It is a 8gal rye whisky barrel. The guy used it to make two stouts and then turned it into a sour barrel. I forgot what kind of sours he made but gave me a list of the bugs he put in there. Brett lambicus, brett claussenni, pedio damnosus, lacto brevis and lacto delbrueckii. Right before I got it he racked out 5gal and left the other 3 in there. And that's how it currently sits. So I need to figure out my next steps. Is it ok to leave it as is for awhile, say a month or so? Big question is what to brew? Once I get this thing going I would like to have this as a solera and continue to just pull out 5gal at a time and add fresh wort back in. I know I will have more questions later, but any thoughts or suggestions at this point?
I picked up a used barrel
#1
Posted 31 October 2016 - 03:56 PM
#2
Posted 31 October 2016 - 04:04 PM
I will add that my plan when I go to fill it is to dump out what it currently in there, give it a good rinse and then fill with my fermented beer. At least I think that sounds like a plan.
#3
Posted 01 November 2016 - 07:29 AM
I would do a Beatification inspired beer.
91 percent 2 row
3 percent acidulated
3 percent wheat malt
3 percent vienna malt
Bittered with Styrian Golding
Finished with Stering
OG- 1.055ish
Fermented right in the barrel
As for leaving the barrel. It is already bugged so not sure what else could go wrong. I have mine filled with water now so they do not shrink.
#4
Posted 01 November 2016 - 07:50 AM
IIRC, barrels that held spirits are usually used as "clean" barrels and wine barrels are used for souring. Sounds like the decision has been made for you. Purely by coincidence, I've got something similar I got in a trade from Genessee Ted. Going to start off using it for an old ale but it's eventually going to be used as a sour barrel.
#5
Posted 01 November 2016 - 07:53 AM
IIRC, barrels that held spirits are usually used as "clean" barrels and wine barrels are used for souring. Sounds like the decision has been made for you. Purely by coincidence, I've got something similar I got in a trade from Genessee Ted. Going to start off using it for an old ale but it's eventually going to be used as a sour barrel.
I have had a few commercial sour beers from spirit barrels. It seems though, over time, all barrels go to the dark side.
#6
Posted 01 November 2016 - 09:50 AM
I would do a Beatification inspired beer.
91 percent 2 row
3 percent acidulated
3 percent wheat malt3 percent vienna malt
Bittered with Styrian Golding
Finished with SteringOG- 1.055ish
Fermented right in the barrel
As for leaving the barrel. It is already bugged so not sure what else could go wrong. I have mine filled with water now so they do not shrink.
I hadn't heard of this beer so I looked it up. A very light beer then? Maybe good for a background if I wanted to add some fruit into a keg or something. So ferment in the barrel with the bugs that are in it now or add more? Wasn't sure if after I rinsed it it would have plenty left to take care of it.
#7
Posted 01 November 2016 - 10:08 AM
I hadn't heard of this beer so I looked it up. A very light beer then? Maybe good for a background if I wanted to add some fruit into a keg or something. So ferment in the barrel with the bugs that are in it now or add more? Wasn't sure if after I rinsed it it would have plenty left to take care of it.
yes, it is on the lighter side. Russian River calls it a sonama-lambic. I think it is perfect as it is and I bet the bugs in the barrel you have will do a nice job. Washing will remove some but they are in the wood, they are in there for the long haul at this point. You could add in a commercial lambic/bug blend if you are worried though.
Photo fore refrence
#8
Posted 01 November 2016 - 12:10 PM
#9
Posted 01 November 2016 - 12:27 PM
Ok then I might just fill it up with fresh wort and see what happens. In the recipe you posted above what's up with the acid malt? Just to get the mash pH dialed in because I could just used lactic for that. Otherwise I have everything to brew that.
Most likely pH. That recipe is from Russian River for Redemption and that is the base for Beatification.
#10
Posted 01 November 2016 - 02:15 PM
Most likely pH. That recipe is from Russian River for Redemption and that is the base for Beatification.
Gotcha, thanks.
#11
Posted 21 November 2016 - 08:21 PM
#12
Posted 13 February 2017 - 06:45 PM
I finally got around to filling up this barrel a few weeks ago. I just added fresh wort to what was already in the barrel. It took about a week with little to no activity but then took off. Blew the airlock off initially and now it is still slowly bubbling. Hopefully turns out well.
#13
Posted 15 February 2017 - 01:26 PM
Did you fill it yet?IIRC, barrels that held spirits are usually used as "clean" barrels and wine barrels are used for souring. Sounds like the decision has been made for you. Purely by coincidence, I've got something similar I got in a trade from Genessee Ted. Going to start off using it for an old ale but it's eventually going to be used as a sour barrel.
#14
Posted 15 February 2017 - 01:45 PM
Yes, but briefly. Did not want to overdo the oak/whiskey flavors. Turns out I could have let it go longer, so lesson learned.
#15
Posted 16 February 2017 - 09:43 AM
Toss in some raw wort and let the critters do their magic. Flanders Red would be perfect.
#16
Posted 16 February 2017 - 01:06 PM
Already filled it. Blonde basically.Toss in some raw wort and let the critters do their magic. Flanders Red would be perfect.
#17
Posted 16 February 2017 - 01:08 PM
Long term, that is the plan, but I wanted to put a wood finish on a strong ale and I'm thinking at some point a barrel-aged cyser would kick ass. After that, a batch with WY3763 is going to find its way in.
#18
Posted 15 October 2017 - 05:23 PM
I kegged this beer a couple weeks ago and it is delicious! I brewed this morning to fill the barrel back up. Put about 6 gallons of fresh wort on top of the 2 gallons that remained. I didn't have as much 2-row as I thought, so I used more Vienna. Hopefully turns out as good as the last batch.
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