Wooden cask

[Uncertainty]

Anyone here have any exp using wooden/oak casks for maturing?
I think I want to start using one in place of a standard plastic one.

Anyone know where to find any basic cheep ones?

Any advise welcome.

 

[doyley]

I am afraid I can't help you source wooden casks, but I would say they are very difficult to clean and sterilise adequately, and of course unless you are going to drink the whole lot within a very few days you will end up pouring a lot down the drain. Apologies if you are already aware of this, amd I wish you luck..

 

[Uncertainty]

Not atall! Any advise welcome
I would assume that it would be alot more cumbersome...
I did read about using sulphur wicks etc.

I was wondering though, if storing spirits in there up until the point of putting the beer in there
would suffice for sterilisation?

 

[joe1002]

There was a post a while back about wooden casks, perhaps in the offers section :wha:

Edit: post here http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=42378&hilit=Oak+barrel

The old memory is not failing yet :lol:

 

[Dr Mike]

I was wondering though, if storing spirits in there up until the point of putting the beer in there
would suffice for sterilisation?

If you don't mind your beer tasting of the spirit you used then yes. Some commercial breweries are now doing port-wood finish & similar beers.

What is the reason you want to use a wooden cask ? Unless you want to impart a particular flavour from the wood itself, a previously stored spirit, or a wild secondary fermentation, them wood really doesn't have much to recomend itself.

 

[Michael2378]

You could just use a small muslin bag with wood chips in it the get a similar effect without the hassle or mess.