Thank you, again. This is comprehensive.
Iām a proud owner of my baby barrel from the link you posted.
After I swished it out, I stuck my nose in there and took a whiff. I smelled whiskey! Canāt imagine the possibilitiesā¦thx again for the link.
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@LordVapor I was reading the instructions that came with the barrel, including that little business card and it said you can use the barrel 3-5 times. What? Does that mean it loses itās flavor properties after several steepings? Boohoo, tell me itās not so.
I didnāt get anything like that with mine. I am mixing a second round as soon as I restock. If I can only get 3000-5000ml out of a barrel for $30-$40 to me itās still worth it. Thatās only an additional $.03/30ml or so. Very worth it to me. So if that is the case, the barrels will make for some very cool decoration 
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Youāve got a barrel half full attitudeā¦I like that, thx
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Plus, you can store whiskey in the barrel. Then mix juice in it and have the whiskey note in your juice if nothing else 
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or a juice note in your whiskey also not a bad thing
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I just got done steeping my base in the barrel for two weeks so I can do what you suggested. Iām new to this and didnāt take all the steps that @LordVapor did, but hoping for the best.
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In that case, Iāll need another barrel for rum! Iām going to move forward with the base I just steeped and start mixing 30ml bottles of your Drunken Custard recipe and other custards I saw here. I donāt have the fancy equipment you have and crossing my fingers this turns out okay.
Did your barrel leak a bit? Mine is a little wet on the outside, especially around the bottom. I soaked it for 48 hrs.
Is there anything else I can use besides cheesecloth? Iām stuck in the house with a Norāeaster and my barrel is awaiting?
Coffee filters will be very slow but may work. You can always bottle, then filter later. Cheesecloth really is the best option. I canāt think of anything else that would work as well.
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Not so much that it was dripping. But there were areas around the barrel where it appeared to be wet. Not so much to the touch though.
I ended up using gauze. Still kind of a slow but worked. I like your idea of straining later. At least I can bottle it now till I get the cheesecloth. Thx
Did you save a sample of juice from before the barrel and a bit after? It is pretty drastic how much the oak flavor is noticeable in the juice.
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Unfortunately, no. I decided to make just a base so I can experiment with it. I did mix a 30ml bottle of your Drunken Custard. Itās still sitting. Thatās the price Iāll have to payā¦more waiting.
Do you have any helpful suggestions for fast straining?
Honestly, I didnāt have all the necessary flavors on hand and I couldnāt wait to get going with the barrel.
I also didnāt move the barrel into different climates (humid/dry) from day to day. Maybe it got wet on the outside from being in a humid climate too long. Iām learningā¦
I sat my barrel in the closet and rotated daily over a few days. I tasted the juice after that and the oak flavor was already showing up in the juice, but still faint. I only moved it to different areas twice. I am certain if it sat outside in varying weather conditions it would work faster. But i think in a closet for two to three weeks works just fine.
Do you think the heat is necessary? Does it bring out the oak flavor more?
I like heating while stirring. I have the technology. So I can make my juice better than it was. Better, stronger, faster.
Sorry. Flashback. The heat helps it stir, which speeds up the blending together of things. It also ages the juice. You will just have to try yourself and see what you get. The heat turns the juice an amber shade. Thatās when I bottle.