Bourbon Barrels

They can be found, a quick search came up with this:

http://www.lexingtoncontainercompany.com/Wood-Barrels.html

I'm sure there are other companies that sell them as well. The problem with using them on the homebrew scale is that you'd need 53 gallons of beer to fill one.

 

My buddy bought one and is creating a bar with his. He got it at a flee market so maybe check there if not craigslist or if you are not far from a distillery just go there and ask if you could purchase one.

 

My club has bought a couple. You need to find a broker or other source. One guy in the club bought his own.

Don't ask the source, as I don't know. I am not fond of bourbon and do not want it in my beer.

 

One from a flea market raises flags for me. You want it freshly drained. If it has been setting, chances of infections go way up.

 

Picking one up at a flea market is fine if youre using it for decoration, but not if youre using it for homebrewing. If a barrel has not been freshly emptied and maintained properly it could leak or be a source of infection.

 

Your beer would become heavily oxidized from the excess headspace and would taste like crap.

 

FYI, what many homebrewers do to try and approximate bourbon barrel aging is age their beer with bourbon soaked oak cubes, chips, or spirals.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/oak-cubes-american-medium-toast.html

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...m-toast.html?gclid=CJ-L85iFzb0CFQ8OOgodL3gAdA

 

Barrels are available in sizes from 4L to 1/2 barrel all the way to massive foudres for bulk oak aging wine, it all depends on the source. Local wineries are a great place to get smaller barrels, just as long as they're filed with quality product. An easier solution for homebrew is to soak oak cubes or spirals in a liquor then let them sit in the beer as it conditions, which also saves a lot of time. Balcones is a popular source for smaller whiskey/bourbon barrels, although the spirits aren't top notch.

 

This is what I do on a per bottle basis. bourbon soaked chips and a French press. This particular one had.some toasted coconut too.

 

Maybe I'm wrong but it doesn't really seem like the contact time would be long enough, you'd basically just be rinsing the bourbon off the outside of the chips, not really getting the oak to infuse into the beer. Doesn't the press knock most of the carbonation out of the beer too?

 

That would be bourbon-flavored crap.

 

It will knock the carbonation down so that's why you only use half and then pour the rest into the steeped brew. Will you get the same effect as a true barrel age? No but it imparts enough flavor. Charring the chips helps open them up and impart flavor faster since they'll be warm. Put in fridge for 15-20 mins then blend rest of beer.

 

I did this yesterday with bcbs...toasted 1 cup of coconut and added two vanilla beans. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Drained into Randall junior from
Dfh. Chilled and added a 2nd bcs. IMO this is as good as proprietors bcbs without the headache of trading for it.

 

+



Simple Boilermakers^ are an option, too. I like drinking 2-3oz of the stout first before adding an ounce of rye/bourbon. I also have never have tried with FIS, but Old Rasputin is great with an ounce of the above Bulleit rye. I enjoy adding whiskey to lower ABV stouts, too: Black Butte and Obsidian, Sierra Nevada Stout, and Guinness Draft and Extra Stout. When Guinness Draft 12oz bottles go on sale for $6/6, I almost always grab some for this purpose. The lighter body and flavors help the whiskey shine, but you definitely won't have it confused with a whiskey and (soda) water.

 

A local homebrew club, one guy actually owns a local nanobrewery and he purchased 4 barrels, one of which the home brew club was going to use. Funny story when they went to fill it they had to use 11 different fermenters since the barrel was 53 gallons and all they had were 5 gallon fermenters. Always enjoy that part of using full size barrels.

 

Farmhouse sells 5,10,15 gallon barrels but they sell out quickly.

http://www.farmhousebrewingsupply.com/used-liquor-oak-barrels-5-10-15-gallon/

 

good thing he's using it to make furniture

 

Or expensive firewood.