Swelling the Wood: Fill the barrel with hot tap water to swell the wood and ensure a tight seal, preventing leaks. Leave the water in for at least overnight.

Draining the Water: After soaking, drain the water. It’s normal to see some black char come out. Gently shake the barrel outdoors or over a sink to remove any remaining water.

Filling with Spirits: Once the barrel is prepped, fill it with your spirits and seal it with the bung.

Aging Beer and Wine: Ensure fermentation is fully complete before sealing the barrel. If refermentation is possible, use a #5 stopper and airlock to allow gases to escape. Once safe, replace the airlock with the bung for aging.

Avoid Storing in the Bag: To prevent microbial growth, always store the barrel outside the bag.

Keep the Barrel Filled When Not in Use: If the barrel is not actively aging spirits, it should be filled with water. This prevents the wood from drying out, which can lead to shrinkage, warping, and leaks. Regularly check water levels and refill as needed to maintain a tight seal.

Headspace: Leave about 5% headspace (approximately 1 inch below the bung) when filling with spirits to allow for expansion with temperature changes.

Secure the Bung: After filling, lightly tap the bung with a mallet to ensure a secure seal.

Long-Term Storage: For extended storage without spirits, use a solution of potassium metabisulfite and citric acid in the water to keep the barrel in good condition.

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.