Ben Randolph

I figure like other mash bills, 15% of the total should be malted barley, bourbon being a good example

Flavor pairings should either be in one of two forms, contrasts or compliments. Look at the flavor components in the brandy in much the same way you would a wine and then decide what direction to take. If the brandy is particularly sweet maybe something spicy, fatty, or salty. If its somewhat acidic think of something that is also acid to bring out the other elements or something sweet to balance that back out. If you compliment flavors it sort of tunes out the white noise to draw attention to subtle flavors and if contrasting flavors are chosen they add to each other in a sort of harmony. You might take a look at classic brandy cocktails (sidecar, etc.) and work backwards from there, taking those flavors and making them foods instead of liquids. Chocolate is appreciated in much the same way as wine so you make put some thought into the chocolate you pick as well.

OK so I got some info from a barrel maker and they fill each barrel with 2 gallons of water and then pressure test them with compressed air before shipping to the distilleries.

So yes? they are getting rinsed if your filling and draining?

Are bourbon barrels rinsed between charring and filling?

I would say that a ratio of 3 to 1, water to grain, by wieght would make a good mash; 8.43 # of grain to every 3 gallons of water. This formula is pretty basic and works well but may leave a little to be desired if counting pennies on a large scale for a business.

I have not seen any info on it in those terms, the only stuff I can find is quick statements from scotch distilleries stating that 63-62% seems to be the standard. It would make sense that different levels of alcohol would induce different extractions from the wood but no one mentions this idea. I think these guys are more concerned about maximizing profits through barrel management and the perfect ratio of angels share and dilution. Many of the flavors imparted from the wood have to do with the origin of the wood, what was previously in the cask, and the varying levels of char and toasting. Hope this helps, Ben