Got my hands on a virgin oak barrel...

And I'm looking for some help on how to best prep and use it...

• I've heard the oak flavors will be crazy intense from a virgin barrel, thoughts on how long to age a 10% ABV Imperial Stout without over-oaking it?
  
  
• What should I do to prep the barrel before racking the stout to the barrel (fill with water for weeks, etc)?

Thanks!

Is it a dry barrel? Never has had anything in it? Definitely swell it with water before anything else. If it doesn't leak you are good there. Some say to burn a sulfur stick/rag in it to sanitize. There is also a solution of citric acid and something else to sanitize.

Fill with water a dissolve some camden tablets in it (Sodium Metabilsulphate), and leave it to sit for a couple of weeks.

I've never used one so I may be wrong, but that is where I would start.

I'd suggest only leaving the first beer in there for a few days and see how it is. Each successive beer can sit a little longer.

Have only once in my life tasted beer aged in oak barrels and that was last month at New Belgium Brewery (Fort Collins CO) - La Folie Wood-Aged Biere. Must say it was foul as far as I was concerned. And I love visiting this brewery and enjoy a Fat Tire.

el_caro said:

Have only once in my life tasted beer aged in oak barrels and that was last month at New Belgium Brewery (Fort Collins CO) - La Folie Wood-Aged Biere. Must say it was foul as far as I was concerned. And I love visiting this brewery and enjoy a Fat Tire.

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La Folie is a sour beer. That flavor isn't indicative of a beer aged in a oak barrel. It can be though. The yeast and bacteria that make a beer sour like to take shelter in the wood. If you want a clean beer you just have to keep those guys out of there.

To the OP, you may know this, but a common practice is the age a lesser ABV, lighter beer each succession of the barrel. It will also likely take a bit longer each time to get the flavor you are looking for. Taste often at first. If you over oak it, you can always brew another batch to blend it with though.

Thanks for the input guys. Yes it's completely dry, never been used or soaked.

I've heard if it's a virgin barrel that the oak flavors will be huge within only a few days, so I'll be testing it daily and only expect to have it in there a week max.

jeepinjeepin said:

Is it a dry barrel? Never has had anything in it? Definitely swell it with water before anything else. If it doesn't leak you are good there. Some say to burn a sulfur stick/rag in it to sanitize. There is also a solution of citric acid and something else to sanitize.

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Do not burn sulfur or rag in it! If you do not know what you are doing it can have fumes in it and it can explode!

duboman said:

Do not burn sulfur or rag in it! If you do not know what you are doing it can have fumes in it and it can explode!

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That's true if its a used liquor barrel. If its never been used there will be no risk of explosion. Same goes for wine or previously used beer barrels. As long as the contents aren't flammable there's nothing to explode.

cadillacandy said:

That's true if its a used liquor barrel. If its never been used there will be no risk of explosion. Same goes for wine or previously used beer barrels. As long as the contents aren't flammable there's nothing to explode.

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Didn't know that, thanks!

Beer and wine barrels pose less risk. Liquor barrels have exploded, violently, before. If you take care to rinse it, you should be fairly safe. Then again, if the barrel is wet with 80-100 proof liquor you should be sanitary already. No need to rinse or burn sulfur. Obviously, a new barrel is safe. Sulfur carries its own set of precautions, so that mixture of Campden and citric acid would be your best bet.

jeepinjeepin said:

Beer and wine barrels pose less risk. Liquor barrels have exploded, violently, before. If you take care to rinse it, you should be fairly safe. Then again, if the barrel is wet with 80-100 proof liquor you should be sanitary already. No need to rinse or burn sulfur. Obviously, a new barrel is safe. Sulfur carries its own set of precautions, so that mixture of Campden and citric acid would be your best bet.

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Campden and citric acid is what I'd do too. I've used sulphur sticks a couple of times for larger barrels and it was no fun. Stinky and I was nervous the entire time.

If you are worried about too many oak tannins there is also barrel Kleen to leach some of them out. This is the link I used when I go my new barrel.

http://www.beer-wine.com/node/1855

I would also get an airlock for the size of the bung. I locked mine up air tight after replacing some of the angles share with some fermented beer because I read it was a good idea. I pretty much ended up turning the again process into casking. Very worried. Had to siphon off into a secondary (or thirdary) to off gas and finish the fermentation that restarted. Tastes great though but wish I could have left it in the barrel a little longer.