Choice of oak barrel

The preparation and aging of alcoholic distillates for moonshiners is not only a fascinating process, but also a real art. After all, the taste, shade, quality and other organoleptic characteristics of the resulting moonshine directly depend on the technology used, raw materials and raw materials.

The main element, in addition to the moonshine still, is an oak wood barrel, which is used to age the distillate. We tell you how to choose the right one in order to ennoble the product, give it a rich taste and exquisite aroma.

Why moonshine is aged in a barrel?

When alcohol comes into contact with the surface of an oak product, the drink is saturated with valuable substances - flavonoids, tannins, amino acids and aromatic components.

Oak wood barrels are ideal for obtaining a safe alcoholic drink. After exposure, the sharp taste and opaque shade of moonshine change. Ready-made moonshine acquires a rich color from caramel to brown, as well as a delicate aromatic bouquet.

How do oak barrels differ from each other and what kind of wood to choose?

Oak barrels differ among themselves in the material of manufacture, the type of wood used, and also in their capacity. The aging period of the product depends on the volume of the barrel, the smaller the capacity, the more intensively its maturation takes place. Today you can buy a barrel for alcohol of any capacity - from 5 to 20 liters or more.

All wooden products are fired. At elevated temperatures, the sugars present in the wood crystallize and, dissolving, enter the drink, giving it a mild tart taste and a beautiful golden color.

For each alcohol, a certain degree of roasting is selected:

Light - suitable for white wine and light beer, helps to give the drink a pleasant shade and light vanilla aroma;

Medium - helps to reveal red wine and dark beers, gives the drink a richer shade, enhances the vanilla flavor and adds caramel notes;

Strong - used to age strong distillates (moonshine, whiskey, port wine, calvados), helps to give the drink the aroma of vanilla, caramel and chocolate.

Criterias of choice

Choosing an oak barrel for moonshine with roasting inside for whiskey and other drinks is based on the following criteria:

Volume. Moonshiners, when aging alcohol, fill the product completely, so you need to select it taking into account the estimated displacement of moonshine distillation. The smaller the volume of the product, the shorter the exposure time. For an apartment, a barrel of 20 liters is optimal;

Material. In our country, Caucasian types of wood are more common, since the rest are of high cost due to high transportation costs;

timber harvesting method. It can be a sawn board or a radial riveting, but only the second technology can achieve the tightness of the finished cooperage product and the "breathing" effect;

The degree of roasting is selected taking into account the produced distillate;

The thickness of the riveting - the amount of evaporated alcohol depends on this parameter. The smaller the riveting, the faster the product will begin to leak.