Your Guide to Care and Preparation of your New Oak Barrel
1st Method -
The Hot Water Method
- Always use Chlorine Free Water.
- Chlorinated water will interact with the wood and can cause a moldy, musty odour to the beverage in the barrel.
- Remember to insert Tap into Barrel Head before starting, and that it is closed.
This method is better at hydrating the barrel. Make sure that you have enough water boiled to complete the whole process. Better to have some left over, then not enough.
You can boil normal tap water for at least 15 to 20 mins to get rid of the chlorine or use filtered tap water and just bring to the boil for 5 mins. The temperature should be no less than 60°C to not more than 80°C.
Now stand the Barrel on its Head and fill with water and let it stand for 1 to 2 hours. Turn over and repeat on other Head of Barrel.
Now with the Barrel laying flat and the Bung Hole facing up, pour the hot water into the barrel and fill to top. Let it sit for at least a minimum of 4 hours or longer if needed, and then empty barrel. Now pour some water in again and swirl the water around in the barrel and pour out again. This should get rid of any bits and pieces that are left over from the barrel making process. If at this point the barrel is still leaking see The 2nd Method.
2nd Method -
The Cold Water Method
Fill the Barrel completely with Chlorine Free Water. Let it sit like this for a minimum of 12 hours and no more than 36 hours. If after this your barrel has some leaks we recommend using The Barrel Wax included with your order. Heating the area of the barrel with a hair dryer then using the Barrel Wax provided rub/massage into the leaking area. Then using the hair dryer again begin to slowly melt the wax. By doing this you are allowing the wax to penetrate and form a seal in the wood. Your barrel is now sealed, and ready for use.
Barrel Care and Upkeep
You do not need to sanitise your new Oak Barrel with any chemicals, as it was done by fire when the barrel was toasted.
The best way to look after your new barrel is by always keeping it full of your favourite beverage. This way it will stay hydrated and sanitary as well.
Barrel Age
New or younger barrels will take less time for your beverage to reach a certain oak level. As your barrel ages and is used more, it will take longer to impart that oak level as before. This is because the flavour compounds leach out of the wood at different rates so that the character that it imparts will gradually change with use over time, which in turn will give any new or younger barrel a "Sweet Spot" in its age. As your barrel is used more and more over time you will find that you will be able to keep your beverage of choice in it for longer periods than before.
Barrel Size
The time it takes to age your beverage of choice in an Oak Barrel is decided by many factors. The first is barrel size.
What this means is the surface area to volume ratios.
The smaller the barrel (for example a 3L or 5L), the higher level of surface contact with the beverage inside it. This means the aging process will be faster.
The larger the barrel (100L or 200L plus), there is less surface contact with the beverage inside it. This means the aging process will be slower.
Barrel Storage
- It is important to keep it somewhere away from direct sunlight
Where you decide to store your barrel will play an integral part in the process of aging your beverage of choice in it.
Ideally somewhere where you have a nice mild temperature and a relative humidity of around 75 to 85%. This isn't to say that you cannot keep it somewhere where the temperature changes all the time. It just means that the way your barrel and your beverage of choice choose to interact will be different, and will lead to a different outcome and may also lead to more "Angels Share".
Angels Share is the evaporation of your beverage of choice through the wood into the air. The amount of Angels Share varies, and depends on where your barrel is stored, and the temperature and humidity during the maturation period. Generally speaking, it will be more in the beginning and will then slow down as the aging process goes on.
Enjoy your journey of Aging in Oak Barrels.
Thank you for allowing Barrel Deals Direct to be a part of your journey.
Milo Jankovic
Owner/Director
Barrel Deals Direct
