Curing Your Barrel

First, thank you for choosing Castoff Concepts for your at-home wine and spirits aging needs.

Before adding your beverage of choice to your barrel, you should cure the barrel. Your oak aging barrel is made of wood and stored empty, this means the barrel needs to swell and seal before use. We normally recommend you use the barrel within 90 days.

To cure your barrel:

  • When curing your barrel you need to find a sink or tub big enough to hold the barrel and stand, as the curing process will cause the barrel, and its immediate surroundings to get wet. 

 

  • Start by rinsing out your barrel three or four times to get any wood debris out. Fill it with WARM water, cover the holes, shake it and empty it.

        • Position your barrel on its side in the stand with the spigot hole at the bottom of the barrel head (nearest the table).  Insert the spigot into the spigot hole on the front barrel head and give it a push and twist to secure the spigot.  Rotate the spigot valve to the back position, this should close the valve.  The spigot is inserted into the barrel head since the barrel will rest on its side in the stand. You may tap the spigot in the head firmly so that it is tight enough to seal it.   DO NOT HAMMER THE SPIGOT IN WITH FULL FORCE.

        • Now, in the sink or tub, fill your barrel with hot water from the faucet. Do not use boiling water.  You only fill it with hot water the first time. If you need to top off with water again, then just use room temp water.
        • The barrel should come with a bung, which is a cork for the hole in the top.  When inserting the bung into the bung hole, place it at about a 45-degree angle while twisting and pressing the bung against the side of the bung hole to help preserve the gasket from pushing up and off the bung.
         
        • Keep an eye on those leaks; they should seal up as the wood swells. It can take a few hours to several days (could be a week or so for the larger barrels) depending on your barrel size.  We would suggest leaving water in the barrel for at least 4-5 days even if it is not leaking.  If you still have a leak after a week send us an email with your order number and pictures so we can help.  Help@castoffconcepts.com
        All oak barrels should be cured before using them to age your beverage of choice.

         

         

         

        NOTES:

        • If the outside of the barrel gets wet during this process, it is a good idea to dry it off quickly to help keep your barrel looking nice.
        • There still may be small pieces of char inside the barrel even after rinsing and curing. This is normal and part of the charring process. We recommend straining your spirits and wine when removed from the barrel. If there are pieces of wood too large to remove, you can just leave them in the barrel without a problem.
        • Do not submerge the barrel in water.  This will cause your barrel hoops to bleed and/or rust and it may cause the barrel to become discolored, and it won’t look as good.
        • Once your barrel had been cured, DO NOT LET IT DRY OUT.  Once a barrel has been cured and dried, the wood may warp and the barrel may not seal once you fill it again. ONCE WET ALWAYS WET.
        • Do not leave water in your barrel for more than 2 weeks.  If you are going to store your barrel with water for more than that, you will want to use a Campden tablet inside to keep mold from growing.  Do not store with water only for more than a couple of weeks or you will have mold and mildew growth.