Aging cider in a used bourbon barrel

[MarkKF]

I recently picked up a 5 gal. oak barrel previously charred and used for bourbon. So I got it soaking with water + citric acid + camden to make sure it's clean and don't leak. Gonna try aging a cider I already fermented without any added fruit or sugar.

So before I start, how important is headspace in an oak barrel?
It seems it's a bit more than 5 gal. capacity.
Do I use a wooden bung or bung + airlock?
If I add a little more juice to top it off it might restart.
Is checking the flavor once a week too much, not enough?

 

[porterpounder]

Head space isn't terribly important in a barrel like that. Use an airlock, at least for the first week. I bunged a NE cider in a 5 gal barrel once that was stable for several months, but the O2 introduction from the transfer was enough to start something and resulted in a rabid, foaming-between-the-staves mess that almost blew up. Took 2 hours to gently release the pressure. Probably should have taken my arm off. With a new barrel, check the flavor every few days. It picks up a lot in a short period of time.

 

[mikerlynch26]

Agreed sample often, particularly in a small barrel like that. It's probably too small for a Vinnie Nail (basically a nail driven into the head of the barrel, remove to sample and then replace to seal back up)

If you're constantly opening the top I'd take the quick disconnect off your co2 hose from your kegging rig, stick that into the bung hole and run the gas slowly after/while you're taking a sample. Just keeps the o2 pickup down a bit, don't need to try and pressurize and purge the barrel, just put a blanket of gas down while you open it.

 

[MarkKF]

My third use of the barrel the Cider was in for 8 months. Absorbed great bourbon smell but very little flavor. Gonna let it ride for a year next. My plan now is wild ferment, rack, clear, barrel age, repeat.

 

[bmd2k1]

I've used a 2L charred American oak barrel for aging some of my faux ice cider. Tasted & smelled fantastic...like a low ABV (14%) bourbon.

Cheers [emoji111]

 

[ten80]

I have an apple port (apple cider plus grape must, 12% ABV, ending at an FG of 1.045) in a 5-gal Balcones corn whiskey barrel right now. I previously had a cyser in the barrel, which turned out fantastic.

I have found that swelling the barrel with steam works nicely to re-hydrate the wood without rinsing away a lot of oak or bourbon aroma. I get my barrel up to 180F which probably also sanitizes the wood to a limited extent.

Silicone breathable bungs are a great way to keep oxygen out of your barrel while letting any fermentation CO2 out, without having to worry about a dry airlock.

I try to minimize headspace in the barrel, however cider is very tolerant of oxidation and I don't worry about it as much as I would for a beer. I add 25-50 ppm sulfites when racking into the barrel which also helps protect from excessive oxidation.

 

[MarkKF]

I always worry about headspace. But, in a barrel there is no neck so you have all that surface area. You can’t fill it too high cuz the airlock is below the bottom of the bung. So I just cross my fingers.