Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

So I made a few batches of pugirum put in 5l demijohn to age at approx 70%. I changed my yeast to the safale US05 this batch an switched oak to used rum chips so I altered two variables.
I pop the top once a week to air and see where the aroma is headed and on week 5 aftermixing it appeared to have a layer of smoke or a co2 layer maybe? Smelt slightly heady to me and was pressurized as the cork nearly shot out I blew away the gas an checked the next day it didn't reoccur an smelt amazing again ( pressure has built but no more smokey looking stuff)
So I thought I'd ask on here an see if any of you guys may have experienced this phenomenon or if u know what fraction reaction may have caused this or if it must be this new oak.

Anyway any help would be awesome I'm not ditching it I just like to understand as much as I can.

Leave the lid off and cover with a coffee filter and rubber band. That bad stuff need to evaporate off and get out. It needs to breath like it would in an oak barrel

Ok will try that method i gave it a week of airing as a white dog but wasn't certain if too much oxidisation too quickly would negatively affect it during the oaking stage.

You can air em for weeks except in summer=evaporation issues...bloody pissed airing fairies no good and hard to catch

bt1