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Author Topic: Beer Style Recommendations for Third Use of Whiskey Barrel?  (Read 5265 times)

Offline jweiss206

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Beer Style Recommendations for Third Use of Whiskey Barrel?
« on: September 20, 2016, 03:28:20 pm »
Hey Folks,

I'm about ready to empty my Rye Woodinville Whiskey Barrel after it's second use and am looking for suggestions on the type of beer that may benefit from aging on it's third fill. The first was an English Barley Wine and the second a Smoked Rye Scotch. A friend recommend a Porter as a possibility, but has never tried it himself. I figured some of you have gone through the same process. I think it'll be a little to early to convert it to a wild barrel which I plan on doing after this batch.

Thanks,

Jason

Offline kramerog

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Re: Beer Style Recommendations for Third Use of Whiskey Barrel?
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2016, 08:47:57 am »
Imperial stout?  I think you may still extract oak flavor from the barrel so I would not do a sour yet.  How big is your barrel and how long were the first two batches agen in the barrel?

Offline jweiss206

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Re: Beer Style Recommendations for Third Use of Whiskey Barrel?
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2016, 10:33:15 am »
Imperial stout?  I think you may still extract oak flavor from the barrel so I would not do a sour yet.  How big is your barrel and how long were the first two batches agen in the barrel?

I figured it was too early for a sour as well. I imagine it'd still be a bit too oaky. The first batch was in for five weeks and the second batch has been in for almost eight months. It's an eight gallon barrel. Thought about an Imperial Stout as well, but wasn't sure if the oak would come through a beer that big on a barrel twice used.

I'm hoping some others out there have some experience either positive or negative on their third beers through the ole' whiskey barrel. Eight gallons is a lot of beer and I don't want to blow it.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Offline kramerog

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Re: Beer Style Recommendations for Third Use of Whiskey Barrel?
« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2016, 11:01:43 am »
I would agree that you probably won't notice the oak in an imperial stout.

Offline kramerog

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Re: Beer Style Recommendations for Third Use of Whiskey Barrel?
« Reply #4 on: September 21, 2016, 11:04:17 am »
Old Ale or Barleywine?  Tannins would help counteract the sweetness in those styles.

Offline Stevie

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Re: Beer Style Recommendations for Third Use of Whiskey Barrel?
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2016, 01:23:39 pm »
Dubbel

Offline JJeffers09

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Re: Beer Style Recommendations for Third Use of Whiskey Barrel?
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2016, 05:43:50 pm »
Imperial American Saison? with wet hops?  That would be interesting. The oak tannins and the spicy yeast with fresh hops sounds awesome right now. But that is because I am drinking a boring kolsch that I made and I am dying for some complexity...  and I only have myself to blame, its going to be a disappointing night.  I bet my wife says, "Can we watch the bachelor tonight? please...."
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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Beer Style Recommendations for Third Use of Whiskey Barrel?
« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2016, 05:47:32 pm »
Dubbel


Along the same lines but bigger - Quad. I've had a couple barrel age quads, one very good, the other excellent.
Jon H.

Offline jweiss206

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Re: Beer Style Recommendations for Third Use of Whiskey Barrel?
« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2016, 12:09:37 am »
Old Ale or Barleywine?  Tannins would help counteract the sweetness in those styles.

That is a pretty excellent idea. I've brewed a few Old Ale's before as that may be my favorite style. They've been of the large abv variety however. I've been wanting to brew something more along the lines of Theakston's Old Peculiar for awhile now which clocks in around 5.6% abv. That seems more the type of beer that would benefit from a mild oaking. That might be the winner.

Offline jweiss206

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Re: Beer Style Recommendations for Third Use of Whiskey Barrel?
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2016, 12:21:24 am »
Dubbel


Along the same lines but bigger - Quad. I've had a couple barrel age quads, one very good, the other excellent.

I concur. I say the first batch in the barrel was an English Barley Wine out of convenience, but it was actually more of a Barley Wine and Quad blend. It called for a Barley Wine malt bill and hop schedule but additionally included one pound of Belgian Candy Syrup Dark D -180 and another pound of turbinado sugar. Once it's carbed up it's going to be a sweet hoppy beast.

Offline tesgüino

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Re: Beer Style Recommendations for Third Use of Whiskey Barrel?
« Reply #10 on: September 24, 2016, 04:03:29 pm »
Put the third beer in my whiskey barrel a few weeks ago. Went with a Wheatwine (55% wheat). At the bottom end of the style with a 1.082 OG, but went into the barrel at 1.013 after only two weeks in the primary. Any thoughts on if that was a good idea for a barrel beer?

Offline brewinhard

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Re: Beer Style Recommendations for Third Use of Whiskey Barrel?
« Reply #11 on: September 24, 2016, 05:27:58 pm »
I vote Quad or Old Ale.

Offline brandonmmm

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Re: Beer Style Recommendations for Third Use of Whiskey Barrel?
« Reply #12 on: September 24, 2016, 06:05:35 pm »
Tripel. Ages well, and should still pick up the oak nicely.