National Homebrew Club Ireland

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?

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?

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

Sounds good.

QuoteIf 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?

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.  :)

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!!!)

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

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?

Quote
Can someone ask Seamus how he managed his?

O'Hara?

Quote

Quote
Can someone ask Seamus how he managed his?

O'Hara?

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

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.

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

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

Kindred Spirit, Thats the one!

Our barrel is gonna be the best barrel-I've my eye on a beauty ;)

Pics! 

See the main thread!

Excellent!

(http://6legs2many.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/plotting1.gif)

Should we make a list of peope who are going to pay for/fill this?

Upfront costs are purchase and delivery price. I live in a tiny apartment so the only things I can offer to this are wort to fill it and money to pay my part for purchase/delivery costs.

01. Shiny

Lads, who is going to be holding onto the barrel for the Capital Brewers and where is he based?

1. Shiny
2. CARA (also offering storage)


Anyone else please feel free to offer storage. I'm based just next to the gravediggers and Glasnevin cemetery.

I'll also be able to contribute cash and Wort:

01. Shiny
02. CARA (Offering storage)
03. Padraic

I'll see if I can negotiate with TOG to have space to fit the barrell in! Or convince CARA to store it in his brewshed, if we think he can be trusted!

edit: CARA posted just before me!

Cheeky git

01. Shiny
02. CARA (Offering storage)
03. Padraic
04. Cathal O D

How many batches do we need? 8*5 Gallon batches? Does that mean we're halfway there?

Its about 164 litres give or take so. Oh and we'll need a bit extra for topping up

01. Shiny
02. CARA (Offering storage)
03. Padraic
04. Cathal O D
05. Rossa can I be 6 too!

A group brew-day would be epic for this!  :D

01. Shiny
02. CARA (Offering storage)
03. Padraic
04. Cathal O D
05. Rossa
06. Rossa

QuoteA group brew-day would be epic for this!  :D

A proper big brew day at tog might be in order!

Since I'm only extract I can only really offer cash. Obv can pay for ingredients too if we do a group brew.

01. Shiny
02. CARA (Offering storage)
03. Padraic
04. Cathal O D
05. Rossa
06. Rossa
07. Thomas (cash, no wort)

Edit: Oh yeah and I can get us flip top bottles of course.

What way do we cost this?

For example:

€50 for the barrel (€39 Barrel, €4 Fuel, €7 NHC Donation)
€XX for the ingredients
€XX for maintenance/storage costs

QuoteSince I'm only extract I can only really offer cash. Obv can pay for ingredients too if we do a group brew.

Agreeing to split the costs like this is a great way to "Buy" into the cask.

However its really up to the group: If for example 7 AGs were done and 1 good kit or extract of the same style was used who would notice?

As we know from the comp a lot of the kits/Extracts were better than some AGs!

After all even using identical ingredients (Malts, Hops, Yeast) all sourced from one bulk supply, ye would still get slightly different beers.

More likely: Same recipe but "interpreted" as to whats in the stores at home - even if all same they will be different ages so again different beers.

Some goups were even thinking about blending a couple of different recipes??

As I said its up to you.

Also if the non-brewers (who help pay for the ingredients) want to help out on the brew days then "way to go"

01. Shiny
02. CARA (Offering storage)
03. Padraic
04. Cathal O D
05. Rossa
06. Rossa
07. Thomas (cash, no wort)
08. Padraic

I can drop one of my brews off the list if needs be.

I think we can cap this at 10 shares? (Or 10 shares per barrell if we want to beat the other clubs!!)

Re: Cost, this depends on how we split the bill, if we do a group brewday then we can split all of the costs evenly, if we however provide our own wort then the costs to be split are the costs of the barrel and storage presumably...

I think face to face is the best way to discuss this, meeting on Sunday straight after the brewday? (CARA can't make it but I think everyone else is in so I'll talk to him beforehand to get his views)

Hey if Rossa is brewing a quarter of your cask then you will win for sure.

Thats not fair (winge, weep, moans and wails)

QuoteHey if Rossa is brewing a quarter of your cask then you will win for sure.

Thats not fair (winge, weep, moans and wails)

Don't worry my brewing quarter will balance his out :)

Surely 8 is enough?

That's around 16L each at that....

How much will be needed to top it up does anyone know?

Good point, 8 is probably enough!

Who's going to start off the list for barrell 2?

Are we going down the Imperial Stout route or something different?

I vote for Imperial Stout!

Another thing to discuss on the brewday is Thomas doing an extract version of the beer, I have no problems with that. But that said if we do a group brewday between us we'll have the spare equipment for him!

Barrel 1
01. Shiny
02. CARA (Offering storage)
03. Padraic (Imperial Stout)
04. Cathal O D
05. Rossa
06. Rossa
07. Thomas (cash, no wort)
08. Padraic (Imperial Stout)

I have no problem with adding an extract version of this beer.

Personally I think anything other than an Imperial stout would be a bit crazy for the first barrel attempt. It hides any *issues* that may arise.  ;)

Barrel 1
01. Shiny (Imperial Stout)
02. CARA (Offering storage)
03. Padraic (Imperial Stout)
04. Cathal O D
05. Rossa
06. Rossa
07. Thomas (cash, no wort)
08. Padraic (Imperial Stout)

Imperial stout sounds good to me too.

In saying that, I would also be willing to contribute to two barrels if the other was a Double IPA or something...

I could be getting ahead of myself here though ;D

Barrel 2-An IPA

01.Shiny
02. CARA

Are you willing to store it CARA?

I most certainly am-along with the other 3  ;D ;D ;D

Firewood for winter 2013 sorted.  :D

I'm trying my best not to add myself to that list!

Less than a tenner (not including ingredients)....  ;)

QuoteFirewood for winter 2013 sorted.  :D

They also make lovely planters for your Ma or Granny:

QuoteI'm trying my best not to add myself to that list!

Peerpressurepeerpressurepeerpressurepeerpressurepeerpressurepeerpressure

Quote

QuoteI'm trying my best not to add myself to that list!

Peerpressurepeerpressurepeerpressurepeerpressurepeerpressurepeerpressure

I have 6 or 7 hours to *encourage* people tomorrow.  :)

QuoteLess than a tenner (not including ingredients)....  ;)

€6.25 between 8 of you.

And to think I paid 3.29 for 100 grams of oak whiskey barrel chips!!

The whiskey had penetrated over 50% of the staves so if you removed 50% of the timber as un-whiskeyed oak you would have about 20 Kg of "wet with whiskey "oak for €50

Split 8 ways thats 2.5 kg for €6.25 Plus you have the oak you removed for smoking your food or grilling steaks on the BBQ.

Its a no brainer really!

Why resist?
It will be the best thing you ever do! :-)

QuoteI'm trying my best not to add myself to that list!

I'm just as excited about the potential for a 6-8man brew-day as the prospect of filling/drinking the barrel.  ;)

Really cant wait to do this!

Hi Cara

I was  the brewing session in tog today and was talking to Padraic, Shiny, paddy bubbles and Rossa and they suggested/agreed to the following.  I have offeredto store the 2nd barrel and we are (South Dublin club are going to merge on this list) going to make up the numbers to purchase the 2nd barrel. If your in agreement Paddy Bubbles will sort out payment with you soon and I will then square the details with John O'Connel about getting delivery to Blackrock.

Shanna

QuoteBarrel 2-An IPA

01.Shiny
02. CARA
03. Shanna
04. Paddy Bubbles

marvellous

Post crossed with Shanna..

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

And the South Dublin Brewers recipe..
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1365964409

Hi there

Got response from joc re the keg delivery. After 8 on the 23rd.

Shanna

i'll give it a stab too

01.Shiny
02. CARA
03. Shanna
04. Paddy Bubbles
05. Beerfly

QuotePost crossed with Shanna..

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

And the South Dublin Brewers recipe..
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1365964409

I notice the recipie is also for a stout, was barrel 2 not supposed to be for an IPA?

Update to the first barrel list!

01. Shiny
02. CARA (Offering storage)
03. Padraic
04. Cathal O D
05. Rossa
06. Rossa
07. Thomas (cash, no wort)
08. JoeyD

Folks,

If anyone fancies making a contribution to the South Dublin Brewers barrel, we could use another few participants. (I know some the Capital Brewers expressed an interest..)

The barrel will be sited in Blackrock, and at the moment we're looking at an Imperial Porter type recipe devised by Rossa, which includes lots of amber, brown and black malts.

Sign-up here:
http://nationalhomebrewclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,2150.0.html

Cheers.

I picked us a nice one lads-sitting here beside me in the kitchen with half a litre of 60% whishkey swilling around the bottom :D

 :)

Barrel size
http://nationalhomebrewclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,851.msg26599.html#msg26599

Thanks for the update. We shouldn't have much of a problem meeting that amount.

I have been updating my records and the name "Capital Brewers Barrel Project Imperial Stout" isn't really exciting me. Can we give it a name?
Pleeeeeeaaaaaaasssssssseeeee!  :D

I vote for it to be called "Padraic is great" or "Imperial St 1" done in our trade mark street sign...

This (http://www.strangebrew.ca/beername.php) is useful for inspiration sometimes.  :P

That is rather cool!

Reminds me of when in the 70's I programmed an ICL mainframe to provide a subtle "random excuse generator" for when you were late delivering the Cobol program the thought you were writing!

To try and structure it a bit, add a barrel name and a beer name. Seems logical that the barrel is a she?

Barrel name: Molly
Beer Name: Danger Ash