My easiest barrel prep to date!

[Pumpkinman]

I decided to re-hydrate it a little bit differently than by the instructions, nothing that is earth shattering, but it may save you some time.

I took my barrel and filled it with the hottest tap water I could while I set 5 gallons of water to boil.
The tap water was mixed with meta in an attempt to sanitize the inside, when I checked the bottom, there was water pouring out of it...grrrr...

I got a large clear plastic storage bin, the kind that can slide under a bed, but big enough that it could fit inside.

I put the barrel in the bin and slowly added enough boiling water so that the barrel was submerged about 3 inches.

I filled the barrel with boiling water and put the stopper in, and started to rotate the barrel on it's side in the water.
My goal was to not just hydrate the insides and the heads, but the outside as well.

I stood the barrel on its head and poured boiling water on the head (the other side was immersed in hot water in the storage container) as per normal instructions, i did this with the other side as well.

After an hr, I removed the barrel from the storage bin water and set it on its rack to dry (the barrel was still full of water).

I checked the barrel after 30 mins, not a single leak!

As of this morning, still no leaks.

Nice and easy.

 

[ibglowin]

Good job Tom! I did sorta the same thing on Vadai #4. Filled the sink full of hot water and submerged one end at a time with hot water on the inside as well. FWIW I had a head that leaked like a sieve as well but it sealed quickly with this tweak.

 

[eblasmn9]

Thanks for the Info, Tom. I know I will buy another barrel soon. The first barrel took quite a while to seal. The next one...

 

[salcoco]

I have done the same in a laundry bucket using hot water from tap. I left mine submerged overnight.