"First and foremost: Hello All.
I have gone through a couple of forums, and have found this one to be the better site with regards to information, experience, and most importantly (for me) detail. I've done some reading, to attempt not to be so ignorant within your forums, and to help myself with things I didn't know about (like boil overs).

I am new to this hobby. But I have found that I am quite fond of it. I've gone to several distilleries, simply to amaze myself at there processes. No mater how they cut it; it all boils down to some basic principals. Principals that you guys (girls ?) here hit on the nose well.

As a result, I have experimented a couple of times. Making mash, distilling, cutting, flavoring, etc. Again. I am very new to doing this myself. And going to the zoo to see elephants doesn't make me a zoologist.

Everything that I am learning now, is in preparation for what I would like to achieve:

I look forward to having within my home, my own brew, within 5 liter barrels. Essentially: Four 10 year barrels, Three 5 year barrels, Two 3 year barrels, and One 1 year barrel to keep the thirst at bay.

That's 50 liters. More than enough for myself and aged spirits. And which isn't all that much to distill over time prior to storing for aging.

Things that I am unsure of are:

1. Is it a feasible idea? Or am I being delusional to store for those time frames?

2. Some posts here state 60% - 65% is what should be barreled. Would a higher percent -neutral- be a bad idea?

3. Would adding 'flavoring' to the neutral (such as vanilla, cinnamon, etc.) ruin a spirit stored 1, 3, 5, or 10 years?

I appreciate any answers you would give me. I hope to get at least decent within this hobby."

"Welcome.
Barrel ageing is a nice novelty for the home brewer. Useing a small barrel like you are planning will age many times faster than the large commercial barrels due to the wood surface area to alchohol volume. For the same reason, you can age in 6 mo. in a glass carbouy with chips or sticks, charred or toasted, what would take 6 years in a barrel. Along with some aeration.

That ABV is preferred as some of the flavors to extract are also water soluble. Many, as I do, will age for a time at 65%, then cut to60% for a time, then cut to 50% for a bit longer. This draws out more and better flavors.

While investing your time and money, I would make the very best spirit to age possible. To my taste, as well as to most of my friends and family, it would be white proso millet whiskey. Ian Smiley says the same in his book.

If I had all those barrels, I would put a different elixor in each one. Brandies, different whiskeys etc. But thats just me."

"Yes, LWTCS has the best advice for a single run whiskey. especially in those small 5 L barrels.He will need to choose the whiskey of his choice, and make sure it to his li likeing before committing those kegs to that particular whiskey. Kegs loose their ambiance after the first run of a grain like corn or rye. Then a run or 2 for rums, scotch,, Irish or brandies.

My favorite use of a keg, is as a dispensor on the bar. Wooden spigot. Filled with already aged spirits. Just glamour AND SHOW OFF."

"[COLOR=""DarkRed""]This kind of feels like there's a math equation to aging, rather than aging just to age? Like a peak that plateaus, with a possibility for degradation. It's never safe to assume, so please correct me: Whats the point of drinking 12 year from a 10 gallon, when you could drink a 6 year from a 5 gallon, having the same or very similar properties? [/COLOR]

I wish I were smart enough to truely offer a meaningful reply. But it just doesn't work that way. That is in fact the majic.

We can do our best with good ingredients , strict stilling and proper cuts but a 50 gallon barrel is..............a really good tool."