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Re-hydrating and re-racking

Posted on 19. May, 2010 by Derrick in Brewing giggle water

матрациAfter a week of first fermentation, the 6 batches were ready to be re-racked into the barrel for 2nd fermentation. That meant that I had to get the barrel re-hydrated as it was dormant for 4 months.

From what we were told, the barrel will take up to 3 gallons of whatever liquid is put inside it. So the idea was to get the outside to re-hydrate first, put some sterilized water on the inside later. Then the final step, whiskey. Just to sanitize the inside and kill some of the buggies.

The next day after the barrel was re-hydrated we re-racked it in the barrel.

But before we did that we took gravity readings.

Mine = OG 1.062, mid point 1.017
PJ’s = OG 1.072 mid point 1.029
Kevin’s = OG 1.065 mid point 1.019
Tristans = OG 1.068 mid point 1.02
Tristan’s Friend = OG 1.065 mid point 1.019
Nick’s = (we don’t have an OG) mid point 1.022

Our OG averaged at 1.068 and mid point average of 1.021. Based on a handy online ABV calculator. It says that we are up to 6.17 ABV. Decent, and I imagine that it will be even more ABV when we take the final hydrometer reading.

And here is a really boring video about the process…

Tags: buffalo trace, ginger, homebrew