Small scale barrels

[Oakes]

So I have a 2 Liter barrel that I am going to be filling with a yet to be named spirit. I was wondering if anyone had any feedback as to this practice. The barrel I have is a 2L barrel from oakbarrelsltd.com. I was going to just start off with a whisky/scotch and see what a month on wood would do.

Any thoughts?

 

[Homercidal]

I think you just fill it and let it sit, preferably in an area that has some temperature fluctuations. I'm not sure a month is going to do much. From what I've learned it takes quite a lot more time to make any real changes. I'm no expert, so I guess you could see what your store bought raw liquor will taste like in a month or so. You may decide to keep it in the barrel longer.

Your barrel is charred, right?

 

[Oakes]

It is a medium plus char and is pretty tiny, about smaller than a football.

 

[DGibb]

I've been planning this also. My go-to for white lightning is Buffalo Trace. I would be adding this to the barrel and putting it on my main floor (basement stays too darn constant through the winter!) and checking on it and rotating it every couple weeks.

Has anybody else done this? How long have you kept it in the barrel?

 

[Strut]

You will be pleased. Their is a whole lot more char surface area to liquid ratio in a small 2L barrel vs. a full size 50 gallon one. You will get the equivalent of years of ageing in just a few months.

 

[Oakes]

With a 2L barrel, I found that a month was too long to let it sit for a whisky.

 

[LimeKiller]

I aged a white rum in a 1L barrel for 3 months and it was fantastic! 2L should take longer as there is less liquor/wood ratio. Haven't done whiskey yet, but it is my next project. I have a 1L of tequila going now. RedHead Oak Barrels has a tone of Youtube videos on this.