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Author Topic: Port Barrel  (Read 4279 times)

Offline bfogt

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Port Barrel
« on: May 18, 2010, 04:54:54 pm »
Anyone have experience with a port barrel?  I might be getting a couple (one for a solera cider and another for beer) in a month or two.  They've held a commercial American Port for a year and I'll get them when they're retired.  Lots about wine and bourbon barrels.  This seems a hybrid of the two. 

Initial thoughts are to age a Wee Heavy or Imperial Stout in it.  I don't know that a lighter beer would be bad with the port flavor adding more grapiness.  Like a mild or bready brown ale. 

Thoughts?

Offline richardt

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Re: Port Barrel
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2010, 04:56:52 pm »
Barley wine or Belgian Dark Strong would be good possibilities to consider given port's complex profile.

Offline 1vertical

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Re: Port Barrel
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2010, 10:39:07 pm »
I've noticed in my infancy stages of playing with solera and beer, that the first
exposure of the barrel to the beer, results in a fairly rapid mainfestation of the Oak
Flavor....I left a BSD in for 1 month...and it has a nice oakiness. It would not
take too much exposure on a new barrel to over oak your beer IMO.

My barrel had red wine in the oak and it went well with the dark Belgian ale.
« Last Edit: May 19, 2010, 08:13:13 am by 1vertical »
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Offline bfogt

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Re: Port Barrel
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2010, 06:12:43 am »
I saw a commercial Belgian Strong Pale that was aged in a red wine barrel.  It would be nice to spend less than $500 on filling the barrel.  But the Dark Strong and Barleywine do have advantages. 

I'm curious how much oak tannins are left in a barrel that's been through the bourbon cycle and then held port.  I guess I left out that before it went to Port, it had bourbon in it.  I think that's typical in the States.

Offline 1vertical

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Re: Port Barrel
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2010, 08:24:00 am »
I saw a commercial Belgian Strong Pale that was aged in a red wine barrel.  It would be nice to spend less than $500 on filling the barrel.  But the Dark Strong and Barleywine do have advantages. 

I'm curious how much oak tannins are left in a barrel that's been through the bourbon cycle and then held port.  I guess I left out that before it went to Port, it had bourbon in it.  I think that's typical in the States.
Hence the SS nail in the end of the cask...your sampling doorway.  You can remove the nail and obtain a taste, then replace
the nail. This provides minimal exposure to oxygen. I still have not put a nail in the end of mine, but since I finally obtained them, I soon shall.  Since you are doing a Solera, you will be harvesting periodically and it will be handy to have a known product.  I have 2 sizes of nails so if the smaller one does not seal the hole back the next size larger will.



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Offline mikeypedersen

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Re: Port Barrel
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2010, 09:10:56 am »
I just had a Oskar Blues Gordon (Imperial Red Ale) aged in a port barrel at the brewery the other day. It was phenominal.

Offline jim

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Re: Port Barrel
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2010, 01:45:44 pm »
I've got a barrel that I had used for red wine and then for a port which I made.  I also went through the process of deciding what beer to put into it when I bottled the port.  I finally decided on an English style barley wine, SG 82 IBU 50.  The reason for that style was that I wanted a beer that would show off the port and not overwhelm it.  The port character would overpowered by an imperial stout or a Belgian dark strong.  A Belgian golden strong would have been good but my feeling was that it would be less complex after aging than what I was looking for.   The barley wine has been in the barrel since April.  So far the results are very encouraging.

Offline 1vertical

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Re: Port Barrel
« Reply #7 on: August 22, 2010, 02:18:49 pm »
Please keep us updated...sounds wonderful!
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