Swelling the Wood: Before adding any spirits, fill the barrel with hot tap water. This step is important to help the wood swell, ensuring a tight seal and preventing small leaks. Leave the water in overnight.

Draining the Water: After soaking, drain the water from the barrel carefully. It's normal to see some black char come out during this process. To make sure all the water is out, gently shake the barrel outdoors or over a sink.

Filling with Spirits: Once the barrel is prepped, it’s ready to be filled with your spirits. After filling, seal the barrel with the bung.

Aging Beer and Wine: Before sealing the barrel for aging beer or wine, make sure fermentation is fully complete to avoid pressure buildup. If there’s a chance of refermentation, use a #4 stopper and airlock to let gases escape. Once you’re sure fermentation is done, remove the airlock, install the bung, and proceed with the aging process.

Avoid Storing in the Bag: To prevent microbe growth, take the barrel out of the bag when storing it.

Headspace: Leave about 5% headspace in the barrel. This allows the spirit to expand and contract with temperature changes. A good rule of thumb is to fill the barrel about 1 inch (25mm) below the bung when it’s positioned upright.

Secure the Bung: After filling, secure the bung firmly. A light tap with a mallet will ensure a tight seal and prevent leaks or air exposure.

Consider Long-Term Storage: If you plan to store the barrel for a long time, you might want to use a solution of potassium metabisulfite and citric acid. This helps preserve the wood and keep it in good condition.

By following these steps, you’ll keep your barrels in great shape and ready to add flavor to your spirits. A well-maintained barrel is key to producing top-quality aged spirits!

To remove a bung, follow these steps: First, stand the barrel upright. Next, open the spigot. Then, with a hammer, give the side of the bung hard strikes, alternating directions of the blows. While doing this, try pulling it out between blows. Be patient; it might take 10 or even 20 firm back-and-forth strikes to loosen it. With some persistence, you'll get it!

Here is a video demonstrating the technique with a wooden mallet.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ve23Dm1888M

To insert and seat a bung, follow these steps: Gently place it into the bunghole, and then tap it using your tool. Remember, you don't need to pound it with excessive force; a few firm taps should suffice. Avoid hitting it too hard, as this could potentially shift the barrel head inside the can. The bung seals by swelling within the bunghole, not just from hammering. A snug fit is typically all you need.

If you've removed a wet bung and want to reseal the barrel, opt for a dry bung if available.

There are a lot of possibilities here.

1. If you see evidence of a past leak, such as a dried stain on the barrel head, but no liquid, don’t freak. It’s likely that the barrel experienced an environmental change, a small amount of liquid escaped, dried, and the leak stopped. In my experience about a third of my older barrels did this, sometimes many times, and I still have plenty of liquid in the barrel. I view this as normal and cool. It’s just barrel candy. My more recent barrels don’t seem to do this but it wouldn’t bother me if they did.
   
   
2. If you notice a few drops of liquid outside the barrel, don’t panic just yet. First, check if there’s pressure inside the barrel, as that could be causing the leak. If there’s no pressure, place something under the barrel to catch any liquid in case it worsens, making cleanup easier, then walk away for a day or two. It may never happen again.
   
   
3. If there is an alarming amount of liquid actually dripping off of the barrel, you should totally freak out now. Flip the barrel upright. Get in touch with me. We’ll work something out.

As barrels go through temperature changes, spirits expand and contract, which may cause pressure or a vacuum to develop. This is a normal part of the aging process for barrels. I often get questions in the spring when barrels warm up. It’s common to see a few small leaks, or even puddles, as the temperature and pressure change. To address this, you can place the barrel upright and release the pressure through the spigot. Barrels stored in more extreme environments will need a larger headspace to accommodate the significant expansion and contraction inside the barrel. You can also put something under the barrel to collect the drips. It should stop within a few days.

If you’re aging fermented beverages like wine, beer, cider, mead, or similar, it’s not uncommon for fermentation to restart after racking into the barrel. If this happens, place the barrel upright and replace the bung with an airlock and stopper. Once fermentation activity stops, you can return the barrel to its side to continue aging. I’ve seen quite a few pressure buildups caused by secondary fermentation in the barrel.

A general rule in distilling is to leave around 5% headspace in the barrel. This space allows the spirit to expand and contract with seasonal changes. A good guideline is to fill the barrel to about 1 inch (25mm) below the bung when the barrel is upright, ensures the right amount of headspace.

If you’ve overfilled the barrel, there’s a simple solution. Open the spigot occasionally to release excess pressure, especially during rapid temperature changes, like the shift from winter to spring. This helps keep the barrel sealed properly. Small leaks that occur during weather transitions are often caused by internal pressure changes.

For more on this, check out Alan Bishop's video on barrel aging in changing environments:  The effects of heat and pressure on barrels

When aging fermented beverages, the process is a bit different. It’s generally advised to keep the barrel full to reduce oxidation, and expect some minor leakage as the barrel cycles through natural changes. These beverages are typically aged in a stable environment to prevent excessive loss.

If there's a risk of secondary fermentation, it’s best to turn the barrel upright and attach an airlock and stopper until all fermentation has stopped. This could take up to a month, depending on the sugar content and yeast or microbes involved.

I don’t know. I generally have not rotated my barrels, and I have no complaints about their performance. The exception is that occasionally a small leak will present itself on the lower part of the head, and I’ll just rotate it to the top and walk away. Works for me.

Prepare the Solution: Dissolve 3.5 grams of potassium metabisulfite or 3.5 crushed Campden tablets in 2 gallons (7.6 liters) of distilled water. Stir until fully dissolved.

Adjust pH: Gradually add citric acid (1 gram at a time) and use a pH meter or test strips to ensure the pH is below 3.4.

Add Solution: Pour the prepared solution into the barrel and let it sit until you're ready to use the barrel. Afterward, empty the barrel and rinse it at least twice to remove all sulfur residue. The barrel should have a clean, almost sweet odor.

Check SO2 Levels: Use a test kit to monitor the free SO2 level every couple of months to maintain a level above 250 ppm. If using our kit, the solution will last about 6 months before needing a new batch.

Pre-Mixed Option: For convenience, we offer a pre-measured barrel preservative on our website for 2 gallons of water.

Safety: Always wear protective gloves and eyewear, and work in a well-ventilated area.