What is a Bunghole?
posted in: Around the Barrel, Bourbon Barrels
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The Bourbon Barrel Bunghole
The bunghole is the entrance and the exit for the whiskey. It is placed on the side of the barrel right in the middle between the heads. The bunghole has to be placed directly into the middle of a wide stave. This way you minimize the risk of breakage of the stave at the hole and leakage at the line between two staves near the hole. At the Brown-Forman company, a laser is used to mark the point where the bunghole will be drilled.
Right after the drilling a gallon (3.7 liters) of water is filled into the barrel. It is then rotated so that the water touches all staves and the barrel becomes really wet in the inside. Now air pressure is added and you can see if there are any leakages. If there is a leak you will see bubbles of water forming at the leak. It is important to keep the barrel wet. If the barrel dries out the wood shrinks and the stability and airtightness of the barrel are in danger. This is why most of the distilleries keep a bit of water or whiskey in their empty barrels. Finally, a temporary plastic bung is added and the barrel is off to the distilleries to mature whiskey.
Check out some of the items in our shop that features the bourbon barrel bunghole CLICK HERE.
Source: www.whiskey.com
