how to age for 15 years?

[choppy]

Hi all,

I'm getting so many ideas from this site,but I have one specific question regarding ageing spirits.

I have a few bottles of good Hunter Valley semillon put aside for my daughters 18th birthday (she's only 7 now). I'd like to put a batch of distilled JD aside and keep it for my 5yo son's 18th birthday, because let's face it, no one drinks red wine when they are 18.

My thought was to put 5 litres of neutral on 100grams of JD chips in a demijohn for 2 to 3 months. I'd then put it through some filter paper and into another vessel for long term storage.

I have a few questions;

1. would 100gms of chips over 3 months be about right to impart enough flavour?
2. if so, what ABV should the spirit be when I start the soak? I'd be looking for about 40% as an end result.
3. what is the best vessel for long term cellaring. I was thinking about using a couple of Darwin stubbies, or maybe a 5 litre demijohn.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me, I'd be happy to try a couple of different options if it meant ensuring we'd have something decent to drink when the big night comes (if I'm still around to enjoy it!!)

Cheers
Col

[all-lag]

iam doing the same for my daughter and son,would like to know the best way to store it as well

[bt1]

Realistically storing for that long is an issue.

Timber's a hassle it would need to be vat type ie well flogged keg that hs little or no raw timbers to give even then the loss of abv due to Angel's share would mean you end up with a low abv wood soup.
Glass stainless could do it, but it need small amounts of aeration to develop on timber over time. Staino makes the spirit "flat" "earthy" over longer periods and it would need serious aeration to bring it back before consuming. The same with glass to a lesser effect.

The point that's missing here is quality. A good AG hearts cut 2 year old craft will taste better after two years than any commercial at 8years. This is far more realistic goal...put it down 2.4 years out and manage it in glass staino. We're not using kegs to filter/mellow lower grade shite starter.


Start with a slightly higher abv I'd suggest 65% as it's optimal for most timber extracts, reducing timber dramatically after 6 months and let it sit. Alow some temp variations but no major. I'd go oak bung to allow small amounts of airing over time.

2 years +/- 6months is optimal imho.

bt1

[Zak Griffin]

What I am doing for my kids' 18ths/21sts is just stashing a bottle of my best batch from every year...

I wouldn't get too excited about saving Oaked neutral for your son... Wait until you are making real whiskey ;-)

[choppy]

looks like I'll have to come up with another idea, maybe a ten year old port from his birth year...

[5 o'clock]

My thought was to put 5 litres of neutral on 100grams of JD chips in a demijohn for 2 to 3 months. I'd then put it through some filter paper and into another vessel for long term storage.

I have a few questions;

1. would 100gms of chips over 3 months be about right to impart enough flavour?
2. if so, what ABV should the spirit be when I start the soak? I'd be looking for about 40% as an end result.
3. what is the best vessel for long term cellaring. I was thinking about using a couple of Darwin stubbies, or maybe a 5 litre demijohn

Hi Col,

You need to remember that aging really only occurs while the spirit is in contact with the oak.

If you started with neutral and placed it on oak chips for a few months then stored it in glass until your kids are older AND continue playing with this hobby...

1. You will still only have made 3 month aged spirit if it is off the oak for the next 10 years. If you go to the bottleshops and buy a bottle of scotch aged for a few years and put it in the cupboard for 15 years you still have a bottle of 3 year old scotch. It only improves while it is in the barrel.

2. By the time you open that bottle you will think it is crap because by then you will have been learning and developing better techniques and your younger spirits will be far superior. When I find a bottle at the back of the cupboard now I generally find that I prefer my more recent product. My early bottles were just what you are describing, neutral on chips. My friends and I used to think they were great, but each time I bring out a bottle of newer product I am told that this is my best yet.

I agree with the advice to continue practicing the art and you will learn over the next decade when would be best to put down the bottle for the kids 18th,

When you are aging what you have now start with it at about 65% and every few months add some water to dilute it slightly because different flavours will come across at different concentrations.

My kids are currently between 13 and 5 years old and I haven't put anything specifically aside yet for them (but do have a few demijohns of last summers BWKO which will age for a lot longer before I get around to needing to start drinking it and it might be selected for them).

Cheers,

Richard

[Geeps]

Walk in on ya daughter and her boyfriend. :scared-eek:

Oops didn’t see the for.