What to do with the Oak Barrel I just bought??

[Thirsty Boy]

Ok guys, I'm pretty excited.

I just won this on e-bay



Its 25-30 litres (6.5-8gal) Oak, and I have no bloody idea what to brew to put in it.

It has had some sort of wine in it, but I dont kow if we are talking white, red or fortified. So I guess that will influence the decision.

I figure I will test it to make sure its not leaky. Then try to make sure it is sanitary (add some vodka and roll it around for a few days) then fill it up with something.

Should I try for a clean beer that might just be nice with a bit of oak and wine character, or will I admit its going ot get infected eventually, and just shove a flanders red/ old bruin /lambic into it immediately.

I think I would eventually like to run it as a perpetual lambic. You know, tap out a third of the volume and top it up with fresh.

Suggestions please. If you had it, what would you do??

Also any hints on how I need to prepare it / look after it would be appreciated.

Thanks

Thirsty

[wezil]

The first think you want to do is fill it with water.
As Dr. Scott says "Ask me how I know?"
More on that later.

Brad

[wezil]

Ok here it is. This is how I know:
http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/phpBB2 ... php?t=4260

Brad

[Thirsty Boy]

Thats really cool stuff Brad. Glad your barrel ended up sealing itself.

I thought you were supposed to do your primary fermetation in a seperate fermentor, and then stick it in the barrel after it was mostly done...

Doesn't the barrel eventually half fill with yeast and dead yeast and other sludge?? Or does that just add to the character

If possible, I think I am going to age at least one clean beer i the barrel before I go for the funky stuff... depends on what was in it before. If it was red wine... dunno what would hold up to that. Maybe a big imperial something or a doppel bock or maybe a Robust Porter... might have to go straight to a flanders or lambic.

Maybe I will mix up a double batch of a pre-hopped extract kit and put half into the barrel, half out. Give it a month or two and see how much oak etc comes through.

Who out there has aged in wine barrels before?? hints and tips please.

Thirsty

[Lufah]

Here is a barrel care guide from B3...

http://www.morebeer.com/public/pdf/wbarrel.pdf

nice score. I keep thinking about getting a barrel and then I wonder where in the hell I'd put it. Oh well.

Travis

[seanhagerty]

my club is gearing up for a barrel aged barley wine as we type. We have had our barrel (53 gallons) for about three months now. To prep it, we poured about ten gallons of boiling water into it, then rolled it around and poured it out. We then put about a half gallon of the whiskey that had been in the barrel originally in there. We roll it around about once a week to keep all sides wetted, so they dont dry out and leak. We plan on brewing on st pats day weekend, and letting it ferment for a month or two, then bulk aging it in the barrel for a couple months.

We are hoping to stay away from the infection organisms, but if it happens, it happens. I'll age my ten gallons im contributing for as long as it takes.

Sean

[wezil]

Thirsty
When you do lambic you only do primary, the dead yeast is good for the lambic. Also lambic is traditionally done old wine barrels. I think doing another beer in it first is a pretty good idea. I don't expect my first batch to be any good (too much Oak). I might go with a big barley wine.

Brad

[Thirsty Boy]

Here is a barrel care guide from B3...

http://www.morebeer.com/public/pdf/wbarrel.pdf

nice score. I keep thinking about getting a barrel and then I wonder where in the hell I'd put it. Oh well.

Travis

Thanks for that lufah. That'll save me some googling.

I have pretty limited room as well, this one is going to have to go under the bench in my brewery and just fend for itself when it comes to the temperature in there. Thats why I have been stalking e-bay for a barrel around this size.

Also, it means I can fill it up with one only slightly larger than normal brew rather than having to spend a week solid brewing to fill it up. Of course if I decide to put a Barleywine or Imperial something in it. I'll have to double batch, I can only do 3-4 gallons of really big beers.

thanks everyone. I'll keep you updated on the barrel's progress.

Thirsty