Maintaining The Barrel

After two to three years of use, a barrel will need to be re-charred on the inside if it is no longer aging your spirits or wine as quickly. Simply use a butane type lighter with a bendable end to char the barrel. Take the bung and spigot out, put the end of the lighter in the spigot hole, and, while the lighter is lit, turn the barrel slowly to add a fresh char to the barrel.

Sometimes the barrel can leak where the face or barrel head meets the staves, this leak can be resolved with barrel wax.  

Using your fingers take the 1/4oz container of barrel wax and put some on one of your fingertips (it will not take the whole container).  Rub your fingertip along the crease where the leak is coming from, you may have to go back for a second helping of barrel wax.  Clean up the excess and make sure to wash your hands thouroughly (barrel wax is very sticky).  This should stop the leak and seal the barrel.   Check every 3-4 months to see if you need to reapply a coating of barrel wax. For any questions about this or any other aspect of the barrel aging process, call our office at 713-340-3103, ext. 2.