Wine cask brewing?

Ok, so were talking about this, but we dont have a concrete plan... what do we need to know? suggestions?

You really will only want to age in the barrel. Meaning, ferment and then transfer to barrel so you do not sit on the cake for an extended period of time.

We are thinking of a sour, so sitting on the cake could benefit the bacteria growth.

is there a preference between things like red or white wine?

anyone?

A few friends and I have a Flanders Red aging in a wine barrel at the moment. We had 10 gallons of ~6 month old sour beer, 50 gallons of freshly fermented "clean" beer, and 5 gallons of fresh wort to spur on the fermentation.

I would suggest finding a wine maker who is willing to prep the barrel for you, check for leaks, etc... that will save you from having to deal with it.

We aren't sure exactly how we are going to do the bottling day (especailly since we are planning to fill the barrel back up again).

Recipes/details/pictures etc...
The Mad Fermentationist: The Plan: Wine Barrel Flanders Red
The Mad Fermentationist: The Fill: Wine Barrel Flanders Red

Are you in BURP?

You should read this thread.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/am-i-insane-33933/

you want the beer to have a pelicle but not sit on yeast that has dropped out. If I were you I would want as little smegma in the bottom of the barrel as possible.

And i will be you soon. Myself and a few other gents have 55 gallons of flanders red in primary and should be getting our barrel this week!

Huh, in Wild Brews, the author says the dead yeast and other trub is good for the aging, especially in larger barrels. This is apparently a food source for the Brett and Pedio. Without the dead cells, the micro-orgs will bun out sooner than they should.

Ryan,

I think it really depends on the style. For Lambic, yes. Flanders Red, no.

I typically leave my flanders on the yeast cake for 6-8mos, and have begun to prefer this, it seems to produce a more complex beer, and quicker, I get nice sour cherry notes this way much faster than racking

interesting, good info here!

Pretty sure were doing a Lambic!

claphamsa said:

Are you in BURP?

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Yep, and DC Homebrewers. I probably only make it out to BURP meetings 4-5 times a year though.

Oldsock said:

Yep, and DC Homebrewers. I probably only make it out to BURP meetings 4-5 times a year though.

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Ive only been able to make it to one BURP meeting... and Im on the listserve for DC home brewers... but never gone

I don't want to highjack the thread or anything but I just have a quick question. I have looked around for wine barrels and the only ones that wineries had were ones that they decommissioned because they leaked. Are these wine barrels useless?

OK, weve possibly found a barrell, 120$ which is what is expected! If we have a choice of kinds of wines that have been used for, is there a difference? how to store, between picking up and brewing? How to prep? do you san it? any experience is good!!!!

anyone have a recipe for 55Gallons of Lambic

I have no idea, but I have been eyeing old, used red wine barrels with a healthy crust of residue for a while and thinking about using them relatively fresh. That is, get them within a couple days after the wine has been taken off and put beer in. Sure, it'll change the beer, a lot, but I have no idea what the actual result would be. - Of course, these are the crystallized tartrates. Supposedly they interfere with oxygenation. Not sure what they would do i na beer, other than preserve it forever ...

That said, I have a friend who just started beer in a used barrel. He soaked it with water for a week (keeping it moist), then scrubbed the heck out of it. Finally, he filled it slowly with boiling water. Personally, I think this stole a lot of character from it, but who knows.

However, I can say with certainty that starsan is not going to work in a barrel. Starsan does not work on porous surfaces .


Oh, and, what type of barrel did you get? Oak? The type of wood makes a big difference, perhaps more so than the wine that was in it.

thedude123 said:

I don't want to highjack the thread or anything but I just have a quick question. I have looked around for wine barrels and the only ones that wineries had were ones that they decommissioned because they leaked. Are these wine barrels useless?

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They are not useless. They make great planters. Cut in half and plant!

That said, I have seen barrels caulked together, but don't recommend it.

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As for how to use barrels, I did a quick search and found a pretty awesome link. As a beer maker, I would be worried about these so called "blisters". :

Solutions for problems encountered with used wine barrels Barrel Blasting by Cryoclean - cleaning and rejuvinating wine barrels in Sonoma County


-- and, I'd recommend talking to the wine forum gurus and see what they do for barrels.

maztec said:

Oh, and, what type of barrel did you get? Oak? The type of wood makes a big difference, perhaps more so than the wine that was in it.

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We have not yet picked up the barrel. I just have confirmation from the winery they will be happy to sell us one, and they have several to pick from. The "cellar-master" is on vacation until tomorrow, so that is all they can tell me til he gets back.

I know it is an oak barrel, and have to assume it is American Oak - although I will be thrilled if it is french oak.

I imagine I will have the barrel in hand by the end of the week. Since I am anticipating a phone call tomorrow, can anyone add to the list of questions I plan to ask below:

1. What type of oak is the barrel
2. What/how many batches of wine were in it previously
3. Is the barrel currently leak free
4. Do you treat the barrel at all prior to me picking it up

Also, for anyone familiar with the size of a Honda CRV, will this thing fit in the cargo area if I fold the seats up?

Hopefully I get some quick feedback here. I am able to pick between French Oak and American Oak for the same price. I have always been under the impression you take french oak all day long. That is what I told the cellar guy I wanted, and will pick up tomorrow afternoon. Please let me know if this is the right choice.

go with the french. it imparts a larger vanilla note......I am told. That was why I went with the french oak.

Picked it up today. It is a 65 gallon french oak barrel from Chadds Ford winery in Chadds Ford, PA. It was swelled and had the sulfur stick burned last week. I am excited.

65G of lambic COMING SOOON WOWOOOOOOO

claphamsa said:

65G of lambic COMING SOOON WOWOOOOOOO

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Define soon...

14 months!