did not...

He also mentioned that if the bourbon gets below 40 it stops aging.

[kickert]

Scott - sounds like a great project and nice selection on the OWA. Don't underestimate the changes a new barrel will bring. I put my VOB in barrel November and the changes were fast and dramatic in the beginning and then leveled off over the subsequent 8 months.

Yeah... what he said... even in a climate controlled environment, you will still get a lot of barrel influence. What you might not get is as much sweetness because the spirit is not moving into the caramelized wood area (red zone) and back out again as it would with bigger temerature swings.

[birdman1099]

Yeah... what he said... even in a climate controlled environment, you will still get a lot of barrel influence. What you might not get is as much sweetness because the spirit is not moving into the caramelized wood area (red zone) and back out again as it would with bigger temerature swings.

That makes sense.... and it is the sweetness I will be after.

Perhaps I should put it in the attic for a couple months and then put it in the garage as it starts to get colder.

[kickert]

That makes sense.... and it is the sweetness I will be after.

Perhaps I should put it in the attic for a couple months and then put it in the garage as it starts to get colder.

I would think you would get the best effect from moving it ever week or two. Those small barrels don't take as much time to heat and cool as the larger ones do. But I am not speaking from experience... only speculation.

[Dramiel McHinson]

I started this thread to cronicle the progression of my re-barrel project.

I just ordered a 5L barrel, medium char, from Oak Barrels LTD.

Wish me luck !!!:grin:

Ahhhh...Stories like this are heart warming. I wish you very good luck!

I am on the side of small barrels do everything on a quicker cycle. When I tried this a while back, I left my experiment in the garage during the summer at around 90-95 degrees for one week and then the bottom of an overflow refrigerator for a week. I kept this cycle up for a while. I got dramatic results in a few weeks and then it slowed down. When it slowed down I just let it sit in the garage. I sampled once a month. Ultimately, after a year there was almost no discernible change, so I bottled it and drank it and lived happily ever after.

Evaporation will be an issue. I've never tried the saran wrap but what the heck. Somebody has to blaze new trail. Try it and then you can school us on the results. Keep us posted !

[silverfish]

I was surprised how much of Greg's juice was lost due to evaporation and sampling.... What would be the affects of wrapping the barrel in Saran Wrap to cut down on evaporation????


Ok, I'll bite.

I have a couple empty 2 litre barrels. I ordered some Death's Door
White Whiskey for 'em and I'll toss the same amount into each barrel.
I'll wrap one with parafilm (got plenty left over after a suggestion
from the forum!) and let 'em sit side by side. We'll see what happens.
Any predictions?...

[cigarnv]

Scott, just keep your eye on it as it can go from great to over woody in a matter of weeks. I found that the second rebarrel worked much better for me..(OF DSP-16) than the first (Old Bourbon Hollow BIB).

I think several things are at work regarding the "angels share". First is the owners share... I think we taste more than we think we do to see how things are coming along. Also the staves on these barrels are very thin which may accelerate evaporation and lastly the new wood does suck up a lot... just my thoughts...

[birdman1099]

I'll wrap one with parafilm (got plenty left over after a suggestion
from the forum!) and let 'em sit side by side. We'll see what happens.
Any predictions?...


Now that sounds like an experiment.... Keep us posted

[birdman1099]

OK...

The Barrel arrived today and I have it "curing" overnight. barring any leaks, I will fill her up tomorrow....:grin:

[cleo111]

I started this thread to cronicle the progression of my re-barrel project.

I just ordered a 5L barrel, medium char, from Oak Barrels LTD.

I decided to put 4.5 liters of new label OWA in it. It will be stored in my attached garage. I will see fairly big temp swings, but not like an out building... but that is all I have.:rolleyes:

My thoughts are that during the winter I will not see a big difference over a few months. If I am incorrect, please chime in.

Also feel free to give me your 2 cents on what to do throughout this project. I have never done this before, so all input would be appreciated.


and 1 quick question....

I was surprised how much of Greg's juice was lost due to evaporation and sampling.... What would be the affects of wrapping the barrell in Saran Wrap to cut down on evaporation????


Wish me luck !!!:grin:
birdman can you give me an estimated value on an unopened bottle of 1961 canadian masterpiece in very good condition? cleo111

[birdman1099]

birdman can you give me an estimated value on an unopened bottle of 1961 canadian masterpiece in very good condition? cleo111


ummmm..... I have no Idea.....:skep:

[birdman1099]

Alright.... it took a bit longer than I had planned but I got her filled up today. It seems Indy is lower on OWA than I originally thought.

so I filled it up with this...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b2/Birdman1099/DSCN0067.jpg

3.5 Liters of Weller SR
1.5 Liters of OWA
.375 liters of WL Weller 2009

resulting blend is 48.7% (97.4 proof) (feel free to double check my math...:grin: )


It made 5.375 liters, so that gave me a full barrel and a 375 of original.

[birdman1099]

After hours fo research I have found:

Smaller barrels age faster. Most are saying that 1 month in a 5L barrel is mathmatically equal to 1 year in a 53 gallon barrel. If that is the case, it would make sense that I need to replicate 4 seasons in 1 month. (1 season a week)

so....

I can do winter. (put it in my garage refridgerator)
I can do spring and fall. (leave out in room temperature)

question is.... How will I do summer????


Also I learned that barrels that are aged in low humidity gains proof.... Barrels that age in high humidity lose proof. I'd much rather gain or stay the same. So my "summer" need to be a dry heat...


Any suggestions?

[silverfish]

question is.... How will I do summer????

Also I learned that barrels that are aged in low humidity gains proof.... Barrels that age in high humidity lose proof. I'd much rather gain or stay the same. So my "summer" need to be a dry heat...


Not sure how closely you're trying to "replicate" the seasons but
maybe a heat lamp (http://www.google.com/search?q=reptile+heat+lamp&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a) (or rock for direct contact?) like used for reptiles?

[OscarV]

Just put it in your attic and take a taste every 10 days or so, you might want to save a 50ml sample from each taste test for future reference.
You really put some Larue in there?
You be a crazy Man, but that's OK.:grin:

[Bourbon Boiler]

I live an hour north of Indy, and I think you'd be surprised about the temperature swings in an attached garage throughout the course of a "typical" winter. I was trying to keep track of it one winter when I was trying to preserve some hot pepper plants to get an extra year from them. I have a south facing window in my garage, so on a fairly warm day if it's sunny there can be some heat build up. I would guess you would see pretty good results even with minimal effort.

[callmeox]

birdman can you give me an estimated value on an unopened bottle of 1961 canadian masterpiece in very good condition? cleo111

I read that it is best used as drain cleaner, for treating plantar warts and it also makes a great salve for chafed cow teats.

Drinking it is suicide.

[birdman1099]

Alright....

1 week down !!!!

and since 1 week equals a season, I put the barrel in the freezer.:grin: I have noticed it is a bit darker than when I put it in, however i do not notice much of a flavor difference. We'll see what happens when all the juice gets pushed out of the wood while in the freezer....:skep:

[cigarnv]

Scott, if you have an electric blanket or a large heating pad you can "add a summer" to the barrel.....

[Gillman]

I think a heating pad of some kind is a good suggestion, one that is porous would be best (to permit breathing). Of course you'd want to be careful to ensure there is no danger of warmed bourbon catching fire. The mingling is very interesting and Larue should give it an extra richness and quality. The results should be very good if the barrel is sound (well-dried with no off-flavours and of course charred properly).

I think this SB thread is the one that kicked off the idea to re-age bourbon at home:

http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4446&page=13&highlight=rebarreling+bourbon

It's interesting to look back and see how much has been achieved in 5 years. I've tasted some good efforts.

Gary

[cigarnv]

To date I have been extremely successful with my rebarreling projects (2) of taking perfectly good bourbon and ruining it...... The rebarrelled juice does make excellent charcoal lighter fluid however...

[Gillman]

Well, I've had some that had a piney-off note (some rums too rebarreled in similar fashion). I can't be sure, but I've wondered whether these small barrels are truly the same kind of oak and processed in a way close enough to a standard industry barrel.

Gary

[birdman1099]

I think a heating pad of some kind is a good suggestion, one that is porous would be best (to permit breathing). Of course you'd want to be careful to ensure there is no danger of warmed bourbon catching fire. The mingling is very interesting and Larue should give it an extra richness and quality. The results should be very good if the barrel is sound (well-dried with no off-flavours and of course charred properly).

I think this SB thread is the one that kicked off the idea to re-age bourbon at home:

http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4446&page=13&highlight=rebarreling+bourbon

It's interesting to look back and see how much has been achieved in 5 years. I've tasted some good efforts.

Gary


Great Thread, (and long to boot...)

I was thinking Heating pad to warm up the juice....


I pulled it out of the freezer today and I noticed a bigger difference than when I put it in. It is much darker. I did notice a "different" flavor that has appeared, but I cannot put my finger on it. It also seems to have "smoothed" out or lost proof. The finish is great. I'm going to leave it out for a couple days and see what happens.

Thanks for the input Guys....

[OscarV]

So tell me again, what is the time table for aging this small cask to equal a year in a standard size barrel.

[birdman1099]

So tell me again, what is the time table for aging this small cask to equal a year in a standard size barrel.



I have read that 1 month equaled 1 year.....





To date I have been extremely successful with my rebarreling projects (2) of taking perfectly good bourbon and ruining it.....


also, I took a pull from it a bit ago and tasted it....

it looks like i may have joined the ranks of Reid.:smiley_acbt:

[cigarnv]

I have read that 1 month equaled 1 year.....





also, I took a pull from it a bit ago and tasted it....

it looks like i may have joined the ranks of Reid.:smiley_acbt:

Scott, if so we should pool our rebarrels and do a limited release "Experimental" set to get rid of it. Given the market we should get about $100/375ml .... especially since only 6-8 sets will be available. Possibly we should begin a waiting list for our "BirdNV" 2010 release.....:grin: :grin:

[Gillman]

I would look at those barrels, are they really the same (apart from size) as what the industry uses?

Gary

[birdman1099]

Scott, if so we should pool our rebarrels and do a limited release "Experimental" set to get rid of it. Given the market we should get about $100/375ml .... especially since only 6-8 sets will be available. Possibly we should begin a waiting list for our "BirdNV" 2010 release.....:grin: :grin:


I like how you think !!!!



Everyone.... Just PM me your orders.....:grin:

[birdman1099]

I would look at those barrels, are they really the same (apart from size) as what the industry uses?

Gary


I can't find any info, that specifically answers that question.

Can you? http://www.oakbarrelsltd.com/

[Gillman]

Well, just looking at that site as an example, towards the end there is a reference to toasting. Does that mean, or include, charring for the barrels intended to hold some whiskeys?

Gary

[Gillman]

Re-reading that site I think the barrels probably are charred (not just heavy toast) due to the references to caramelizing and the picture of a glowing barrel (gas-jets heating interior).

I'd give the experiment more time, it may be too soon to really tell. The spirit may alter and change until the next full cycle (abbreviated as you've explained) does its work.

Gary

[birdman1099]

Good advice....

At this point I have nothing to lose.:grin:

[IronHead]

I have been wanting to do a rebarreling but was wondering what the effects might be of using a lower proof bourbon. My initial thoughts were to go with something at 100 proof or better. Given my affinity for wheaters that doesn't leave a heap of options. Since OWA is already in process and I don't have the money to rebarrel WLW I was thinking about WSR. Thing is, I certainly wouldn't want it to drop in proof...and since I don't know much (read: anything) about barrel effects on alcohol evaporation, please. people with more experience weigh in here.

[Bourbon Boiler]

I have been wanting to do a rebarreling but was wondering what the effects might be of using a lower proof bourbon. My initial thoughts were to go with something at 100 proof or better. Given my affinity for wheaters that doesn't leave a heap of options. Since OWA is already in process and I don't have the money to rebarrel WLW I was thinking about WSR. Thing is, I certainly wouldn't want it to drop in proof...and since I don't know much (read: anything) about barrel effects on alcohol evaporation, please. people with more experience weigh in here.

I'm barrel shopping at the moment, and am going to play with some 51% corn, 49% wheat at 125 proof. I only have one liter, so I can't play with many variables other than time.