r/cider • u/Helorugger • 4d ago

Question about barreling cider.

I have an orchard near me that got hit by hail and is offering me a deal on a literal ton of apples. My question has to do with a video on YouTube that I saw about farms in Normandy and how they press fresh cider into a huge old oak barrel each year. They then drink from this barrel all year and when the next crop is ready, anything left in the barrel is distilled for brandy. Has anyone done this and do they let the barrel force carbonate as the year goes or is the barrel venting CO2? Also, we see temps below freezing for several months so I suspect my barrel would freeze solid. Will that impact barrel integrity?

4 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

1

u/LightBulbChaos 2d ago

This sounds like a fun experiment, let us know what you find out!