# Drying whiskey barrel heads



## baslug (Sep 8, 2013)

I got a hold of a few whiskey barrels from a friend in southern Tennessee. I broke one open and have been letting the staves dry so I can use them to make some projects. I set the heads aside and it didn't occur to me that the difference in moisture content from the inside face to the outside face would warp the board as it dried…so they're just cupped to hell.

Any thoughts or tips on how to keep the heads from my other barrel from doing the same thing when I take it apart? I'd like to use the heads for a couple projects, but they need to be reasonably flat.

Thanks in advance,
~Ben


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## wseand (Jan 27, 2010)

Clamp some pieces of wood across the top to keep it flat. No guarantees.


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## diverlloyd (Apr 25, 2013)

Soak the tops in water for a day then let them dry like anything else. That would equalize the moisture content. Also if they happened to be used barrels some of the whiskey will leach back out into the water.


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## baslug (Sep 8, 2013)

> Soak the tops in water for a day then let them dry like anything else. That would equalize the moisture content. Also if they happened to be used barrels some of the whiskey will leach back out into the water.
> 
> - diverlloyd


good idea. i'll give that a try.

they are indeed used barrels… my whole basement smelled of Jack Daniels for several weeks after i opened it.


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