Hey guys, I just got a 5 gallon whiskey barrel. I was wondering how I could go about filling it with a beer that is already carbed. I know that if I tried to just fill it, it will just foam like crazy. Current plan is to release the pressure on the keg valve and hope. You think this will get it low enough if I keep the keg 70ยบ and shake it often? If I just use the valve to purge, I shouldn't have to worry about oxidation, correct?
I think you're on the right track releasing most of the CO2 prior to putting it in the barrel. Another concern might be that the carbonation might have some scrubbing action and pull way too much whiskey flavor into the beer.
Anytime I've tried to de-carb a beer I've lost aroma. The shaking with kill your head-retention. Maybe chill the keg and leave the vent open, let it warm up and sit for a few weeks. You might have better luck taking the keg to -1*C and using something like a Blickmann beer gun. But the inside of the barrel with be course. It will be thousands of nucleation sites. All in all I'd say drink what you have while you think this through. Then brew a new batch. If anything goes wrong you won't know where the problem came from.
You'll lose beer going in cold. Keep venting your keg. But don't leave vent open. I wouldn't shake keg but do tap it with a rubber mallet this will cause CO2 to break out of solution. Fill the barrel slowly...as beer warms it will completely de-gas. Since you have a small barrel remember that the surface area ratio to beer is much greater than the typical 53 gallon. Monitor with a wine thief every month or so as you don't want to over oak your beer...
Brew another beer it's not worth the aroma you'll lose by de-carbonating the current beer, or the crazy foaming that you'll get (and it's impossible to fill the barrel all the way, leading to oxidation) if you fill with carbonated beer). Trying to fill barrels with beer that is even slightly carbonated is a mess affair. Even storing the beer under top pressure for a few days before filling will add enough CO2 to make filling difficult. I would just start over again and wait a couple weeks for a new batch to put in the barrel. It's just not worth the chance to try and make the current one work.
