Ben Randolph Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Are bourbon barrels rinsed between charring and filling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Forester Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Dry barrels, whether new or used, need to be conditioned. They need to be filled with distilled or reverse osmosis filtered water and soaked for 24 hours to let them swell so they won't leak. You don't want to rinse out the barrels because you want all the charcoal to stay adhering to the inner walls. Are bourbon barrels rinsed between charring and filling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coop Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Dry barrels, whether new or used, need to be conditioned. They need to be filled with distilled or reverse osmosis filtered water and soaked for 24 hours to let them swell so they won't leak. You don't want to rinse out the barrels because you want all the charcoal to stay adhering to the inner walls. I was just wondering, how do you fill the dry barrels, let them soak for a day or until all leaks stop then empty it without it being rinsed out?? Coop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Forester Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 I fill them on their side with a huge funnel in the bunghole which I top off every now and then during the day. When the seem to have stopped leaking I dump them out and let them completely drain, bunghole down, then fill. I was just wondering, how do you fill the dry barrels, let them soak for a day or until all leaks stop then empty it without it being rinsed out?? Coop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Randolph Posted October 15, 2008 Author Share Posted October 15, 2008 So yes? they are getting rinsed if your filling and draining? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul G Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 I think there's a difference between a rinse and a soak. Technically, you could say that while the barrels are soaking, it effectively rinses them out. The same can't be said in terms of a rinse being an effective soak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Randolph Posted October 26, 2008 Author Share Posted October 26, 2008 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFry Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Does anyone attempt to maintain the condition of new barrels simply through external methods before filling? It was suggested by an owner of a winery to maintain the tightness of the barrels, once received from the cooperage, by covering the head with water and a bit of potassium metabisulfite (I have read that citric acid also works to prevent growths). When the heads dry, flip the barrels and repeat. We have not yet filled any charred barrels yet to verify if the method works, so take my input with a grain of salt. CFry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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