JacobS

Recipes 

If you are looking for more body in your sours try a different mashing method. What mashing method are you currently using?

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In Primary: KSS-Fool's Folly

In Secondary:Old Croaker Imperial Stout

Long Aging: Old Bruin, Flanders Red Ale, Flanders Pale Ale, Wheat'n'Peach, TC- Aged Amber, TC-Aged Pale Wheat, pSaison Historiq, Black Bretty, Flanders Red Rye

On Tap: TC-Red Headed Stepchild, TC-Saison v4, TC-Misty Moorings,

Bottled: Thunderhead Imperial Stout, TC-Three Weissmen

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Andrewtherooster

Recipes 

I've use a single infusion with a batch sparge. Why would mashing affect body if all the bugs eat up excess sugars?

I guess I assumed that higher alcohol beer would add more body just due to the higher alcohol content, but I guess that isn't necessarily true?

The container is a cylinder with a diameter of 14", a depth of 26", and the thickness of the plastic is about 1/2". The surface area is about 1285 inches squared, if I calculated correctly. I haven't been able to find the graph that shows oxygen permeability given the plastics' surface area.

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Primitive Brewing.

ReverseApacheMaster

Recipes 

In addition to permeability through the walls of the plastic you also have to think about headspace. Is the design of the barrel going to result in a lot of headspace? That will also affect your beer.

It's really hard to say whether these fermenters are going to work out for you. Are they like converted trash cans or are they large HDPE demijohns (might be the wrong word to use)? The quality of construction, materials and design will definitely all be important components. Any thought on using a 15.5 gallon sanke keg instead?

It also matters how long you intend for this project to go on. If you're going to ferment a couple cycles and get 2-3 years out of it you're probably going to be ok. At worst your last batch may be strongly acetic. However if you plan to go much further your beer might get too acetic to enjoy and you'll end up with a big trash can full of vinegar.

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Homebrew blog: http://homebrewingfun.blogspot.com/
Beer Review blog: http://ireviewedbeer.blogspot.com/

Fermenters: Lambic solera (year two), aging lambic from solera year one, framboise lambic, apricot brett saison, sour brown, probiotic oud bruin, probiotic sour blonde

Recently bottled: dubbel, Redemption clone, Belgian stout

Up next: Petrus Aged Pale clone, Perry, hatch chile blond, spelt saison

Andrewtherooster

Recipes 

It's actually a barrel used to store LME that my LHBS converts into a fermenter and sells for cheap. Filled up, the headspace won't be too much more than my standard carboy space. I think I'm going to try it. If it starts to become too acetic, I'll just empty it.

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Primitive Brewing.

Calder

Recipes 

What's the material (what is the recycle number on it)?

Half an inch is pretty thick. Comparing that to a barrel, I would estimate it is around 10 ccs/liter/year, which is pretty good; comparable to a large wine barrel.

O2 permeability of HDPE is about a third of that of oak.

I'll have to see what my LHBS does with their old LME barrels.

Almighty

Recipes 

Or use a used 15.5 gal SS keg with a carboy cap.

If you are trying to build body from blending then you will want to blend your sour and big body beer and then pasteurize or inhibit the yeast w campden tablets. Ryane has some good info on his blog: http://ryanbrews.blogspot.com/2011/03/blending-and-fruiting-lambics-my.html

Andrewtherooster

Recipes 

It's a number 2 HDPE.

Thanks for sharing! That was a great read.

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Primitive Brewing.