Barrel'O'Bush

[CARA]

Ive taken the liberty of sticking our name down for one of the barrels on the group buy

http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1363960949/new#new

I assume everyone is ok with that?

Any ideas on what we'd like to brew for it?

[Padraic]

I'd be all for the traditional imperial stout! But I'm all for people's different idea's? Whiskey barrel aged American lite lager anyone?


Only one barrel?

[Shanna]

If this is going to be anyway drinkable would it make sense to keep the individual batches as consistent as possible.  E.g. same yeast,  water etc. Or is the point of this to make a heinz 57 style beer with completely different flavours.  I would never have made something like an imperial stout before and while I am interested in this I suspect that this is trying to run before walking.

Has anybody any experience of how to age beer in a cask style barrel? I was thinking that if it's not sealed properly that you could end up with 36 gallons of expensive vinegar.

Shanna

[Cathal O D]

Sounds good.

[Padraic]

If this is going to be anyway drinkable would it make sense to keep the individual batches as consistent as possible.  E.g. same yeast,  water etc. Or is the point of this to make a heinz 57 style beer with completely different flavours.  I would never have made something like an imperial stout before and while I am interested in this I suspect that this is trying to run before walking.

Has anybody any experience of how to age beer in a cask style barrel? I was thinking that if it's not sealed properly that you could end up with 36 gallons of expensive vinegar.

Shanna

I thinka  blend of beers wouldn't be a problem, we would probably go for similar base recipes.

From a sealing point of view I wouldn't be too worried but that's just a personality think, I'm probably too relaxed.

So if someone else has an opinion on the sealing question?

[Shane Phelan]

Why wouldn't it be sealed though? The whiskey would have been in it the previous day/week so if it wasn't sealed then it would have leaked out before that point. The barrel will be still wet when the beer is added presumably so the only entry point for air would be the bung hole, which would have an airlock in it. 

My expectation is that aspect will be fine. 

[Will_D]

When maturing an airlock isn't neccessary the wooden bung will do the job. Nothing to stop using an air lock tho'

However the contents needs to be topped up about once a week (depending on temperature and humidty of store) or so as the barrel contents will leach out slowly and you must avaoid a large surfacfre area on top of the liquid!

The liquid level should always be up near the bung hole to help keep the bung wet.

The bung should aslo be kept moist least it shrinks!

Once I had a cask with a taping hole as well in the end plate (like on a cask). This tapping bung dried out (its was leaking so I thought use some plastic to stop the leak! It did but then the bung dried out and fell out!)

Result 6 gallons of wine on the garage floor!!!)

[Shanna]

HI Will,

I am assuming that the contents would have to be topped up with beer? Does this mean having to hold back part of a batch in a keg or the like and use this to top it up each week? Is there an increased risk of infection here with topping this up frequently?

Shanna

[Will_D]

Yes you would use beer.

Give it all a spray of starsan take out bung, pour in beer.

I could envisgae a top-up system that used a bit of tubing fitted through the bung that could be connected to a small 5 l keg or cornie at about 2 psi. Every now and then squirt it in till the foam blows off from the bung!

You will soon learn how and when it needs doing.

It doesn't have to be exactly the same beer as the ratios are pretty big 163 litres and may be only 5 to top it up.

Can someone ask Seamus how he managed his?

[irish_goat]

Can someone ask Seamus how he managed his?

O'Hara?

[Will_D]

Can someone ask Seamus how he managed his?

O'Hara?

Was it O'Haras that did the Whiskey aged stout?

[johnrm]

The Franciscan Well did one.
There was also Clotworthy Dobbin.
I had one recently at the Mad Monk beer festival, local brewery, and although the beer name and brewery escapes me, I have the menu at home so will post.

[Will_D]

So can any one talk to the FW brewers about barrel management??

[CARA]

I'll ask Cameron about their Kindred Spirit on Thursday also.

[johnrm]

Kindred Spirit, Thats the one!