There are two ways to age whiskey at home. The most traditional method of DIY whiskey aging is to purchase or build a charred white oak barrel. To prep a barrel to be used for aging, make sure to first fill it with warm water and leave it sit until the wood swells enough to prevent leaking between the staves.
Besides, can you age bourbon at home?
You can choose to use one big piece of oak, shavings, or even make your own white oak barrel. Barrels are the traditional whiskey-aging tool, used to hold whiskey for years at a time as the inner lining of the barrel infuses the alcohol. Pieces of oak are the at-home fast track.
Depending on what you want your end result to be, the rules may be different for each type of alcohol, but you can throw almost anything in an oak barrel and let science do its work, including whiskey, rum, brandy, tequila, sherry, port, dry wines, beer, and lots more.
Just so, what do you do with an aging barrel?
Once the barrel is clean, re-cure the oak barrel for aging and fill again with your favorite spirit. To store the barrel, fill approximately half way with water and a small amount of the beverage it is used to age. Seal the bunghole tightly. The moisture prevents the barrel from drying and shrinking.
How long does it take to age whiskey in 1 liter barrel?
Generally speaking, the smaller the barrel, the less time it takes to age and have the complexities and flavors that you want. For a one-liter barrel, for example, you won’t likely be aging it for more than a few weeks, at least for spirits like whiskey.
How many times can you use an aging barrel?
You can use a barrel as many times as you wish, but each time the cocktail will take on fewer char flavors and take longer to age. The team at Sanford’s only uses a barrel twice, but you may get four or five uses out of your barrel, depending on your taste preferences.
How do you make whiskey at home without a still?
Directions:
- Pour the grain alcohol into a 1/2 gallon jar with a lid.
- Add all of the blackberries.
- Crush the blackberries with a wooden spoon.
- Seal the jar and let it sit for 3 weeks.
- Shake the jar every other day.
Does whiskey age faster in a smaller barrel?
Small oak barrels can be a great way to quickly age spirits, especially whiskey, rum, tequila and bourbon. The general cause of this is that the volume of small oak barrels increases by a power of three relative to dimensions, while surface area increases by a power of two. …
Can bourbon age too long?
For the first few years of its life, bourbon definitely improves with age. New make bourbon isn’t delicious, but six-year-old bourbon certainly can be. But it’s possible to overdo it. In practice, older whiskey isn’t always better–and that’s particularly true when it comes to bourbon.
What liquor will age in a barrel?
Spirits that have prominently rich, spicy characteristics (like bourbon, Scotch, and rum) are better served by decades in a barrel, as those notes become more pronounced. Lighter (let’s say “younger at heart”) spirits like tequila and gin don’t gain as much by aging.
How many times can you reuse an oak barrel?
Generally speaking, after curing and filling the barrel three times, the impact of the oak will diminish over time. As a general rule, the barrels can be reused the following number of times for each specified spirit: Wine- 1 Time. Whiskey / Bourbon – 4 Times.
Can you age cognac in a barrel?
The wood has had its influence on the bourbon and vice-versa. … So while bourbon ages only in new barrels for its entire life, cognac is usually aged only for a small amount of time in new barrels then it is transferred into older barrels for the rest of its life so that the wood doesn’t take over.