Barrel Aging a RIS

[therealrsr]

This will be my first attempt at barrel aging, I've read quite a bit already but like most things the opinions are all over the place. If someone who has barrel aging experience can answer a few q's I'd appreciate it.

Background:
I got the 10 gal. barrel in mid last week and a couple bottles of the single malt wiskey that aged in it the day after. (Sons of Liberty Uprising) I added about 6 fl. ounces the day bottles arrived and rolled it around. Added another ~6 fl oz on Saturday when brewing the Russian Imperial Stout in two 6.5 gallon batches due to mash ton limit with 10.5% RIS grain bill. It is primary fermenting @ ~67 degrees for 5-7 days, then transferred to glass carboy for ~ 2 week secondary with Madagascar vanilla beans, cacoa nibs and cold brewed Sump Ethiopian coffee.

Questions:
1) Will that barrel hold with the 12 oz. until being filled in 2.5 weeks? How wet do I want it inside?

2) Sanitizing? I don't want to throw a cheap handle in there to clean and ruin the whiskey profile I paid $$ to have shipped over getting one local. (I will do this for the 2nd round) The half filled with distilled water suggestions worries me in a similar way.

3) Length in the barrel? 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 2 months, 6 months? This is definitely all over the place. I am inclined to start tasting/topping off the barrel at two week intervals unless better solution offered. Also, will 2 week top offs be frequent enough to limit air space?

4) After barrel aging? straight to the bottling bucket and keg? condition in carboys? Bottles will use maple syrup for carbing.

Thanks.

 

[Pappers_]

With the caveat that my barrel aging experience is with a 55 gallon barrel, here's my responses:

1) as long as you occasionally roll the barrel around and keep it wet, you should be fine; I always used way more than 12 ounces, but I also didn't use single malt whiskey - I used cheap grain alcohol, which I of course poured out before adding the beer to the barrel

2) I don't think adding cheap booze to the barrel for a few weeks will impact the bourbon, vanilla and oak flavors of the barrel - at least that wasn't my experience

3) for our 55 gallon barrel, we went a year; if I were using a 10 gallon barrel, I would probably start checking after 2 months

4) barrel aging is the last thing before packaging, I think - if you want to do some longer term aging in carboys, do it before adding it to the barrel

Good luck, barrels are magical!

 

[therealrsr]

TY very much pappers!