Barrels- which do you like?

Wine barrels are tough to find under 60 Gallons. Most wineries won't go any smaller and the ones that do have smaller barrels won't sell them. FATC1TY if you find a source let me know!

 

I have a 15-16 gallon wine barrel. There was a home vintener that used it to age his home made wines in for a couple batches. Didn't want it anymore and gave it to a friend of mine in the LHBC, who gave it to me to use. It has a Belgian Blonde with Cascade's Lacto strain, and like 10+ Brett strains. Doing a Solera with it. Just got a 6 gallon barrel as well that a mead maker was using that had gone sour on him.

Hoping to get my Balcones 5 gallon Bourbon barrel in February when my pastor goes back down to Waco for his D.Min. classes. Also hope to acquire a Rumble barrel at the same time.

 

That's a good idea. One of the homebrew stores I go to also serves a burgeoning home winemaking community. That might be a good place to source a used wine barrel on the cheap.

 

I like the Solera idea and want to do it but need more barrels. Debating on picking up a 10 gallon whiskey American Oak. It is onced used so I would have to condition it a lot. Really want a wine, @jbakajust1 how is the beer from the wine barrel?

 

So far it is coming along nicely. Brett funk and spice coming through so far. Fruity. A little thin. The Lacto isn't kicking up yet, but so far with that Cascade strain I haven't noticed a lot of sourness when young, even when used pre-Sacc. I am 3 months into the barrel now. I am assuming that the lower temps for 4 of the 6 months will keep the sourness low in the first pull. Need to start thinking about what to brew to add back into the barrel when I pull from it.

 

I just topped off my barrel last week, second time I had to do it, I have been about eight months in. Started to bubble up like crazy when I introduced those new sugars. The wort wasn't even that high, probably 1.025/1.030 range. It started to produce a little acetic acid but it is at the point I like. Planning on using this beer to blend, hence the acetic acid, otherwise I would have topped off a lot sooner.

 

I have two 5 gallon Balcones Whisky barrels and love them. Some great beer have come from them, although I did over oak my last batch. I left it in there too long for a small 5 gallon barrel. I would love to find a 15-20 gallon wine barrel! But, it seems impossible.