barrel aged project

[J o e]

This project is looking promising - thanks Tom for the offer of a barrel!

We agreed at the last meeting that Fridays suited more people for meetings, that would mean Jan 25th for the next meeting.

This is great news - I wasn't able to make Wednesdays and I know a couple of others in the same boat 

[Hop Bomb]

Fridays are good for post meet pints too

No worries with the barrel. I saw it on donedeal & was in the area so couldnt say no. Only after did I do some reading & see Id need to fill it. So a group brew is perfect. 

Any suggestions on a Imperial Stout recipe for AG & Extract?

[Hop Bomb]

I filled the barrel today with the run off from my wort chiller. Chucked some sanitizer in there for good measure. Its full now & water tight.

[Will_D]

What size is it?

[Hop Bomb]

200 litres 

[St. Fursey]

Suggest bringing a few recipes to the next meeting for review...

[Will_D]

Just to be clear:

The idea of a barrel aged beer is to:

1. Get hold of a fresh oak barrel that has contained something nice (wine/whiskey/port/rum/molasses)

2. Fill it up with a full bodied beer ( Means Stout or Porter )

3. Mature and then bottle/keg/cask it

It does NOT mean getting hold of any OLD barrel of unknown provinance and filling it with 200 L of decent HB

Will

[Hop Bomb]

This barrel is defo not fresh but it does smell of whiskey. Its water tight also & in good shape. Once its sanitized with starsan & gets a good soaking in jameson it'll surely be good to age some imperial stout no?

[johnrm]

Mmmm... Starsan infused Stout!

[Ciderhead]

Mmmm... Starsan infused Stout!

Starsan ferments out!!

[johnrm]

Meh. I don't use starsan. Maybe I should start.
Waiting for feedback on my Gallon of Amphoclen...

[Ciderhead]

I was reading up about that stuff don't allow dry on soft metals aluminium tin or copper!!
First sanitation I bet you lose your fingerprints

[Hop Bomb]

Ive used VWP up until now. But every video I see the host is using starsan so it must do the job well. Il have a 32oz bottle arriving tomorrow from HBC. I guess thats one less (very important) variable to worry about. Dont fear the foam haha

[Ciderhead]

Ive used VWP up until now. But every video I see the host is using starsan so it must do the job well. Il have a 32oz bottle arriving tomorrow from HBC. I guess thats one less (very important) variable to worry about. Dont fear the foam haha

Vwp for cleaning and sterilising Rinsing
Star San for Sterilising only No Rinsing

[RichSib]

I've never used a wooden barrel but I've read that they are sanitised by burning a sulphur strip in them. Got to be careful there's no alcohol vapours left in the barrel though as they could explode.
Speaking of explosions, StarSan is the bomb for sanitising the rest of your gear. Be careful not to leave it in contact with plated metals for too long though. It completely stripped the nickel plating off the brass shanks on my kegerator. Took me weeks to figure out what the off flavour was in my draught beers.