Whiskey Barrels and Neighbors

[genek]

This morning I was busy making bread Knives and Hair barrettes from whiskey barrel tops. I heard a loud knock and two State police was at the door.
One of my Neighbors called in about a strong Whiskey smell coming from my shop. They told the State Police it smelled like I was making Whiskey. lol ( Where the shop is it is in a dry County. LOL) (lots of religious people in this neck of the woods.)

I showed the state police that when I took the Barrels apart,Scraped and dumped the contents outside that sometimes there was some whiskey still in the barrels and that the wood would smell of whiskey until all of the whiskey evaporated,. That I was just recycling the whiskey barrels and that I was packaging the finished product as soon as I finished them so that the whiskey odor would still be present when people opened the sealed packages.
I called the neighbor and had them to come over and see what I was doing to keep down trouble and gossip. lol

[MogulTx]

Sounds like you handled that about as well as you possibly could. Good job. Especially by calling neighbor and inviting them over. Probably was difficult to do- but it makes your life easier in the long run!

MGM

[genek]

actually I am all ready getting calls from aunts and uncles over it.. sounds like I am the new town drunk. lol... Gossip travels fast..

[genek]

For those of you who do not know about whiskey barrels. When they make the Barrels they burn the inside of the barrel to caramelize the wood. (this gives the whiskey that distinguished taste and color.
Even after they empty the Barrel there is Whiskey that seeps out of the Barrel for months afterwards. (this they call the devils portion) It is actually the strongest of the whiskey. After they empty the whiskey barrel they add water to lower the alcohol content down to the spec's on whiskey.

The way I have to process the barrels is to knock the top ring off to remove the lid then knock the bottom ring off to remove the bottom. This release any whiskey left in the barrel, then I have to scrape off the chard part and then bring in to run through a old planner to get down to good wood. The whole time I have to keep the shop doors open to allow the fumes to leave.
combined with the charcoal, barrel stave's and the whiskey I pour out there is a good smell of whiskey all around.

[cowboy1296]

At the time you may not have thought that it was funny, but I can not help but chuckle. Glad it ended well. Did the cops at least laugh?

[myxpykalix]

Eugene,
Are you sure you're not related to the Morrison sisters? You should have told them the smell was coming from your "flower making machine":eek:

If you "get" the reference....you are a true fan...:D

[jerry_stanek]

Eugene,
Are you sure you're not related to the Morrison sisters? You should have told them the smell was coming from your "flower making machine":eek:

If you "get" the reference....you are a true fan...:D

He lives in Kentucky not North Carolina

[genek]

Eugene,
Are you sure you're not related to the Morrison sisters? You should have told them the smell was coming from your "flower making machine":eek:

If you "get" the reference....you are a true fan...:D

do not know who the Morrison sisters are.

[genek]

At the time you may not have thought that it was funny, but I can not help but chuckle. Glad it ended well. Did the cops at least laugh?
Actually they asked me to quit dumbing the whiskey out on the ground, and pour it into a jar and save it for them... lol.. they got a big laugh when the found out what I was doing...

[myxpykalix]

You got that one right Opie....I mean Jerry:eek::D

[gibl5s]

Well I bet if you quit making barrettes and went to making toothpicks you would strike it rich. Your neighbor might even be your biggest customer.
" toothpicks that makes you forget your past".

[genek]

Well I bet if you quit making barrettes and went to making toothpicks you would strike it rich. Your neighbor might even be your biggest customer.
" toothpicks that makes you forget your past".
If I could figure out how to make toothpicks on the shop bot I would not have any waste. lol My wife wants me to find something that I could re-use the saw dust and be able to make something out of the saw dust.

[feinddj]

I once turned down a job offer because the phrase " its only a short drive to the county line so you can buy alcohol." I don't drink a lot, but I'll be d@$#ed if I will let a bunch of people who don't tell me I can't.

David

[genek]

The area around the shop is full of churches. Just about every half mile you will see a church. Around here everyone knows everyone.. And by the end of the day everyone knows what went on in the area. I have old men stop by to tell me what so and so did last week. it is their past time gossiping,.

[feinddj]

Gene, as a son of one of the members of the Quilt Mafia I know exactly what you're saying. When I was in school, my mom lived 60 miles away but knew more than I did about my day.

[genek]

Gene, as a son of one of the members of the Quilt Mafia I know exactly what you're saying. When I was in school, my mom lived 60 miles away but knew more than I did about my day.
Laughing so hard I am crying.. You just brought back old memories.. If I did something wrong at school or where ever. My parents knew about it before I got Home. Mom would always give us a chance to confess. She would always say do you have something you need to tell me.. If we were truthful the punishment was not as bad. My poor sister never learned to tell the truth.

[pappybaynes]

For those of you who do not know about whiskey barrels. When they make the Barrels they burn the inside of the barrel to caramelize the wood. (this gives the whiskey that distinguished taste and color.
Even after they empty the Barrel there is Whiskey that seeps out of the Barrel for months afterwards. (this they call the devils portion) It is actually the strongest of the whiskey. After they empty the whiskey barrel they add water to lower the alcohol content down to the spec's on whiskey.

The way I have to process the barrels is to knock the top ring off to remove the lid then knock the bottom ring off to remove the bottom. This release any whiskey left in the barrel, then I have to scrape off the chard part and then bring in to run through a old planner to get down to good wood. The whole time I have to keep the shop doors open to allow the fumes to leave.
combined with the charcoal, barrel stave's and the whiskey I pour out there is a good smell of whiskey all around.

A lot of those used barrels (Bourbon) go to Scotland to make Scotch... Whiskey....

[genek]

A lot of those used barrels (Bourbon) go to Scotland to make Scotch... Whiskey....
Mr. Baynes you are correct some go to other countries to make things like Sherry and other whiskeys etc.

[paul60]

In my country[Barbados] the neighbors would come over for a drink.
better still if it was rum[ church or no church]

[myxpykalix]

The problem nowadays is they don't have "Neighborhoods" or Neighbors anymore:eek:
You have people who live close but aren't concerned about people on the block like it used to be. I have told my children and my grandchildren about this and believe that i grew up in one of the best times in this country's history.

I hear these idiot politicians talk about "we don't want to go back to the "50's and 60's"...well when it comes to community and neighbors i don't think it would be such a bad thing.

Which brings me back to my question...what is the main reason (other then the smell) that you use the wood from the staves for your barettes? Why not just regular wood?

[genek]

The problem nowadays is they don't have "Neighborhoods" or Neighbors anymore:eek:
You have people who live close but aren't concerned about people on the block like it used to be. I have told my children and my grandchildren about this and believe that i grew up in one of the best times in this country's history.

I hear these idiot politicians talk about "we don't want to go back to the "50's and 60's"...well when it comes to community and neighbors i don't think it would be such a bad thing.

Which brings me back to my question...what is the main reason (other then the smell) that you use the wood from the staves for your barettes? Why not just regular wood?
Jack I am doing these first for several large bourbon companies and secondly for my customers. They want them made from the tops of the barrels. I wanted to use new wood (less of a mess) and soak the wood in their bourbon.. but they would not go for that.
not my call... it is the customers call... what they want they get... That is why it is costing them $10.00 each wholesale when I could have used new wood and been at $6.00 each wholesale.

[genek]

I have developed all Kinds of new Friends today. From 80 year old little lady wanting me to save the a quart of bourbon so she can make her some cough medicine to get rid of the nasty cough she has, to preachers wives wanting it to cook with, not mentioning all of the other people that just asked me to same them some to drink, some I had known all my life and did not know of them drinking at all. All but the town drunk asked me to keep it under my hat. The town drunk took a sack full of the charcoal said he could soak it and get some fine drinking out of that.

[feinddj]

Its the old joke, never go fishing with just one baptist. He'll drink all your beer.

[scottp55]

Eugene, Maine has 3,400 miles of coast and a ton of dark coves so very popular during Prohibition. Used to hear stories that the locals, after draining the barrels, steamed them as a crude still to make a 180 proof liquor. Also heard from a self described "Newfie"(hope it's not derogatory) that in Newfoundland it was the origin of "SCREECH" rum. Don't go getting any ideas:) It was just funny that your post reminded me of a dark night on a dock in the 70's listening to a bunch of "old guys" (Hey they were over 30) in Southwest Harbor telling stories.
Funny story Eugene:)

[pappybaynes]

I have developed all Kinds of new Friends today. From 80 year old little lady wanting me to save the a quart of bourbon so she can make her some cough medicine to get rid of the nasty cough she has, to preachers wives wanting it to cook with, not mentioning all of the other people that just asked me to same them some to drink, some I had known all my life and did not know of them drinking at all. All but the town drunk asked me to keep it under my hat. The town drunk took a sack full of the charcoal said he could soak it and get some fine drinking out of that.
Come to think of it Eugene, I seem to develop a cough around 5 PM most every day!

[myxpykalix]

Eugene,
That "town drunk"s name wasn't Otis was it? You better be careful or Barney might come in there with his axe and..."pow!, pow!, pow!:D

I thought you were using the barrels simply because it was excess material...:D

[Brady Watson]

come to think of it eugene, i seem to develop a cough around 5 pm most every day!

So...whatcha doing each day at say, 4:20? :D

[kurt_rose]

Yep! 4:20....... What time is it now???:D

[pappybaynes]

So...whatcha doing each day at say, 4:20? :D
Well if the cough starts early.....it's 5 o'clock somewhere