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Author Topic: Cleaning/sanitizing a Whiskey Barrel  (Read 2090 times)

Offline cycleak

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Cleaning/sanitizing a Whiskey Barrel
« on: February 16, 2013, 05:04:31 pm »
Aloha all! Hope everyone is having a great weekend so far!  I'm about to transfer a Brown Ale that I've been aging in a Woodinville Rye Whiskey Barrel for month to the Keg.  Was wondering if anyone had any experience with cleaning and re-using the barrel for aging again? Any and all responses are welcome and I look forward to hearing from you all! Mahalo!
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Offline smkranz

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Re: Cleaning/sanitizing a Whiskey Barrel
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2013, 04:05:07 pm »
I don't do anything to the barrels in between beers.  Pull one beer out, flush the barrel with CO2 (to avoid oxidation from splashing), and rack the next beer in.  I suppose I could dump out the dregs of the previous beer before racking the next one in, but I don't.  I now have 6 beers and meads which have been in Woodinville barrels, and hope to have a couple more before Philly.  Nothing but goodness.
Steve K.
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Midnight Homebrewers' League
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Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Cleaning/sanitizing a Whiskey Barrel
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2013, 03:11:50 pm »
You can rinse with very hot non-chlorinated water and then hit it with some whisky to replace the lost whisky character then add more beer. that's what I did.
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Offline cycleak

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Re: Cleaning/sanitizing a Whiskey Barrel
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2013, 07:00:15 pm »
Aloha guys! Thanks for the info! I just Kegged my Brown Ale today from the Whiskey Barrel and smelled amazing.  Of course I had to take a sample and try it.  Even better than I expected. Can't wait to try it! 

Thanks again!
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