Wooden beer keg / fermenter

[mikkym]

Hi there,
I recently bought a wooden barrel not unlike this one:
http://www.artisanbarrels.info/images/w ... g+cask.jpg

(but not as new and shiny looking) as a present for my flatmates to get us into brewing thinking it could be used as a fermenter. Now having read into it a bit I've found out about the sterilizing required for all the equipment and the large effect that a not properly sterilized vessel could have on the beer.

So I was just curious about the difference the wooden barrel might make to the beer and whether wiser people than I in these matters think it would be worthwhile trying this wooden barrel out or just investing in something more modern to avoid ruining our ingredients!

any help greatly appreciated!
cheers!

 

[Stone Cold]

you could use the barrel to serve the brew from but should get a plastic brewing bucket to do the brewing in

 

[evanvine]

Never let it dry out, always keep liquid in it even if it's only water.

 

[Stone Cold]

it will be cool to play with once you get the hang of brewing a few things, go and get one othe them brew buddy kits that come with a bucket a hydrometer and bits n bobs, think they are either 30 or 40 quid and you can make 40 pints,
if you clean the barrel you could put it in that but does anyone know if they hold any pressure so it could be conditiond? wont really work otherwise

 

[Devonhomebrew]

This a barrel for 1 gallon batches of spirits. I was told?????