My method works for me. When I fill a barrel, I use a spray bottle (and now a pressure pump up dedicated sprayer) . I spray the outside of the barrel just enough to get it all wet. In the beginning, I spray 2x a week, 3x if real hot weather, as I spray I turn the barrel so it all gets wet. After 2 weeks, I reduce the spraying to 1/week, after a month later, I just mist it once a month, until it's time to open it. This approach seems to keep the staves swelled enough that if any leaks, they are very slight. For turning the barrels, I made moving type dollies, wheels up, non-swivel. One goes under each barrel.
Dave Klish, I recently bought a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.