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Barrels are also available in a number of different volumes. Typical volumes of wine barrels are around 228L (60 gal) and may vary slightly depending on region and cooper. See [http://socialvignerons.com/2016/06/27/anatomy-of-a-wine-barrel-parts-sizes-infographic/ this article for standard wine barrel sizes]. See [https://www.whisky.com/information/knowledge/production/background-knowledge/types-of-whisky-casks.html this article for a list of spirit barrel types and sizes]. Professional breweries generally use barrels of this volume and larger. For homebrewers, filling a barrel of such volume can be a bit more tricky and may require a group effort and/or many brews. Some smaller barrels are available for homebrewers via craft distillers (among other producers). These barrels which can be found in the 5-15 gallon range provide an attractive option for homebrewers though some special considerations may be needed.

For homebrewers, filling a barrel of such volume can be a bit more tricky and may require a group effort and/or many brews. Some smaller barrels are available for homebrewers via craft distillers and some specialty producers like [http://www.vadaiwinebarrels.com/toasted-barrels.html Vadai]. These barrels which can be found in the 5-15 gallon range provide an attractive option for homebrewers though some special considerations may be needed. First, smaller volumes mean a greater surface area to volume ratio. This means that both flavor extraction from the barrel will be faster and O2 pickup will be greater (as oxygen penetration is tied to the barrel's surface area). Both of these factors make these small barrels attractive to craft distillers as they can shorten the aging time for certain flavor developments, but for the homebrewer looking to produce long-ages aged mixed-fermentation beers with no barrel flavor impact to supportive barrel character rather than strong barrel character , this is not ideal. The barrel character can be partially stripped by repeated use and soaking with water. One approach to this is to fill the barrel with hot water and allow it to cool overnight. The cooling will extract a lot out of the barrel, which can then be discarded. Because many of the small barrels available to homebrewers are derived from distilleries and therefore may be more likely a heavier toast level, it may take longer to remove the character of the wood and a progression of beers may be needed to make the barrel appropriately neutral for long aged sour beers <ref> [http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/basic-brewing-radio/e/082715-barrel-progression-experiment-40269155 Basic Brewing Radio barrel progression]</ref>. The environment in which smaller sized barrels are housed can play a role in how much oxygen enters the barrel. Temperature shifts within the barrel form a vacuum that causes air to get sucked in. In drier regions with low humidity, and regions that are hot, barrels can dry out and evaporate faster.