Barrel Racks Solutions

[CDS]

I'm in the market for 30 gallons barrel racks. Just got a quote from Western Square- $210 per rack all-in when buying 50 racks, more if buying less than 50.

Are there any other rack makers that might be recommended or other solutions? Perhaps my frugality is showing, but 10k+ just seems a little steep for storing 100 barrels.

[ebrown]

Hi Rory, 

I have 9 used 2x30g Western Square barrel racks for sale. Asking $95 each, FOB Oakland, CA 94607. 

We also have 4 6x15g Western Square racks if you are in the market for those. Asking $125 each, FOB Oakland, CA 94607.

Cheers,

Earl

415-684-8360

[Kindred Spirits]

Have you ever thought about building barrel ricks into your space? 

Typically they can be constructed for much less than buying those stackable racks, and its easier to pull barrels out when you want to empty them.

Here are a few examples I have helped design and build out for clients.

[whiskeytango]

Seems to me the built in racks would be a pain in the a$$.  With my luck I would always need the first barrel on the rack so I’d have to move all the ones in front 

 

 

[Bier Distillery]

Stand them on end and palletize them.

[Kindred Spirits]

45 minutes ago, whiskeytango said:

Seems to me the built in racks would be a pain in the a$$.  With my luck I would always need the first barrel on the rack so I’d have to move all the ones in front 

 

 

All those built in ricks allow for you you pull spirits from the first barrel or remove any barrel from them in any location.

Then if you want to replace it, you just set a new barrel in and fill it up. They work great, a single person can drain remove replace and fill a barrel in those ricks.

[SlickFloss]

I have a solution for you out of Wisconsin my homey Jay Palmer @ Palmer manufacturing believes he out of Merrimac. Hemakes stackable black sleek barrel racks we’ve bought hundreds and hundreds off him. Sold most of them to Tommy Len.z he can speak to their quality only reason I sold them was we went to ricks and never looked back. Kindred posted a great design there! Super easy to build and more convenient to work with once you figure it out. IME. Anyways racks, we got ours around 108/ rack new but we bought in bulk bulk bulk! Lmk if you need more info on Jay. 
 

[Thatch]

We use pallet racks which we are able to buy used.  The 2 uprights were $100ea and the 12' beams were $50 each.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FaintingGoatSpirits]

On 10/5/2022 at 10:34 AM, Kindred Spirits said:

All those built in ricks allow for you you pull spirits from the first barrel or remove any barrel from them in any location.

Then if you want to replace it, you just set a new barrel in and fill it up. They work great, a single person can drain remove replace and fill a barrel in those ricks.

This is probably a very dumb question from me, but I have always wondered how they pull the middle barrel in the middle rack of the built in racks. Or even how to get to them to sample without moving every barrel around it.

Can you explain it to me?

Thanks

[SlickFloss]

Hello fainting goat I am the dancing goat it is nice to meet you 

 

so traditional ricks are intended to allow easy sampling of barrels by drilling the heads and then using spikes to seal (use hard oak spikes not poplar). Kindred has posted a somewhat modified design of ricks which have more space between them. It would appear you could possibly use a fork lift to remove barrels but realistically drilling is the safest, cheapest from labor perspective, and quickest way to sample. Opening bungs to extract samples are just wonderful opportunities for contamination 

[Kindred Spirits]

4 minutes ago, FaintingGoatSpirits said:

This is probably a very dumb question from me, but I have always wondered how they pull the middle barrel in the middle rack of the built in racks. Or even how to get to them to sample without moving every barrel around it.

Can you explain it to me?

Thanks

The way the barrel ricks are designed is each barrel can be reached from one side.  There is enough space above the barrels to reach in, pull a bung, drain it out via siphon or pump and then pull the barrel right out the side. 

They also permit the user to climb up on them or setup a ladder so all work can be done easily. Barrels that are higher up typically require a forklift or a couple people on ladders to pull.

[Kindred Spirits]

2 minutes ago, SlickFloss said:

Hello fainting goat I am the dancing goat it is nice to meet you 

 

so traditional ricks are intended to allow easy sampling of barrels by drilling the heads and then using spikes to seal (use hard oak spikes not poplar). Kindred has posted a somewhat modified design of ricks which have more space between them. It would appear you could possibly use a fork lift to remove barrels but realistically drilling is the safest, cheapest from labor perspective, and quickest way to sample. Opening bungs to extract samples are just wonderful opportunities for contamination 

Slickfloss is right about the sampling. if you want to test how the barrel is turning out drilling is the best way to do so. Bung pulling is only for draining/filling. 

[SlickFloss]

4 minutes ago, Kindred Spirits said:

Slickfloss is right about the sampling. if you want to test how the barrel is turning out drilling is the best way to do so. Bung pulling is only for draining/filling. 

Great work on those ricks, emir you ever find yourself around South Central Wisconsin holler at me we’d love to have you as a guest to our spot 

[Kindred Spirits]

30 minutes ago, SlickFloss said:

Great work on those ricks, emir you ever find yourself around South Central Wisconsin holler at me we’d love to have you as a guest to our spot 

I really appreciate the compliment, so far they have worked out great for the clients I have designed them for. They love having the extra room to pull the barrels and having them custom built to their space really helps with optimizing their floorplan.

Most had stacks of barrels before, and hated how difficult it was to get to the earlier barrels which always ended up way in the back of the pile on the bottom.

 

I would love to make it out that way sometime.  If I can get a client out that way it would make for a fun business trip.

@SlickFloss I tried to send you a PM but it wouldn't let me for some reason.

 

[Brewstilla]

19 hours ago, SlickFloss said:

Hello fainting goat I am the dancing goat it is nice to meet you 

 

so traditional ricks are intended to allow easy sampling of barrels by drilling the heads and then using spikes to seal (use hard oak spikes not poplar). Kindred has posted a somewhat modified design of ricks which have more space between them. It would appear you could possibly use a fork lift to remove barrels but realistically drilling is the safest, cheapest from labor perspective, and quickest way to sample. Opening bungs to extract samples are just wonderful opportunities for contamination 

Hey slick,

Can you speak more to the contaminants you are worried about from bung sampling? 

[SlickFloss]

On 10/7/2022 at 7:02 AM, Brewstilla said:

Hey slick,

Can you speak more to the contaminants you are worried about from bung sampling? 

Anything. Other barrels that have been sampled (form your thief). Dirt. Mold. Grease. 

 

I would bet im the only distiller that power washes his barrels clean before dumping...... idk why though!

[Lawrenceburg Bourbon]

On 10/4/2022 at 6:40 PM, Kindred Spirits said:

Have you ever thought about building barrel ricks into your space? 

Typically they can be constructed for much less than buying those stackable racks, and its easier to pull barrels out when you want to empty them.

Here are a few examples I have helped design and build out for clients.

Kindred - dumb question - but can you load already filled barrels? If so, how?

[Kindred Spirits]

2 hours ago, Lawrenceburg Bourbon said:

Kindred - dumb question - but can you load already filled barrels? If so, how?

You can, they easily roll in from the front of the ricks. They can be lifted with a barrel lift or forklift to get up to the higher sections, the lowest level can be rolled in directly from the floor.

I typically recommend developing a barrel "clock" for your ricks with empty barrels so you will know how to orient each barrel going into the ricks to get the bungs face up when they stop at their final location.

 

Also once in place each barrel is reachable, so if you have a leak you can easily access the barrel. If you have leaks that develop you can either fix the leak in place if minor, or drain the barrel and pull and fix the leak once its out of the ricks.

The same goes for dumping barrels, each barrel can be dumped "in place" and then be either pulled or refilled.

[38°]

I must be crazy but I still don't see how you empty or fill or sample a barrel in the middle of a brick of barrels. I am not saying it isn't a great solution or we'd not want to build our own. But I just don't see it.

[Kindred Spirits]

19 hours ago, 38° said:

I must be crazy but I still don't see how you empty or fill or sample a barrel in the middle of a brick of barrels. I am not saying it isn't a great solution or we'd not want to build our own. But I just don't see it.

Its a bit harder to see without the ricks being full of barrels. Each barrel has access on one side, so there is a set of two barrels, then a small walkway (less than the length of a barrel), then more barrels. Each walkway allows you to reach into the ricks to access the bung, or allows you room to drill out a hole at the top of each barrel. Having the dimensions correct is key for ensuring each barrel can be pulled and worked on if needed.

Here is a top view of the second set of ricks.

 

[38°]

Ok, now that makes sense to me! Like I said, a little slow on the uptake over here haha

[Kindred Spirits]

1 hour ago, 38° said:

Ok, now that makes sense to me! Like I said, a little slow on the uptake over here haha

Yeah no worries at all. 

[Galapadoc]

Barrel Rick!

[Lawrenceburg Bourbon]

On 7/23/2023 at 3:56 PM, Kindred Spirits said:

You can, they easily roll in from the front of the ricks. They can be lifted with a barrel lift or forklift to get up to the higher sections, the lowest level can be rolled in directly from the floor.

I typically recommend developing a barrel "clock" for your ricks with empty barrels so you will know how to orient each barrel going into the ricks to get the bungs face up when they stop at their final location.

 

Also once in place each barrel is reachable, so if you have a leak you can easily access the barrel. If you have leaks that develop you can either fix the leak in place if minor, or drain the barrel and pull and fix the leak once its out of the ricks.

The same goes for dumping barrels, each barrel can be dumped "in place" and then be either pulled or refilled.

Very helpful.  Thanks

[Kindred Spirits]

21 minutes ago, Lawrenceburg Bourbon said:

Very helpful.  Thanks

Sure thing, Happy to help.