I have a very used 3-gallon oak barrel that my friend gave me. I used it earlier this year to age some plum wine, but after sitting for months it only smoothed the flavor out a small bit. It definitely didn’t impart any noticeable smokiness. I suspected that the oak barrel had lost its char. I saw another youtube video that gave me a few ideas and decided on semi warm winter day to give it a try.
Here’s a video of me walking through the process of taking the barrel apart, and trying to set it on fire. It took a few times to actually get a fire going in there. Next time, I would try hot coals.
I have no idea if I charred it enough, too much, or even just right. I timed the main burn at about 20 minutes. I suspect I could have gone longer, but the burn of the wood was getting very noticeable and I wasn’t sure how deep I should go. After I soak the barrel to get it water tight again, I’ll put the plum wine back in and see if it works! Fingers crossed.