hogs head oak barrel ?

[wil]

Hi all just wanted to get a few opinions. I might be able to get a hogs head oak barrel 300l I think,that had been used for muscat @ a winery.
so I'm wondering whats a reasonable price to pay for it?

At the moment I am only going to be producing neutrals so would it produce reasonable flavors if I aged the neutrals with some charred oak dominoes for a few weeks then age in the barrel the same time or is there no benefit in using the barrel ?

if its pointless to use this way what about if I can get it charred?
clueless
wil

[Sam.]

Gonna take you a looong time to fill that barrel with booze mate, you would be better off cutting it up and using the oak.

Is it a normal size wine barrel? If so then $50 is cheap $100 is reasonable and anything over that would be too much for me :handgestures-thumbupleft:

If it's a bigger barrel then it will cost more

[Zak Griffin]

:text-+1: I'd be cutting the barrel up and using the oak as dominoes :)

[SBB]

Gonna take you a looong time to fill that barrel with booze mate, you would be better off cutting it up and using the oak.

Im with Sam on this, its going to take you forever to fill a barrel that size, from what I see you have a 2 inch Boka to work with, those things are slow at best.
As for price, if I had enough Rum to put in one that size Id pay more for it. But that isn't the case so it aint happening.

At the moment I am only going to be producing neutrals so would it produce reasonable flavors if I aged the neutrals with some charred oak dominoes for a few weeks then age in the barrel the same time or is there no benefit in using the barrel ?

A couple of things here to consider, why spend all that time trying to take the flavor out of something only to oak it and add flavor back. In my opinion Neutrals are better suited to making things like maceration's from different ingredients. Making Ouzo or Gin or just keeping it as Vodka are just a few of many options.
If you want to play around with oaking things why not make some Rum or Whiskey, things that will benefit from oaking. You could do that pretty easily by de-tuning your reflux still.

[wil]

Thanks for the quick replies guy's.
Sam-Liv I probably didn't explain myself properly, really didn't intend on filling the barrel with neutrals more so just to put 5 or so liters in to flavor & mellow so maybe too much breathing space in such a big barrel :oops:

Yeah Zak Im hearing you. :handgestures-thumbupleft: might be on the cards.what would a hogs head weight 50-60kg's
so dominoes/staves @ what $20 per kg with freight, even if it's $180 it sounds like great value. just need to cut them up when about to use them & char em a bit.

SBB yeah at the moment its only the 2" boka but already lusting after a bubbler so we, being me & the mate Grimster, can do the lot & will certainly employ some of the recipes from this site for flavored vodka.

Im told by the previous owner that the Boka doesn't perform real well de-tuned just that an opportunity presented itself today to get hold of a barrel, so I am thinking of down the road a bit when we have a still that will produce good rum & whiskey.

really like all the input from everyone thank's.

over a barrel :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:
Wil