Going to make my own Oak Barrel Reserve. Need Help, 1st Try
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You hit the nail on the head and I'm loving this flavor more and more. Slight sweet woody tobacco is the best way to describe it. I wonder how it's going to taste after another week in the barrel, can't wait for that.
I'm online right now pricing oak barrels and chips. This is very exciting
Very cool danny you just can't go wrong. I got my barrel for $41.00 shipped on Ebay. Comes with a nice medium char, a stand, top bung and spigot.
Oak Barrels 1 Liter for Whiskey or Spirits | eBay
I'll await your samples then order my supplies. Once I get them I'll be picking your brain for advice on preparing the barrel. As I've never done this before I have a lot to learn. I've been doing a lot of reading on this and some use an oak barrel and chips, some use chips and a decanter. I'm in the process of sorting this all out as far as whats most cost effective but efficient.
That's a good plan and I'll help in any way I can. You are going to need a cleaning kit. I got mine here for $14. Some people use a cheap vodka but for the sake of this experiment I didn't want to cut any corners.
Care & Cleaning : Cleaning Kit for 1 through 5 liter barrels
I am on the same page. I am fairly certain I will be going with a barrel if all goes well with Muggs sample. I would love to get my hands on some whiskey barrel chunks to throw in with it.
When I was in school we used a couple of Jim Beam barrels and made charcoal grills out of them, if I can contact my teacher and find out where the barrels came from that would be ideal. Although I have been out of school for 20 years so it may be difficult finding him.
As I mentioned before, a smaller barrel will allow flavor extraction much quicker than a larger barrel. After this first week you might want to pull a small sample every other day.
In the brewing world quickest to longest extraction times go like this.
Wood dust/powder >wood chips>wood cubes>small barrels>large barrels
I still haven't used the wood spirals so I'm unsure where they would fall.
The other benefit with using chips or cubes is that you can get different chars easily and cheap.
I normally use French oak heavy toast for my dark beers. I think I'll get some french oak medium or medium plus cubes and soak them in bourbon to experiment with.
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/index.php?cPath=178_24_32_335
Any chance of you posting your tweaked recipe?
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In the brewing world quickest to longest extraction times go like this.
Wood dust/powder >wood chips>wood cubes>small barrels>large barrels
I still haven't used the wood spirals so I'm unsure where they would fall.
The other benefit with using chips or cubes is that you can get different chars easily and cheap.
I normally use French oak heavy toast for my dark beers. I think I'll get some french oak medium or medium plus cubes and soak them in bourbon to experiment with.
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/index.php?cPath=178_24_32_335
Any chance of you posting your tweaked recipe?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk
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Yeah I'm so curious about that spiral and chips as well. It looks like we would have to char the spiral ourselves. I'll take another sample Monday February 3rd.
I was talking about getting oak chunks from Jim Beam barrels not the entire barrels.
The inside of Jim Beam barrels are super charred, like about 3/4 inch deep charcoal.
The inside of Jim Beam barrels are super charred, like about 3/4 inch deep charcoal.
this is really interesting!! how would you go using the chips or cubes? do I put them on a bottle and seal it?
That would be delicious. I have found charred chips for everything from whiskey to mesquite chips, applewood, oak, crab apple, cherry, hickory, you name it. I think I need new drawers, haha. There would be so many unique and tasty flavors to try. How about a single barrel reserve with about 12 one liter barrels. Each barrel would have it's own unique flavor.
Think I just found my new obsession.
BTW: Jim Beam Chips on Ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Jim-Beam-Aged-Oak-Barrel-Wood-Chips-BBQ-Smoker-/270681499057
Yeah I would use large glass carafes with the chips sealed by a vodka locked bung. I have that stuff from brewing beer already so I think I'm going to have at it.
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It would be a really interesting experiment to try some unflavored in there
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Bookmarked, thanks.
The barrels we had for the grill project I spoke about still had a bit (a couple of pints probably) of whiskey in them, I'm not sure how much of the infused bourbon goodness would be left in these chips. I do remember how awesome the barrels smelled when we sawed them in half, it's stuck with me for 21 years.
*edit*
I can't find a Jim Beam barrel anywhere, however there are Jack Daniel barrels available at a semi-reasonable price.
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Unrelated OT: Jim Beam has single barrel 95 proof coming out in March, I can't wait.
I hope you were able to salvage the Whiskey
Cheers,
Steve
I hate to admit it because I was in high school but I indeed *sampled* it.
Mmm JD barrels. I'm going to experiment with about 6 different charred wood chips in half gallon amber glass jugs. Oak, applewood, cherrywood, hickory, mesquite and Jack Daniels barrel wood. If they work out well I'm going to do an orange wood and a peach wood.
Btw I have been vaping the barrel steep all day. The wood man I'm telling you it gives it a characteristic that there just isn't a flavor additive for. Im starting to get a light caramel taste right at the beginning turning into maple and toasty almond to smokey tobacco. I'm excited for next Thursday if not sooner I'm mailing the samples. In 3 days i'll pull a sample again. I'm pulling it before it has a chance to get too woody so we will see.
Btw I have been vaping the barrel steep all day. The wood man I'm telling you it gives it a characteristic that there just isn't a flavor additive for. Im starting to get a light caramel taste right at the beginning turning into maple and toasty almond to smokey tobacco. I'm excited for next Thursday if not sooner I'm mailing the samples. In 3 days i'll pull a sample again. I'm pulling it before it has a chance to get too woody so we will see.
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From what I read it seems to be 2 to 2.5 weeks for the sweet spot, what I haven't read is what happens when left in for too long. My guess is either the juice becomes harsh or the wood becomes overpowering.
Your next experiment sounds good, a whole line of wood steeped juices.
The Silas Reserve "Got Wood?" line.
Your next experiment sounds good, a whole line of wood steeped juices.
The Silas Reserve "Got Wood?" line.
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Haha that's awesome.
So here are 2 samples side by side. The 1 on the left is non barrel and the 1 on the right is just poured this morning barrel reserve. What a difference in color.
So here are 2 samples side by side. The 1 on the left is non barrel and the 1 on the right is just poured this morning barrel reserve. What a difference in color.
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