My Last Whiskey

Ben

Well, I think this will be it.
I’ve been distilling less and less over the last several years and I’ve gotten to the point of thinking about letting all the gear go. It does take up a lot of room, and I just don’t seem to have as much time as I used to.
I’ve already gotten rid of some things, but today I might be changing course.
Years ago, I got a big “used” wine barrel online from somewhere out west. It’s been sitting around ever since because it is so large, I was never up to the task of brewing up that much hooch. Today I was dismantling it to save a few staves and toss the rest. I popped off the hoops, knocked off a stave, and discovered that the barrel had never been used. Brand new white oak!
I measured the barrel and it seems to be around 15 gallons.
So my plan now may be to make one last batch of bourbon to finish out my distiller’s book.
I already have a stockpile of corn and rye, probably enough to do it. So that will also solve the problem of what to do with all that.
My plan will be to char the inside of the barrel, get it back together, and confirm that it will hold water. If so, it’ll be off to the races grinding up some corn.
It’ll sure be a lot of work, but it seems like it will be a proper last batch. I’ll keep y’all posted.

0gwqhgttpra.jpeg

Shouting and shooting, I can't let them catch me...

Stonecutter

You might get yourself hooked back on the distilling hobby.
Sitting around for a year it will no doubt leak, but I bet it seals up pretty quick. This seems counter-intuitive, but I would take it out to the yard, fill it with water and keep it topped off for a few days, let it swell and reabsorb, then char. If you char while all the wood is contracted you stand a good chance of charring in the seams, and it will not want to seal that way. A lot of the smaller barrels have reed in between the staves, and you will burn that out if you aren't soaked and swelled.
Probably wait to do all this until you have something to put into it. Otherwise you will be filling your freshly charred barrel with water again to get it to swell before adding spirit.:)

OtisT

Mighty fine way to hang it up. But DAMNIT MichiganCornhusker! I’m just getting started. I sure do hope you stick around the forum to help us newcomers keep the party going. Here’s to a successful last Whiskey. The stories your distillers book could tell, aye?
Prost!Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion; and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing.
-Thomas Paine

Bradster68

Shoot Cornhusker, I’m not sure what to say here.  You will be missed. I am glad you will be making one last batch.  Heck of a way to quit, filling a 15 gallon barrel.  
I’ll thank you again for swapping a case of jars with me a few years back.  That was my first experience tasting homemade whiskey with rye and now that I’m making my own rye, I can’t smell a jar w/o thinking about that unique smell/taste your hooch had that I could not identify at that time.   Those exotic woods were interesting too.  You really helped me out a lot.
Best of luck to you on your last batch, and in life.   OtisOtis’ Pot and Thumper, Dimroth Condenser:  Pot-n-Thumper/Dimroth
Learning to Toast:  Toasting Wood
Polishing Spirits with Fruitwood:  Fruitwood
Badmotivator’s Barrels:  Badmo Barrels

shadylane

Best of luck in the future MC. And with that last batch.
Thanks for all you contributed.