 Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/6/2012(UTC)
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I have been listenen to bigwheel and others talk about aging. I usually don't have too much aging. I can only make so much. But my question, which seems elementary is :Why the freezer and why air it out? I got a little idea but would like to know the real reason and the benefits?
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 Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/4/2012(UTC)
Posts: 303
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Well, the big distillers take their distillate and put it in barrels to age for several years in warehouses. The warehouses are usually unheated and not air conditioned. So the barrels go thru the summer heat and the winter cold. The distillate expands and contracts into and out of the wood in the barrels. Jack Daniels chars the inside of their barrels (I don't know about the other distillers), so you get a caramel effect to the distillate. When they empty the barrels, there is less liquid than when they filled the barrels (known as the Angel's Share).
Artisan distillers try to mimic this process by including charred oak, etc in their distillate and moving the container to and from the refrigerator over days/weeks to get it to "age" quicker.
Also, distillate that has just been produced will still have volitives (that we don't want) that will evaporate out over the first few days (week?) if just covered with a coffee filter or paper towel and allowed to "air".
As always, the secretary will disavow my existence if I have stated anything incorrectly.
Muadib
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Rank: Junior Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 4/6/2012(UTC)
Posts: 133
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"Ty, I understand the airin out now. Can't say that the in and out of the refrigerator convinces me but the airin out part clears it up. I'm sure going to try it. I do know that a few weeks just sealed up does make a difference
TY"
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
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"Fellas, the aging issue goes like this.....with the in and out of the freezer you add charred oak to your jug of hooch and go in and out of the freezer which in theary is supposed to imitate the action of the aging process in the barrel (you know expansion and contraction) (very cold then very hot)the likker breathing in and out, hence the term ""the angles share"".
Now airing is something altogether different...after stillin you allow the jugs to sit with no lid so some of the compounds you dont want will evaporate and leave only the best behind. Try this --- next time you cook take a little hooch how ever much you want and put the lid on it next to the ones you air out -- leave both for 24-48 hours and then sniff both I'll bet you can tell the diff. Do this with heads - hearts and tails and see if you can pick up the diff. Its not ruined or no good you just use it another time. Hope that helps."
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 4/14/2010(UTC)
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Was thanked: 15 time(s) in 15 post(s)
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"Something else...ALL bourbon makers age their likker in --NEW CHARRED OAK BARRELS. Thats one of the stipulations of the bourbon making process. And too the barrel is what gives most of the flavor and all of the color.
Bourbon makers use the barrel and then (because they have to use NEW barrels) sell them to Scotch makers who use them again, hence the lighter color and flavor of scotches."
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 7/25/2009(UTC)
Posts: 2,209
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All the ageing i know about is me ageing.  
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Rank: Advanced Member Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/4/2012(UTC)
Posts: 303
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Here's a pic of me (the one in the foreground):
[ATTACH]287[/ATTACH]
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Rank: Senior Member Groups: Registered, Moderator
Joined: 4/14/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,666
Was thanked: 15 time(s) in 15 post(s)
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" Originally Posted by: muadib2001  Well, the big distillers take their distillate and put it in barrels to age for several years in warehouses. The warehouses are usually unheated and not air conditioned. So the barrels go thru the summer heat and the winter cold. The distillate expands and contracts into and out of the wood in the barrels. Jack Daniels chars the inside of their barrels (I don't know about the other distillers), so you get a caramel effect to the distillate. When they empty the barrels, there is less liquid than when they filled the barrels (known as the Angel's Share).
Artisan distillers try to mimic this process by including charred oak, etc in their distillate and moving the container to and from the refrigerator over days/weeks to get it to ""age"" quicker.
Also, distillate that has just been produced will still have volitives (that we don't want) that will evaporate out over the first few days (week?) if just covered with a coffee filter or paper towel and allowed to ""air"".
As always, the secretary will disavow my existence if I have stated anything incorrectly.
Muadib Muadib...Sorry - I skimmed through your post rather quickly and did'nt catch it, but in my opinion you hit every point right on target. Glad to see we're all trying to pass on knowledgeable info."
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