Filling SD barrel with English Barley Wine

Shane Phelan · April 28, 2014, 10:50:11 PM

Ronan do you want me to bring your empty keg with me or will I give it to you at another stage?

Shanna · April 29, 2014, 10:02:41 PM

David just dropped his beer over to my place.

Shanna

Rossa · April 30, 2014, 08:51:45 AM

Ronan & Shiny .. I could swing by tomorrow evening and collect your kegs if you need. Just send me a text.

Shane Phelan · April 30, 2014, 08:58:51 PM

Thanks for the offer Rossa but I have negotiated a lift with them on Friday evening already. Coming back home though after the fill/emptying with a couple of kegs is a different story!

Bubbles · May 01, 2014, 10:19:05 PM

19 litres of barleywine deposited at the South Dublin clubhouse!

Final reading came in at 1.019, absolutely spot-on, and very drinkable for a barleywine, or will be when the alcohols die down a bit. Lovely flavour though. Really dark from the choc malt I used, but the roastiness doesn't come through in the flavour, quite surprisingly. Instead, lots of dark crystal malt flavours, raisin, plum... and booze... Nice level of booze though.

I also had enough left over to get 4 x 33cl bottles for myself. Will bring a couple of these to a meet in about a years time.

See ya Saturday night lads.

mcgrath · May 02, 2014, 02:14:53 PM

I'll be attending with Ronan. I'm driving over with Ronan, bringing mine, Ronans and Shanes beers.
Aim to be there for 9.
Chat then..
Ciaran

Bubbles · May 03, 2014, 05:22:39 PM

Tonight's the night chaps!!

Shanna, I forgot to ask you, do you still need a loan of a corny? Offer is still there if you need it, but would you mind dropping down to me to pick it up? I wouldn't mind having a beer (or six) this evening and I'd rather not drive.

Lads, how are we fixed for siphons/pumps? (That's solar pumps, by the way, not the type Ciderhead uses.......)

Ciderhead · May 03, 2014, 05:27:00 PM

Cheeky feic I'm bringing it and other gear just for you to fondle in any case

Bubbles · May 03, 2014, 05:33:07 PM

Shanna · May 03, 2014, 06:57:14 PM

Quote from: Bubbles on May 03, 2014, 05:22:39 PM
Tonight's the night chaps!!

Shanna, I forgot to ask you, do you still need a loan of a corny? Offer is still there if you need it, but would you mind dropping down to me to pick it up? I wouldn't mind having a beer (or six) this evening and I'd rather not drive.

Lads, how are we fixed for siphons/pumps? (That's solar pumps, by the way, not the type Ciderhead uses.......)

Bring spare siphon and tubing and the cornie. Will txt you if & when i can collect you depends on kids getting to bed on time.

Shanna

Bubbles · May 04, 2014, 10:11:46 AM

A heroic effort last night lads! Five hours, 217 litres imperial porter out, 217 litres of barleywine in. Thanks to everyone who showed up.

At the very least, I think we all owe Shanna a pint in the DH for babysitting this barrel over the last year, and doing almost all of the organizing around it. Not to mention his and his wife's hospitality last night. That grub really hit the spot last night. Cheers Shanna.

And for those who didn't bother to put in an appearance when the barrel was first filled, didn't give a small contribution to the cost of barrel, and then didn't bother to show up when their porter was taken out of the barrel.... I hope you appreciate everyone elses efforts, and appreciate the fact that you got back exactly 100% of what you put in... Sorry for the rant, but it had to be said.

The porter samples we tasted last night were fantastic. I'm sure the barleywine will be just as good in a years time.

Shanna · May 04, 2014, 11:44:52 AM

Craic was mighty last night. Kids are at the seaside which is just as well cause the effects of the five hours are visible

Thanks to everybody who showed up & did a great job. Having lots of pairs of hands helped things go smoothly if not exactly quick. It was great that all the barley wines were in good nick. I hope the beer stays ok till we empty it.

Looking forward to carbonating RIP and given there was a good share left I will try carbonate & bottle it. Some i can bring to meets for tasting & can also distribute some to everybody else. Cant imagine the barrel will be used again after this so looks like people should prepare for barley wine for XMas.

Thanks

Shanna

Shanna · May 04, 2014, 03:11:01 PM

Hi there,

Quick post mortem. Just been down to the shed to do a quick tidy up before going out for the rest of the day. Shed absolutely stinks of booze even though I washed the floor with left over starsan before finishing last night. No sign of movement from the bubbler on the barrel. I sprayed the outside of the barrel with starsan for good measure.

Conor I have your empty keg, full keg of RIP and your demi john, give us a shout some evening & you can collect them.

Cathal I have your empty fermenter. I can bring it to the next meet or you can come over and collect it some evening.

John C I have one of your kegs that still has the left over barley wine in it. I will be in touch to sort out getting that spare keg from you and to get your own keg liberated of the barley wine.

Bruce I forgot to cut out the insulated foil for you last night, if you want to pm me the measurements of the container you want to cover, I will bring it to the next meet for you.

Rossa if you want to put in the 2nd tap give me a shout some evening and we can give it a go, should not take more than 10-15 minutes.

To all of you who washed up last night as we were doing the refilling of the barrel a huge thank as it made such a difference not to have to do cleaning at the end of the night last night.

CH, hope you got home last night safe and sound, appreciate your help with getting the spare pump from Shiny's place. Am going to shamelessly steal your idea of using the window box for cleaning the auto siphon & tubing.

Collectively we need to discuss/agree how to store the left over barley wine going forward as it will be used to back fill the barrel to replace samples taken out. Kegs are at a premium at the moment so if somebody wants to volunteer one to remain in my place I am all ears.

I plan to carbonate the remaining RIP it, bottle it and distribute it over the coming months. I hope everybody is cool with that.

For now I thinks its time for a bit of non beer/home brewing time in the coming weeks as I sense there is a certain fatigue setting in. Hope everybody had a good night last night, I know I did

Shanna

Ciderhead · May 04, 2014, 04:45:00 PM

You are welcome I saw a fella on YouTube doing it.
It was good to shoot the shit last night even sober, glad to see your 2nd barrel had no shortage of takers, best of luck with it.

Will_D · May 04, 2014, 08:59:27 PM

Quote from: Shanna on May 04, 2014, 03:11:01 PM
Collectively we need to discuss/agree how to store the left over barley wine going forward as it will be used to back fill the barrel to replace samples taken out. Kegs are at a premium at the moment so if somebody wants to volunteer one to remain in my place I am all ears.

How much have you left over ?

It might be an idea to freeze what you have in say 1 or 2 litre lots.

That way when the barrel needs topping up you will have a little bit of fresh wort to restart CO2 production!

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