General Category > Wood/Casks

How full should a barrel be?

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gmac:
I'm assuming pretty much completely full.  I added 5 gals of sweet stout to a small barrel and there was probably 3/4 of a gallon more space.  I filled the remainder with some Irish Red that I had ready to keg but that wasn't my original plan. 

Is it better to have a barrel right full or is air space ok?  I expect more oxidation if I leave it less full.
Thanks.

morticaixavier:
you got it, more oxidation if there is headspace. topping up with the irish red was a good call. small barrells are already going to mico-oxidize quicker than big barrels because the o2 is coming through the wood and surface to volume ratio and all that.

I got a bunch of those little glass button things that go in planters and boiled the beejeezus out of them to sterilized ( I think I even used a presure cooker) then added to the barrel till it was right up to the bung.

that's right, I filled it to the bung with glass buttons  ;D

1vertical:
Jonathan that is a good method.  I prefer to fill with BEEER tho....

morticaixavier:

--- Quote from: 1vertical on January 20, 2013, 04:36:42 PM ---Jonathan that is a good method.  I prefer to fill with BEEER tho....

--- End quote ---

well sure, if you've got some around.

1vertical:
FYI that cherrilicious beer cask was topped off one time with a 6 pack of Modelo Negra

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