Newlander

Recipes 

I was recently given a five gallon oak barrel as a gift, but it has no bung-hole. Looking around I can't find any references to having to drill your own hole, and the only ones I can find with no hole are decorative (not water-tight). I'm not sure where it was bought, but it was probably in Virginia as that's where the gift bearer was coming from (I'm in Boston).
Does anyone have any experience with oak barrels coming hole-less? It would be nice if I didn't have to send this great gift back(I have a stout in secondary that I would like to christen it with), but if that's what needs to happen I would rather not ruin it.

Thanks in advance.

eschatz

Recipes 

I wouldnt send it back! I would just drill the hole. Look at some other cask picks and do it. I'd make sure the stopper size you were going for fit the actual hole and I would try to not get the shavings into the keg (maybe drill it upside down). I've never used a cask but this is my impression. Please let us know about how the beer goes.

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play the bass, brew the beer

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polarbearbrewing

Recipes 

yeah just drill that baby, wash it out with water to get rid of any sawdust and to make sure its water tight and then go for it

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Primary: Ed Wort's apfelwein

malkore

Recipes 

you can prolly search BYO's website for instructions on conditioning the cask before you put beer in it.

basically a lot of soaking to swell the wood so it seals properly.

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Malkore
Primary: English Mild
On tap: Pale Ale, Lancelot's Wheat, English Brown Ale, Steam Beer, HoovNuts IPA
Bottled: MOAM, Braggot, Raspberry Melomel, Merlot, Apfelwein, Pyment, Sweet mead, Cabernet
Gal in 2009: 27, Gal in 2010: 34, Gal in 2011: 13, Gal in 2012: 10