Barrel project -Kick start!

[Kevco5]

I went ahead and paid for the whiskey cask:
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1363960949/0

So 'tis high time we got our arses in gear and worked out the details.

Recipe: Has anyone brewed an Imperial Stout that could be tasted or know a decent stout which could be cloned.
I have one from "Clone Brews" which gives extract, partial mash and all-grain variations. I'll post it when I have it to hand.
I don't think kits are suitable for this project.

Storage: The cask will need to be stored on its side with base chocks (prevent it rolling away!) for the duration of the aging process. The cask comes with a template for building the chocks. Preferably somewhere with a reasonably steady temperature range. (an issue if we actually get a summer this year)
I think Hop Bomb Volunteered his place or I could fit it in my shed for the duration but my place gets warm during the summer, wet towels can be used to keep it cool if needed. Does anyone have a wine cellar? 

Duration: To be discussed. A year was mentioned when the subject was brought up during the January meet. Personally I think six months should be right. (remember this cask is still wet with about a pint of whiskey still rolling around inside it) We'll have it ready for the National Brewing Championships in march or even the cold nights of early 2014.

Logistics: couple of options available

1. Everyone meets at the stillage point on a set day with their mash tuns and boilers in tow and we have a MONSTER brew day.
Switches will be trippin' 
Then we go on the piss

2. Everyone brews at home on a set day then we bring fermentors to the stillage point that evening before fementation starts. Any aeration during transport will only aerate wort and not finished beer.
I've done similar when i started extract brewing, before I put together my boiler, I used to do a full boil in the kitchen at work then take the full bucket home in the boot of my car, never had a spillage or ill affected beer.
I have no problem doing pickups if people need it.
Then we go on the piss

I prefer option 2 myself. It pretty rules out blowing someones fuseboard! We can all gather with home brews in hand for a chin wag on the days events.


Nothing above is set in stone suggestions are encouraged!
Lets try get most of this worked out before the next meet, we should be expecting the barrel around that time.

I had a look in the previous post about this and took the names of interested parties, if I forgot anyone please add to the list.

1. Kevco5
2. kev
3. Hop Bomb
4. St Fursey
5. J o e
6. eanbur
7. DrowningManatee

[eanna]

Good man Kev! 7 brewers should fill it if everyone is still up for it. Imperial stouts I have no experience with, but the clone brews idea sounds good with the different versions.

As far as the logistics go, either is grand for me. Regarding option 1, I think only half of us use electric elements (and I only have one), and we could possibly stagger the times they're on for.

[DrowningManatee]

yea fair play man

im well into it, though I have to brew at home as I just use the cooker for heat, though the monster brew day sounds rockin and id love to just bring my fermenter along to it and see how ye do yer all grain batches if that was ok? Barbeque with beer marinated meats, beer sauces etc just as a suggestion...

Im assuming we have to do a big yeast starter and add it to the barrel when filled?

In terms of clones, should we each bring a bottle of stout thats on the clone site to the meeting and taste test deciding on one?
But was also thinkin if ye wanna enter the comp we should come up with our own recipe, should we each bring a recipe we make and then take a look and decide what would work at the april meet? Be nice to have some originality in there... even adjusting a clone recipe or something.

[J o e]

im well into it, though I have to brew at home as I just use the cooker for heat, though the monster brew day sounds rockin and id love to just bring my fermenter along to it and see how ye do yer all grain batches if that was ok?

+1 to this. I brew on a crappy electric hob in the kitchen so bringing the brew afterwards would suit best. Also don't have a car so might take you up on that offer of the pick-up Kev!

[Kevco5]

@eanbur I think 7 is cutting it tight, if we all done a 5 gal batch we'd still be 1gal short! Personally, and this is again just a suggestion, I'd like to see 10 brewers each brewing 20L. Everyone puts 16L into the barrel and we each get 4L to compare against! Plus it would be handy to have a surplus, god forbid there was a problem with one batch. 
Have any of the other lads expressed an interest at the meets I've missed?

@DrowningManatee The plan here is to ferment as per usual then once it's complete, it gets transferred to the barrel.

Another option on the logistics is to work in pairs, extract brewer teamed with an all grain brewer, one boils while the other mashes type thing! Should create more of a team spirit!

[CARA]

All sounds fantastic lads! The excitement is certainly building throughout the brew clubs!

[Kevco5]

All sounds fantastic lads! The excitement is certainly building throughout the brew clubs!

From what I've been reading there's a competitive edge building too!
Comp or no comp it's a great chance to do something truly epic as a group!
Fair play to you for organising these!

[St. Fursey]

Great work Kevin!
Option 2 looks to be the best. How about pairing gas and electric brewers for a bit of craic on brewdays?
I can ask my carpenter brother in law if he will knock out the stoves for us.
Suggest bringing along a few recipes to the next  meeting so we can decide what an  when to brew.
Looks like there will be plenty to talk about at the meet-up!

[kev]

Sounds good!

[barkar]

Count me in if your short, can do somewhere close to 50 -60 litres, have a recipe for a stout , brought in a sample the last day, nothing close to imperial more circa 4.5-5% range ,

[Kevco5]

Count me in if your short, can do somewhere close to 50 -60 litres, have a recipe for a stout , brought in a sample the last day, nothing close to imperial more circa 4.5-5% range ,

50-60 litres! You'll need a barrel all to yourself!

1. Kevco5
2. kev
3. Hop Bomb
4. St Fursey
5. J o e
6. eanbur
7. DrowningManatee
8. Barkar

[montofk]

Yep, I'd be on for this too, look forward to bouncing some ideas around at the next meet. I'm a hob top brewer too, so option 2 would be the sensible choice. But!... Option 1 does sound great craic;.. possibly too much so...Some poor volunteer will wake up the next morning with his switch and bitch tripping about the state of the gaff.   :
Maybe don't dismiss it though, if the venue is right there might be something technical we can do accommodate say 50% electric brewers. I'd also love to brew alongside others just to compare notes, I haven't a clue if what I do is really right, seems to be drinkable anyway. Anyway great lots to discuss at the meet.

[Kevco5]

You guys I think are setting a template for the rest of us to follow. Well done!

Cheers tube!

Good to have you onboard Steven

1. Kevco5
2. kev
3. Hop Bomb
4. St Fursey
5. J o e
6. eanbur
7. DrowningManatee
8. Barkar
9. montofk

Keep plugging ideas guys, there's a lot to be worked out yet!

[barkar]

As nice an idea as it may be I would think it would be too difficult to organise all in one area mashing and boiling, chilling etc. (unless you have a warehouse type location) ye have to consider -  even if all the necesay grains and hops were weighed out you have to have access to water (considerable) all at the same time , for electricity the volunteers electricity would nt be stong enough no matter how many extension leads separate rings peeps would be on unles it was an industrial supply
Also the cost of leccy - boiling kettles for 4-5 hours(even with staggerred boil times -  like golf) is considerable - SWMBO/significant others  would be eating take out and taking cold showers for the duration !  - with the probabaility that the volunteer might be doing likewise after as a result

Simillarly there is the distinct possibility of some after boil infection which could make the whole batch unusable if dumped in together, A better solution might be to do separate brewdays , chuck agreed yeast strain in , let it ferment out, sample confirm that alls ok with the beer,  transfer to either a plastic or corny keg for holding under co2/airlock to avoid any contaminant & transport to desired location some friday night/sat and syphon slowly into barrel to avoid oxidation, chuck in sucra / spray malt/GoldenSyrup, have multiple beers during and after in town (presuming barrel being kept in town ) ....  simples      

[Kevco5]

The batches will be fermented individually, removing the risk of the entire batch being affected by an infection during fermentation.

We'll have to meet up and discuss this further fairly soon, given we could have the barrel in the next couple of weeks we need to get moving to make sure the barrel is as fresh as possible when filled, we need to get brewing fairly soon!

Who's available for a meeting this Friday over a couple of pints.
The cottage bar at 8pm?

Details to be worked out are logistics and recipe.