[1vertical]

Anyone know of a food grade bladder that you could put into
a 55 gallon Oak Barrel bung hole and then intflate to fill half or
more of the space inside the barrel?  This would allow a person
to utilize a larger barrel which are more readily available....
just wondering.....

[riverrat]

How big is the bung hole opening?  You might be able to get the 5-6 gallon collapsible water jugs in about a 3" hole.

[enso]

Most likely there is such a thing.  Only question is, why would you?  The beer would not have any contact with the oak so you might as well have it in a plastic food grade barrel.

[1vertical]

  Only question is, why would you?  The beer would not have any contact with the oak so you might as well have it in a plastic food grade barrel.

Because of price and availability...the larger ones are easier to obtain.
As far as oak contacting the beer, It would contact it, just perhaps not as much take longer to get same effect.

[enso]

I apologize, I still don't understand.  How will the beer contact the oak if it is inside a plastic; I am assuming that is what you mean, bladder.  Maybe you mean like an animal organ bladder?

Sorry, I am not trying to be difficult.  Just dumb I guess.   

[tubercle]

Are you planning to put the beer in the barrel and then put the bladder in the barrel over the top of the beer to fill in the airspace above the beer?

[1vertical]

Are you planning to put the beer in the barrel and then put the bladder in the barrel over the top of the beer to fill in the airspace above the beer?

That was my intent when I posted the question. yes.  However, now I have found a 50 liter oak barrel
and so I no longer am persueing that.  Still If I got into barrels, and had a bladder, I could double up
on oak ageing. I even thought of putting water into the bladder just anything to fill the void so I could
get beer into the oak.

[tubercle]

Are you planning to put the beer in the barrel and then put the bladder in the barrel over the top of the beer to fill in the airspace above the beer?

That was my intent when I posted the question. yes.  However, now I have found a 50 liter oak barrel
and so I no longer am persueing that.  Still If I got into barrels, and had a bladder, I could double up
on oak ageing. I even thought of putting water into the bladder just anything to fill the void so I could
get beer into the oak.

  Never though of this but sounds like a good idea if you could find a suitable bladder. It would eliminate all of the airspace and give you a variable volume vessel. Water would probably work better than trying to pressurize it with air but raises the problem of getting the water and bladder back out when needed.

[yugamrap]

Maybe something like the replacement bag on this page would work? http://www.shopwiki.com/STEARNS+Water+Carrier+Replacement+Liner+-+B012+%28B00157OZCQ%29