Remove the cheesecloth along with the collected vertisement. The oak should look black and slightly shiny. Aging whiskey is a longstanding tradition, even though barrel aging is no longer a popular practice. Plus, if you just keep it tucked away in a shelf, it will remain as it has been. The hydration process could take anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
American White Oak: The most commonly used oak. I did that six month shot immediately, but really I should have been tasting it probably monthly at first and then weekly when it got close. You won't have to worry about charring your oak, as the process of home aging is done without any additional equipment. For those who love to DIY their way through life, learning how to age whiskey at home might sound like a fantasy. If you have access to an old barrel used for other spirits, that is an excellent option, too. Barrel aging whiskey at home recipes. Aging The Right Spirit. A thicker barrel will produce a higher quality finish. It is best to check your whiskey as often as daily. And when it comes to the aging process, you have three methods to try: barrel aging, wooden staves aging, and charred strips aging. The easier option is to put a couple of wooden staves into the very bottle that your whiskey came in. I hope this article was informative and fun to read. Since you do not plan on selling your home-aged whiskey, these rules and regulations may not apply to you. Let the wood cool down for a few hours, get your raw whiskey, then pour it into a mason jar.
We recommend oak because it imparts a smooth and silky flavor, but other wood varieties, like maple and hickory, can also be used. Will Whiskey Freeze And Can You Keep Whisky In The Freezer? Barrel aging whiskey at home video. Depending on how many whiskeys you want to make, you may need to pour one bottle into several mason jars and replicate the process with various oak pieces each time. What You Will Need to Age Whiskey at Home. For example, you can put American white oak chips in a mason jar and some whiskey.
As with other methods of aging, you should probably check your whiskey as often as daily. Smaller barrels are easier to use and smaller batches of whiskey age faster. Accordingly, one must regularly open and close the vessel in order to allow trapped alcohol vapor to escape and be replaced by air. You can pour it out 1 glass at a time as you strain it. This is science when we tell you that 10% of the whole volume will go away once the evaporation starts. Because of this, aged whiskey can be expensive to get from the store. How To Age Whiskey At Home. Still, that does not mean you can throw caution to the wind. As you may know, there are some restrictions in place for Scotch and American bourbon.
The Brown-Forman Corporation may have made the whiskey that went into my barrel, but I take credit for the whiskey that came out. Don't wait too long to taste test your whiskey. Alongside the changes in Jack Daniel's bottle sizes, there are also understandable price changes. One of the more reasonably priced and accessible options out there is to age your whiskey with wood chips and shards.
These often fit right into an existing bottle of whiskey (you might have to sip a little off the top). This could take up to a day. This is because the surface to liquid ratio of DIY aging kits is much higher than that of barrels. In clear jars, it will ruin the whiskey.
It essentially operates as a tiny barrel, although it isn't handcrafted out of staves by skillful coopers. Why not do a finish the professionals haven't even dared? When the barrel is not in use, keep water in it to save time. I suggest leaving it outside for aging because the fluctuation in temperature causes the oak to expand and contract forcing the whiskey in an out of the wood. "― Ronnie Corbett, Writer/Actor. Store the bottle in a cupboard, closet, or similar area at room temperature. Oak Barrel and Oak Spirals for Aging Whiskey and Other Spirits. Pro-Tip: It is better to use white whiskey or white dog (from Buffalo Trace) for this DIY process. More than two weeks can end up with too woody of a taste. There is one significant issue worth addressing before you add a barrel to your online shopping cart. I have no clue why it is becoming trendy for people to drink White Dog or "Moonshine".
They come in all sizes, from small, liter-sized barrels to big tanks used by commercial manufacturers. Generally, 250-360℉ (121-182℃) is ideal for adding sweetness. July 31, 2017 –––––– Aaron Goldfarb. Some popular names in the industry that use flavorings include Johnnie Walker Red Label and Crown Royal.