Just bought a used bourbon barrel...

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by PuFtonLyfe, Nov 13, 2012.

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  1. PuFtonLyfe

    PuFtonLyfe Initiate (0) Jun 2, 2011 North Carolina

    So- I just bought a 5 gallon bourbon barrel. I am planning on brewing a big ass RIS for my first barrel aged venture, but I want to make sure I follow all the proper steps/precautions to ensure that it turns out well. I understand that I will not need to age this beer for long periods (more than a month or 2) because a 5 gallon barrel has a higher surface area to beer ratio than say a 15 gallon barrel. I plan on letting this stout ferment out to the FG I want in a glass fermenter, then transferring it to the barrel for maybe a week or two. Before I use the barrel I am planning on filling it with hot water, draining and repeating a couple times to ensure that the barrel is properly swelled and won't leak (at least not too much). My main questions are:
    1. Is there anything (other than swelling the barrel and checking for leaks) that I MUST do before putting beer in the barrel?
    2. What should I do to the barrel AFTER I pull the stout out? I plan on doing 2-4 batches of stouts, old ales and/or barleywines before I start using this barrel for sours. How can I ensure that my big, non-sour beers will not get infected (or at least too infected).

    I understand that anytime barrels are part of the homebrewing equation, things other than time in the barrel are more or less out of your control. I also know that there are proper ways to care for/utilize barrels and I want to make sure I do everything possible to get the full potential out of this barrel. Please let me know if you can answer my questions. I also won't get my feelings hurt if I am somehow way off base with this post, so let me know if I am just plain wrong about something. Thanks and Cheers!
     
    #1 PuFtonLyfe, Nov 13, 2012
  2. harrymel

    harrymel Initiate (0) Dec 15, 2010 Washington

    If your barrel still has spirit in it, I wouldn't worry much about infection. And I wouldn't necessarily fill the barrel with hot water, as the water may harbor bacteria and be deleterious.

    Also, don't place a timeline on how long the beer belongs in the barrel. I've done a 15 gal barrel, and decided that after 10 weeks in the barrel, it was ready. Well, it was, and it's delicious, but could certainly endure longer periods of time. The next stout is gonna go for a year I think....

    I also brewed up a fresh batch of beer for yeast viability and blending when I bottled it; something to consider unless you're planning on kegging.

    Good luck and have fun. It's gonna be a bit scary the first time, but have fun with it!

    cheers
    harry
     
    #2 harrymel, Nov 14, 2012
    woodchopper likes this.
  3. averse

    averse Initiate (0) Feb 14, 2012 Ohio

    Care to share where you bought the barrel?
     
    #3 averse, Dec 17, 2012
  4. jamescain

    jamescain Initiate (0) Jul 14, 2009 Texas

    Since it was a bourbon barrel, assuming it was freshly dumped, all you have to do is rack your beer into it after it has finished fermenting. The bourbon would have killed any rouge bacteria or yeast and it should not leak since it was just used. For my barrel after I racked my RIS out of it I added my barlywine the same day to the barrel. Currently the barrel is empty and I'll be filling it next week, hopefully. It should be fine since it sat there unused for about 3 weeks when I first got it.
     
    #4 jamescain, Dec 17, 2012
  5. jamescain

    jamescain Initiate (0) Jul 14, 2009 Texas

    I think jl28r1 shared one of your BA beers with me on Friday.
     
    #5 jamescain, Dec 17, 2012
  6. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I had a chance to speak to John Laffler (the former barrel guy at Goose Island) a few months ago at a beer event. If my memory serves me correctly they only utilize the bourbon barrels once for aging BCBS. For those of you using your barrels for multiple batches, how does that work for your beers?

    Cheers!
     
    #6 JackHorzempa, Dec 17, 2012
  7. jl28r1

    jl28r1 Initiate (0) Jan 10, 2011 Texas

    Nope, that was from another amazing home brewer in the great northwest! ;-)
     
    #7 jl28r1, Dec 17, 2012
  8. jamescain

    jamescain Initiate (0) Jul 14, 2009 Texas

    ooops well maybe next time you'll hook me up with one of harrymel's beers. I'm just going to assume you lied to me :stuck_out_tongue:
     
    #8 jamescain, Dec 17, 2012
    jl28r1 likes this.
  9. yinzer

    yinzer Initiate (0) Nov 24, 2006 Pennsylvania



    They do reuse barrels for more than one run of beer, but your general point is understood.

    This is just a personal decision - for a new barrel I'm just adding some type of spirits.Then after every beer cycle I'm doing the citric acid/SO2 rinse and fill while storing the barrel. Then drain and add spirits or just drain and add a sour. It just seems like going beer>beer is an unneeded risk. Especially for someone new (like me) to BA beers.
     
    #9 yinzer, Dec 17, 2012
  10. cavedave

    cavedave Grand Pooh-Bah (4,157) Mar 12, 2009 New York
    In Memoriam Pooh-Bah Trader

    The BA stout I tried from Harry was out of this world. Thanks again Harry!
     
    #10 cavedave, Dec 17, 2012
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  11. jl28r1

    jl28r1 Initiate (0) Jan 10, 2011 Texas

    When he opens his own brewery, I will be first in line to join his reserve society!
    Don't forget to thank the dentist as well! :-)
     
    #11 jl28r1, Dec 17, 2012
    cavedave likes this.
  12. cavedave

    cavedave Grand Pooh-Bah (4,157) Mar 12, 2009 New York
    In Memoriam Pooh-Bah Trader

    Great info, our club will be barreling an old ale, prob. in a Tuthilltown Baby Bourbon 5 gallon, for our first attempt. Could be a bit dry, since they had an explosion and only re started distilling recently, don't think these barrels have had any spirits in for a while.

    Tuthilltown Boom

    And yeah, big thanks to the Dentist as well, hope to send some of ours out your way!
     
    #12 cavedave, Dec 17, 2012
  13. harrymel

    harrymel Initiate (0) Dec 15, 2010 Washington

    Thanks for the kind words folks! And the dentist has been thanked.
    cheers
    harry
     
    #13 harrymel, Dec 18, 2012
    jl28r1 likes this.
  14. IPeteA91

    IPeteA91 Initiate (0) Nov 10, 2012 Texas

    What about using the barrel "chips" that several places offer, worth a try?
     
    #14 IPeteA91, Dec 18, 2012
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