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THE BLOG
Commercial Barrel-Aging
Brewery Spotlight: FOBAB 2023 medal winners
Another year of the Festival of Wood Barrel-Aged Beer is in the books and the winners have been named! While we weren't able to make it to Chicago for FOBAB this year, we were excited to see so many familiar breweries receive medals. It's such a huge honor to know that some...
Why every craft brewery needs a barrel program
Craft beer is a crowded industry. That’s not inherently bad, as more breweries can lead to a vibrant local craft beer culture with plenty of success and notoriety to go around. But breweries still need to find ways to stand out. Sure, curious first-time customers are always down to check...
What are the differences between American and French oak barrels?
Oak dominates the world of wood barrels. It always has. If there were an undisputed world heavyweight title for wood barrels and casks, oak would be the reigning champ for centuries now. No, seriously. The use of oak for storing and then aging beverages dates back to the Roman Empire....
Barrel-Aging 101: Aging beer in bourbon barrels vs. rye whiskey barrels
Willett Bourbon Barrels are some of our most popular for commercial barrel-aging. We see quite a few different types of used barrels move through our warehouses these days. But without a doubt, the most popular are nearly always either used bourbon barrels or used rye whiskey barrels. For the breweries...
Barreled in Bond: Whiskey Hill + Midwest Barrel Co.'s Barrel-Aged Beer Collaboration
From left: Ethan Schulenberg and Ben Loseke of MWBC and Kevin Hopkins and Eric Flores of Whiskey Hill Brewing Company taste beer samples from bourbon barrels. Cross another barrel-aged beer off the Midwest Barrel Co. to-do list. Thanks to our good friends at Whiskey Hill Brewing Company, we now have...
How to pressure test used whiskey, bourbon and wine barrels
We built a custom silicone bung with a pressure gauge to check the pressure on barrels. Leaky barrels are no joke. A whiskey barrel or wine barrel that leaks is a barrel that is literally capable of sending your hard-earned money down the drain. That’s why Midwest Barrel Co. strives...
The complete guide to whiskey and bourbon barrel char levels
Flames char the inside of a barrel that will be used to age whiskey or bourbon. Most barrel wranglers know that to legally call your product “bourbon,” it has to be aged in new, charred oak barrels. The same rule applies to straight whiskey, straight rye and Tennessee whiskey. The...
Barrel-Aging 101: How to use a 'Vinnie nail'
A Vinnie nail was installed on this 10 gallon whiskey barrel. Craft brewers, winemakers, mead makers and other barrel-aging pros know the importance of quality control. They have both the nose and palette needed to know the moment their hard work has paid off in the form of a delicious,...
Superstition Meadery’s barrel-aged meads create a buzz
Zeke Peyton pulls a Vinnie nail to sample mead aging in a barrel at Superstition Meadery. (Photo provided.) Mead is having a moment. Actually, mead’s been having a moment for a few years now – one that’s seen it grow in popularity and acceptance in the craft community. Thanks to...
How we add belly bungs to head bung whiskey barrels
A Midwest Barrel Co. team member drills a belly bung hole into the side of a head bung whiskey barrel. Used bourbon and whiskey barrels aren’t easy to find right now. If you’re a brewer or you’re in charge of a brewery’s barrel program, then you have probably noticed this...
Foreign Exchange Brewing: Purr-fect barrel-aged beers
Ricky Cervantes, Foreign Exchange Brewing. Photo credit: Foreign Exchange Brewing via Instagram Ricky Cervantes and his partners had a plan. It was February 2020 and the guys behind Foreign Exchange Brewing Co. had just released the brewery’s first beer. Then, the world shut down. “Honestly, that was a little bit...
Barrel-aging 101: Maple syrup barrels
A bottle of BLiS Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup and BLiS Maple Syrup barrels (ex-bourbon) It’s no secret that used bourbon barrels are some of the most popular for aging beer. The vanilla, spice and oaky flavors pair so well with imperial stouts, barleywines and strong ales. While there’s no shortage of...
Your guide to used whiskey barrels with head bungs
Starting or scaling up a barrel program is a big step for any brewer. It makes sense, given the popularity of barrel-aged beers from high ABV stouts to big barleywines. But getting started with this style takes its share of financial resources. It also takes up a good deal of...
Marty Scott of Revolution Brewing answers our burning barrel-aging questions
Midwest Barrel Co. is lucky to partner with some of the best in the barrel-aging business. We’ve worked with everyone from the skilled homebrewer to some of the top names in the craft beer industry. One of the best parts about getting to partner with folks who have a ton...
Why Revolution Brewing looks to MWBC for barrels
We work with craft brewery barrel programs of every size and any experience level. From beginners to barrel-aging experts, we strive to help them all find the best barrels. Revolution Brewing Company is definitely one of our partners who you could safely call experts at what they do with barrels....
Why You Should Buy Barrels Now for Your Next Barrel-Aged Beer
Barrel-aging beers takes a lot of work, planning and prep. But if you’re a brewer, that probably doesn’t faze you. The idea of experimenting with the new flavors that barrels can introduce to your brews is probably exciting enough to help ease any anxiety or worries about getting started. And...
Customer Spotlight: Glacial Till Vineyard & Winery
The winemakers at Glacial Till Vineyard and Winery enjoy their craft, but they aren’t satisfied with making the same wine year after year. That’s one of the reasons why Glacial Till, located in Palmyra, Nebraska, continues to churn out flavorful varieties of the hard apple cider it started making in...
Skinny Sticks Maple Syrup knows MWBC aims to please
Our team at Midwest Barrel Co. is always laser-focused on making sure our customers are happy with their purchases. Just ask the folks over at Skinny Sticks Maple Syrup. Mitch Hoyt and family shared this about their positive experience working with MWBC: “Midwest Barrel will work to get you the...
MWBC goes above and beyond for Great Wagon Road Distilling Co.
If you’re searching for just the right barrel, then Midwest Barrel Co. needs to be your first call. Don’t just take it from us. We’re the go-to barrel wrangler for many in the craft beer and even distilling industries. MWBC has helped many of our partners, including Great Wagon Road...
Oak & Bond shows how MWBC finds great barrels for everyone
Not a craft brewery? No problem. Midwest Barrel Co. works hard to find top-notch barrels for every customer. Take Oak & Bond Coffee Co., for example. They’ve taken a bit of an uncommon approach to coffee beans by aging them in a variety of barrels – including barrels that previously aged,...
Why Pollyanna Brewing Company gets barrels from Midwest Barrel Co.
At Midwest Barrel Co., we believe the tight ship we run is what makes us the top option for any craft brewery or other customer who is looking to buy barrels. But don’t ask us. Here’s what Brian Pawola, the head brewer, distiller and cofounder over at Pollyanna Brewing Company,...
Zipline Brewing Co. shares some local love for MWBC
MWBC appreciates the value of local as much as any other business associated with the craft beer industry. That’s why we love partnering with local, Nebraska craft breweries, such as Zipline Brewing Co., as they look to secure killer barrels for their monster barrel-aged brews. We absolutely love hearing about...
How to swell a wine barrel
Wine barrels can make for some pretty mean barrel-aged brews. But before we get ahead of ourselves and start talking about barrel-aging projects (there’ll be plenty of time for that!), we need to talk about another important wine barrel topic: swelling. Why is swelling so important? Well, you don’t want...
What is a wet barrel?
I believe getting to the point quickly is a virtue. So if you’re here because you just purchased a used whiskey barrel that you intend to fill with a beverage, but there isn’t any remaining liquid from what it aged before in there and so you’re concerned, here’s what you need to...
Barrel-Aging 101: How to swell a dry or leaking barrel
Barrels are good for two things – holding liquid for long periods of time and making cool stuff out of the repurposed wood. So when a barrel is leaky, that’s a major issue for most of what a barrel is supposed to do. So if you just bought a barrel...
How do we prep a whiskey barrel to be refilled?
One of the most common questions we get here at MWBC is “How do I prep the bourbon or whiskey barrel I just purchased to be refilled?” Well it’s a very simple answer – NOTHING! If you are having to clean or swell your whiskey barrels before filling you definitely...
Barrel Care: My barrel has a leak!
Barrel-aging is an exciting undertaking. Some time spent in a barrel can take a homebrew, craft beer, wine or distilled spirit to the next level. But the barrel has to be able to do its job. A leaking barrel is a no-go and will only delay your beverage’s barrel-aged journey....
I can't fill my barrel right away
Barrels have a shelf life. Or should we call it a rack life? No matter what you want to call it, it’s true. You can’t just get a used barrel, let it sit in the corner and expect it to be ready for barrel-aging whenever you need it. In a...
Is my barrel dry?
When it comes to ingredients, fresh is best. For brewers who are barrel-aging craft beer or a homebrewer dabbling in the style, the barrel is another ingredient. So, like all other ingredients that go into a beer recipe, quality matters. In the barrel-aging world, quality is often determined (for the...