Everything Jester King

At the brewery Saturday, Josh said they use the barrels multiple times, but didn't give an exact number. They rinse upon receipt and don't mind reusing as the goal isn't to impart whiskey/spirit/wine flavors from the barrels' previous use into the beer, but to create a micro-ecosystem in which the beers can meld with the desired yeast and bacteria. Hopefully I'm not bastardizing his summary.

 

Hmm what happened to Sour Gotlandstricka?

 

Mmmmm JK

 

Just when I thought I was out...they pull me back in.

 

I don't think they are using barrels that previously housed spirits for the sours. My comment was aimed at Bourbon barrels.

 

From the label of Salt Lick:

"First came the witches, and soon after there were vampires. They came in droves and each time one popped up it seemed to be better looking than the last, each polished to a blinding luster. For a brief moment werewolves even had their moment in the spotlight, plucked and preened of course to studio perfection. Then, to our astonishment, monsters comprised of nothing more than smoked joined this pop phenomenon -- and that we could just no longer resist. "



ALC/VOL 6.7% FG 1.002 IBU 22

Ingredients: Hill Country Well Water, Organic Malted Barley, Organic Malted Wheat, Flaked Oats, Hops, Farmhouse Yeast, Wild Yeast, Souring Bacteria

Notes: Crafted in the once commonplace, Old World tradition of bierre de coupage, young, dry hopped ale is blended with old, barrel-aged sour beer fermented with wild yeast. A portion of the malt was smoked over pecan wood at the Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood, TX. Unfiltered, unpasteurized and naturally conditioned by re-fermentation in the bottle.


Wow! Can't wait to try this one.

 

Both Boxer's Revenge and Buddha's Brew use(d) whiskey barrels. There were filled Old Tom's Gin barrels in the barrel room, and the majority of their ongoing work involves soured/spontaneously fermented beers. So...

 

Only thing Salt Lick will ever be involved in that will say 'Suitable for Vegans and Vegetarians' on it.

 

Wonder why Whisky instead of just an oak barrel... Beer is usually aged in spirit barrels for spirit and wood flavors.

 

I hope the beer tastes better than the Salt Lick's BBQ. Boom!

 

Jez, if only Thirsty Planet bottled their Franklin BBQ we could get a vertical BBQ joint beer tasting going.

Definitely getting a bottle for my dad... he lurves The Salt Lick.

 

Guessing they get them cheaper if they're recycled/previously used by a distillery. You can tell a major difference between the first two batches of Boxer's and the most recent one in terms of how reusing whiskey barrels reduces the whiskey flavors imparted in the beer after each application.

 

Not only are new barrels more expensive but they are going to be far more oaky. With sour beers you're not always trying to put oak/spirit/wine flavors in the barrel.

 

Yeah. I think this is what I was noticing as far as the change in boxers.

 

I thought in boxers that was the goal though.

 

I'm sure Jeff will chime in here soon. I know Boxer's is fermented in spent whiskey and wine barrels, I'm not sure if they reuse those barrels however.

 

I know that for most breweries that use bourbon barrels for their beers tend to max them out after the third time, not sure about wine barrels though. Also, I do know that some breweries that use oak barrels for their wild ales will try to use the barrels that have been successfully inoculated as many times as they can while tossing the barrels that didn't pick up the bugs they want.

 

ISo: whiskey rodeo

 

Jeff and Ron talked about the reusing of barrels in the podcast they just posted on their website. Said they reuse barrels 3 times.

 

I'd be very curious to know what this takes.