36 Gallon Whiskey Casks

[CARA]

Doesn't sound much of a deal at £40 per 36 gallon.
First hit from google gives £69 for a 56 gallon - http://www.kilgraney.com/KFoakbarrels.htm
Is it going to be cheaper than £40 for a bulk buy?

They're based in Nottingham for a start and I very much doubt that they will have been freshly emptied.
I said £40 as a ball park. The price will differ when we've firmed up numbers.

@Will_D I rang him back yesterday to enquire about getting them palleted up etc. but he won't be available until Monday morning so expect an update then.

[Will_D]

Cheapest is not always best for what we want. You may be sold an ex-wine barrel that has lain around for a few years and stinks of vinegar or worse!.

If we get fresh from Bushmills then its worth paying that little bit extra!

They also need to be wet. If a barrel dries out then its a bugger to get tight again!

No problem for a planter or litter bin but not for a whiskey flavoured maturing barrel.

The last thing you would want to do is steep it in water to re-swell the staves or worst of all soak it in sanitiser.

As soon as I get mine, it will be inspected, sniffed, tested for wetness and if needed refreshed with a bottle of Bushmills!

[CARA]

Would be nice if someone older and wiser could pop along with me maybe to inspect? Big ask I know-day trip to the 2 Wetherspoons in Derry maybe??

[Shanna]

Hi there,

If your talking about having to use a pallet and truck to move this thing then your going to talking awkward work. Assuming a 36 gallon (imperial size) where a gallon of water weighs 10 pounds approx. Then add in the weight of the barrel assume another 50 pounds as wet oak planking will be heavy (could be more) . Approx dead weight of the barrel filled is 410 pounds.
, this  is approx 29 stone or 185 kg.

Not sure you want to try moving that heavy around very far. Something of that shape and weight on a pallet could easily take a tumble.  A hand truck is manageable but you would want a fairly flat surface made of something hard like concrete to allow you manoeuvre.  I would suspect that putting the barrel empty in the corner of a shed that is dry and not going to be disturbed would be the best option and bring the beer to the barrel :-) Other thing to think of one is how to make a large bore siphon as a 10 mm tube will take all day to empty.  Probably want something like a 50 mm tube

Shanna

Ps: Capital brewers I have a pair of sheds that could store a single barrel if you have not found somewhere for it yet.

We need one for every barrel and probably a pallet as well to move them. Who has a pallet truck?

[CARA]

The casks can be palleted and wrapped at source ready for collection or delivery. Waiting to talk to him tomorrow to enquire about potential charges.

[Tucan]

1. Liffey Brewers
2. Capital Brewers
3. CARA
4. South Dublin Brewers (JimmyM)
5. North County (maybe - just posted a thread)
6. SE Homebrewers

[matthewdick23]

hmmm...I'd be more interested in a port or wine cask.

hate whiskey

[Will_D]

hmmm...I'd be more interested in a port or wine cask.

hate whiskey

Well thats easy!

Buy a new oak barrel. Make red wine from a kit or port (see my "Vintage Port Quickly" recipe) and mature in the barrels for a few batches. You get to drink the Wine or Port and then have a barrel you know the provenance of and what its been used for.

New 5 or 10 gallon oak barrels are not expensive.

Filling one with 10 gallons of whiskey is expensive!

[Ciderhead]

1. Liffey Brewers
2. Capital Brewers
3. CARA
4. South Dublin Brewers (JimmyM)
5. North County (maybe - just posted a thread)
6. SE Homebrewers
7. Garden County Brewers (Dargle Garglers)

An element of this is sheep mentality, an area of expertise in Wicklow, as I am struggling to understand whats wrong with chucking Whiskey and Oak chips into me brew, and am thinking of the practical side, 8 (1 backup) lots of brew in a bucket, the size of the heater belt   sterilisation 7 brews going into it, will it be like the farmers when they contaminate one truck with dodgy milk that they have to pay for the whole thing?
oh uck it count us in to over 2,000 pints of piss 

[Ciderhead]

Would be nice if someone older and wiser could pop along with me maybe to inspect? Big ask I know-day trip to the 2 Wetherspoons in Derry maybe??

Its a tough job but count me in as the driver after yourself 2 spaces left, 1 from each buying group would be best.
Why are we heading to Derry and not the Antrim North Coast?

Stopwatch started for Liffey Brewer representative 

[JimmyM]

when yous heading up?

[Ciderhead]

Thats up to Cara

[CARA]

@ciderhead They're based just outside Derry City, Bushmills themselves won't sell their old casks to the general public. Also with regards the risk of contamination on such a large and dedicated brew, I think it's a chance we'll take. It's an experiment, granted a pretty epic one, but an experiment none the less.

@JimmyM I'm moving house this week and off to England the week after so how does Tuesday 9th or Wednesday 10th suit? I'm open to other available dates though just has to be after then realistically.

[JimmyM]

I was just interested for the trip. I wouldnt offer anything in the way of expertise - I'll stay out for now.

[Ciderhead]

your slippin that was 90 mins