You can age pretty much anything in an oak barrel
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.
Also know, how do you age barrels at home?
Put in the spigot and fill your barrel with water. Seal the barrel with the bung or the seal on the top of the barrel. Leave your barrel filled with water for 24-48 hours to allow the wood to swell and seal any gaps between in wood. Your barrel is sufficiently swelled when no water leaks from your barrel.
Subsequently, how do you make an oak aging barrel?
I have an oak barrel for aging, now what?
- Insert the spigot into the face of the barrel.
- Fill the barrel with hot water from the tap and allow it to sit for a minimum of 48 hours, with the bung in place in the top of the barrel. …
- Once the oak barrel for aging stops leaking, it must be cleaned.
Can you age vodka in an oak barrel?
Not really. However, you can make an oak aged Vodka. Here are some of the specifics: Vodka by definition must be distilled to above 190 proof.
How many times can you use 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.
What should I age in my barrel?
The world’s your oyster for what you could barrel–age, including whiskey, of course, but other spirits and food products that include tequila, rum, gin, vanilla, cocktails, maple syrup, and vinegar.
Can you reuse oak barrels for whiskey?
Whiskey barrels, including (and, in fact, especially) bourbon barrels absolutely get reused. It’s just that they don’t get reused for making bourbon. … In other words, aged spirit makers around the world are clamoring for bourbon producers once-used charred American white oak barrels.
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 much does an oak barrel cost?
An oak barrel can range in price from $900 all the way up to $2,000 depending on if it is made from American Oak or French Oak. An oak barrel will only continue to give your wine that oak flavor for, at most, 8 fills. Over the course of 30 years you can spend, at least, $4,500 replacing that barrel.
What is the difference between American and French oak?
The first difference is pretty obvious: French barrels are made from oak trees grown in France, and American barrels are made from oak trees grown in the United States. … American barrels tend to be more potent in their flavor, often described as giving notes of vanilla, cream soda and coconut, with a creamier texture.
Do you oak Pinot Noir?
French oak barrels are a critical part of successful Pinot Noir vinification because Pinot Noir loves oak. It is a match made in heaven that gives Pinot Noir structural tannins, contributes texture, adds flavor and builds depth.
Can you age moonshine in oak barrels?
For bourbon, charred oak barrels are best, although a plain oak barrel is also sufficient. … Another rule to remember is that making aged moonshine in a small barrel or with wood chips will cause the aging process to go much more quickly than if it is aged in a large barrel.
Why are oak barrels used for whiskey?
The reason that Oak is utilized is its unique physical and chemical nature. Oak has strength – physically, its wide radial rays give strength when shaped for a cask. Oak is also a “pure wood” as opposed to pine or rubber trees which contain resin canals that can pass strong flavors to maturing whisky.
How do you fill an oak barrel?
Barrel Preparation
- Fill the barrel with 3-5 gallons of hot water (potable without chlorine). Place the bung in the bunghole and rotate the barrel from side to side, wetting the interior of the barrel. …
- Fill the barrel completely with water and allow it to soak for 24 hours.