Maintaining oak barrels

[Rukula]

Oak barrels are most commonly used with spirits and wine, but i know that this is brilliant for beers aswell.

I know about oak chips, and i intend to use them for a while for aging, however, as I've stated in some previous threads; i brew for the fun and taste of it, not to save money. So! i was thinking about buying a brand new small oak barrel for aging my brown & ambers. (and for the wonderful aesthetics!)

One problem tho, i have problems understanding how to maintain it. You can store liquid in it for ages, but it dries out and shrinks when it dries. Some say that you should store water in it when not used, but i imagine that the water will suck out some of the wonderful oaky flavors as well...

As i carbonate the beer in bottles, i have to keep the yeast in tact, and there is a limit on how long i can store it before the yeast becomes un-effective. So if i have to keep water in the barrel, and that takes away the flavor, making me have to store my beer for a way longer to give it the taste it would become useless i think.

But how long does this take? a year? or 100? :wha:

And how do i keep it clean? just give it a wash with star san...?

 

[PD]

This any good to you.....

http://www.morebeer.com/public/pdf/wbarrel.pdf

 

[Rukula]

This any good to you.....

http://www.morebeer.com/public/pdf/wbarrel.pdf

Thank you mate, that looks good. I'll give it a read later :)

 

[graysalchemy]

I think I am right in saying that traditional oak beer barrels in the UK were lined so in actual fact the beer never got to see the oak. However there has been a recent move to age beer in old Whisky barrels like Innis and Gunn Hard knott brewery and Williams and Sons to name but three. They use old whisky barrels but I would be pretty sure that they would use fresh ones each time.

I have thought of using oak chips soaked in whisky for next years Scottish Heavy. :thumb:

 

[jonewer]

It is indeed ahistorical to oak-age beer. Ale casks were lined with pitch.....

Not entirely sure what people hope to achieve by it tbh. More tannins? :sick:

 

[Windy]

Here in the south west we burn the tar barrels every year so they never get very old:

http://www.otterytarbarrels.co.uk/

The local cider farm uses whisky barrels (without tar) and they get replaced after two or three years otherwise the whisky taste disappears.

 

[graysalchemy]

Yes it is actually the whisky not the oak which is important :whistle: :whistle:

 

[oldjiver]

Going back many years, I have drunk beer from a barrel on the bar counter with a spigot in the top to let the air in. It was fine if the lot was drunk within two days, but the end of the barrel was a bit of a letdown as it was always oxydised. The traditional way to clean barrels was to put a length of chain in the barrel and roll it around to dislodge the flaky bits. The last barreled beer I drunk was Ridleys at Chelmsford probably thirty years ago. I was on jury service at the time, and we were given "lunch money". So I went to the pub near the station to drink my lunch. It was lovely, but I restricted myself to two pints as I would probably have voted to hang the poor vandal if I had any more!

 

[RokDok]

I am sure that in the future I will try putting some beer in an oak barrel- ideal for a party or barbie.

Have a look at barrelsrus.co.uk

The cooper there will make you a barrel either of old or new oak to your own spec.

Please let us know how you get on.

Cheers

RD

 

[jonewer]

It was lovely, but I restricted myself to two pints as I would probably have voted to hang the poor vandal if I had any more!

You say that like its a bad thing!

 

[jonewer]

The local cider farm uses whisky barrels (without tar) and they get replaced after two or three years otherwise the whisky taste disappears.

Whats your local cider farm called? Do they have a interzwebsite?

Scotch uses either bourbon or sherry casks. The bourbon casks are charred on the inside which creates some wood-sugars which sweetens and colours the whisky. The carbon also catalyses a number of reactions which is one reason why bourbon is ready to drink relatively quickly.

The scotch absorbs the flavour of the bourbon or sherry. You can often see this in the colour of the whisky. Laphroig or Glenlivet for example are bourbon'ed and are light golden. Aberlour and Lagavulin are sherried and quite a bit darker.

I prefer sherry-casked myself, tis sweeter and more comples. If I want whisky that tastes like bourbon, I'll just drink fecking bourbon!

 

[graysalchemy]

If I want whisky that tastes like bourbon, I'll just drink fecking bourbon!

That would be just silly, unless you are American.

 

[Windy]

The local cider farm uses whisky barrels (without tar) and they get replaced after two or three years otherwise the whisky taste disappears.

Whats your local cider farm called? Do they have a interzwebsite?

Indeed it does, with a video showing them at work: http://www.greenvalleycyder.co.uk/p/craft-cyder-makers

Thinking about it, they used to use rum barrels rather than wisky barrels, those tasted really good but I think they are hard to obtain these days.


Hmm: "Two oak fermentation vats were purchased from Whiteways, each standing 10 feet tall with a 15ft diameter and holding around 5000 gallons." - big oak barrels :shock:

 

[Stone Cold]

Here in the south west we burn the tar barrels every year so they never get very old:

http://www.otterytarbarrels.co.uk/

crazy crazy this event is a must do
my mate took me and bwwooooy was it crazy

 

[jonewer]

If I want whisky that tastes like bourbon, I'll just drink fecking bourbon!

That would be just silly, unless you are American.

Actually quite partial to a spot of Jim Beam....

 

[Windy]

crazy crazy this event is a must do
my mate took me and bwwooooy was it crazy

Indeed, it's one of the very few occasions each year that make you realise what you are missing from life having to live under modern health and safety rules.

"If Carlsberg did November the 5th it would be nothing like this."

 

[graysalchemy]

If I want whisky that tastes like bourbon, I'll just drink fecking bourbon!

That would be just silly, unless you are American.

Actually quite partial to a spot of Jim Beam....

I am so sorry to hear that. :lol: :lol: