Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Barrel Aging First Timer  (Read 4902 times)

Offline CVas

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 13
  • Master of my domain
Barrel Aging First Timer
« on: August 26, 2016, 01:31:47 pm »
Hi All,

A friend of mine just gave me two 5 liter barrels (I think they are originally for aging wine and spirits), but I want to fill these with some home brew. I have a couple questions about the general process that I can't seem to find answers to out in the interwebs. When I am first brewing the beer do I first put it into carboys for the initial fermentation then transfer to the barrel from the 1st/2nd fermentation tank? Or do I go straight into the barrel after brewing?

Any other tips or tricks would be appreciated as well. If these go well I hope to get some bigger barrels and keep it going.
"Its not a lie, if you believe it."

-George Costanza

Offline brewinhard

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3272
Re: Barrel Aging First Timer
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2016, 01:36:03 pm »
I believe you will have better luck with brewing your beer first, letting it ferment out normally in a typical fermenter, then transferring the beer into the beer. For first time barrels, be aware that they will impart their flavors (bourbon, wine) pretty quickly at first. So choose a base beer that can handle the extra flavor addition of the bourbon and/or wine. Subsequent uses of the barrel will not impart their flavors as fast so you will have a bit more time to age the beers in them. Installing a small nail as a "sample" port is also a good idea for sneaking tastes so you know when the beer is ready.

Offline Joe Sr.

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4467
  • Chicago - NORTH SIDE
Re: Barrel Aging First Timer
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2016, 01:58:48 pm »
What he said.  If you do the nail thing, make sure you use a stainless nail.
It's all in the reflexes. - Jack Burton

Offline brewinhard

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3272
Re: Barrel Aging First Timer
« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2016, 03:42:27 pm »
5 liter barrels?  Or 5 gallon barrels?  Either way, both will have a higher surface beer:wood ratio than a large, typical 55 gallon barrel. The beers will not need much time in them at all. As in probably less than 2 wks. Just to give you a heads up so you can be ready to package the beer and have another one ready to be transferred in, so the barrel does not remain empty long.

Offline reverseapachemaster

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3777
    • Brain Sparging on Brewing
Re: Barrel Aging First Timer
« Reply #4 on: August 28, 2016, 10:50:39 am »
Ferment in a different vessel and then transfer to the barrel. You want the barrel filled as full as possible through aging. If you ferment in the barrel you'll lose beer to blowoff and end up with trub in the barrel.

The barrel needs to be properly sterilized before use unless they previously held a high proof distillate. You should also consider sealing the exterior of the barrel with wax, especially if they are five liter barrels.
« Last Edit: November 15, 2023, 08:26:18 pm by reverseapachemaster »
Heck yeah I blog about homebrewing: Brain Sparging on Brewing

Offline CVas

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 13
  • Master of my domain
Re: Barrel Aging First Timer
« Reply #5 on: August 29, 2016, 12:33:46 pm »
5 liter barrels?  Or 5 gallon barrels?  Either way, both will have a higher surface beer:wood ratio than a large, typical 55 gallon barrel. The beers will not need much time in them at all. As in probably less than 2 wks. Just to give you a heads up so you can be ready to package the beer and have another one ready to be transferred in, so the barrel does not remain empty long.

They are in fact 5 Liters each, I believe they are home kits for aging spirits and wine. I know they are small, but I figured this is a good way to get into barrel aging, and then go big from there.

They are also unused so I am thinking about filling them with some bourbon or wine first to get some of that flavor in there. Thoughts?
"Its not a lie, if you believe it."

-George Costanza

Offline Marshall

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Re: Barrel Aging First Timer
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2017, 04:01:39 am »

They are also unused so I am thinking about filling them with some bourbon or wine first to get some of that flavor in there. Thoughts?

Good idea.  You'll be doing a few things to set yourself up for success:
1. You'll be getting some of the barrel newness out
2. The barrel will be sanitized by he absorbsotion of alcohol into the first layers of wood
3. The barrel will be leakfree when you are ready to add beer
4. Beer will pick up both wood and alcohol flavors

This might be a bit of a longer project than you anticipated by first aging some whiskey in the barrels but in the end I think you will be happy with it.  I would start by filling with hot (180F) water and making sure it is leak free and allow the wood to swell.  Then dump and add your spirit of choice. If you want to see the affect on the spirit use a white or unaged corn whiskey and you can watch it darken over time.

Best of luck.  I am on my third barrel aged beer (imperial Porter, trippel, and Dubbel) and have had great success with a 10 gallon and 5 gallon barrel.

Offline DillyDilly

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 22
Re: Barrel Aging First Timer
« Reply #7 on: November 15, 2023, 09:45:19 am »
Barrel aging is intriguing to me as I love a tasty stout. This nail port thing... How would one extract the beer for sampling? A sterilized syringe with a large gauge stainless needle?

Offline Slowbrew

  • I spend way too much time on the AHA forum
  • ********
  • Posts: 2857
  • The Slowly Losing IT Brewery in Urbandale, IA
Re: Barrel Aging First Timer
« Reply #8 on: November 15, 2023, 10:43:01 am »
Barrel aging is intriguing to me as I love a tasty stout. This nail port thing... How would one extract the beer for sampling? A sterilized syringe with a large gauge stainless needle?

You drive a nail through the head of the barrel. When you take a sample, you pull the nail and draw off a taste. Put the nail back in when you have your sample. You see it in wine production all the time. This video shows a way to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR1MAiPP45I

Paul
Where the heck are we going?  And what's with this hand basket?

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27090
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Barrel Aging First Timer
« Reply #9 on: November 15, 2023, 11:03:58 am »
Barrel aging is intriguing to me as I love a tasty stout. This nail port thing... How would one extract the beer for sampling? A sterilized syringe with a large gauge stainless needle?

You drive a nail through the head of the barrel. When you take a sample, you pull the nail and draw off a taste. Put the nail back in when you have your sample. You see it in wine production all the time. This video shows a way to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR1MAiPP45I

Paul

Use a SS nail
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline HopDen

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1125
Re: Barrel Aging First Timer
« Reply #10 on: November 15, 2023, 02:41:39 pm »
Barrel aging is intriguing to me as I love a tasty stout. This nail port thing... How would one extract the beer for sampling? A sterilized syringe with a large gauge stainless needle?

You drive a nail through the head of the barrel. When you take a sample, you pull the nail and draw off a taste. Put the nail back in when you have your sample. You see it in wine production all the time. This video shows a way to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR1MAiPP45I

Paul

Use a SS nail

Drill the hole first instead od driving it in. And sanitize the drill bit, a new one would be preferable.

Offline goose

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1286
Re: Barrel Aging First Timer
« Reply #11 on: December 05, 2023, 01:27:50 pm »
Remember that this might take longer than you thought, as has been already mentioned  Since you mention that the barrels are new, it might not take as long as the barrel project we just finished with out local brew club.  We got a 55 gallon freshly emptied bourbon barrel from a local distiller and filled it with an Imperial Stout.  Our thought was that the beer would be done in maybe 3 months but we finally kegged it off last weekend after 6 months in the barrel.  We did several tastings during that time and topping up of the barrel at least twice during that time period.  The wood absorbed a lot of  the beer and of course the "angel's share" of the alcohol evaporated though the pores in the wood.  But the beer came out great.  Definitely ferment the beer out before putting it in the barrel.

We refilled the barrel with a 10.5% English Barleywine right after taking the stout out and it will probably be in there for 9-12 months.  We probably won't re-use the barrel again after the barleywine comes out.
Goose Steingass
Wooster, OH
Society of Akron Area Zymurgists (SAAZ)
Wayne County Brew Club
Mansfield Brew Club
BJCP Certified