Another Naked City Barrel Project!

About 9 months ago I racked 15 gallons of Stix Red Ale into a side bung Sanke keg and added Brettanomyces Lambicus. I bunged the hole with a #10 stopper and oak dowel. I pulled a sample about a week ago and it is wonderfully sour. However, I think the Red Ale was a bit too hoppy to begin with. The beer has a bit of an unpleasant bitter after taste.

I decided to blend it with a bit of some Dubbel that my brewing partner and I recently brewed. It was awesome. :rockin: The sweetness of the Dubbel completely eliminated the bitter aftertaste while keeping the sourness intact.

Today I decided to blend the whole batch and rack it into my 15 gallon Cabernet barrel that previously held Grapes of Wrath. The barrel has been sitting with a solution of Sodium Metabisulphite and Citric Acid to inhibit bacterial growth and to keep it from drying out in between uses.

Here's what it looked like.

Figuring out the correct ratio for blending. Decided to go 2 parts Sour Red/1 part Dubbel


Keg settling prior to transfer


#10 stopper w/ oak dowel. Been sitting like this for 9 months


Safety first! You do not want to breath the fumes from the Sodium Metabisulphite and Citric Acid while emptying the oak barrel


Oak barrel has been emptied of sanitizing solution and rinsed thoroughly

Oak dowel removed from the keg


Transferring the Sour Red 5 gallons at a time


...and into the barrel


Once 10 gallons of Sour Red has been tranferred, in goes 5 gallons of Dubbel


Attach an airlock and wait


Not sure how long this beer will spend in the barrel. I'll draw a sample in a couple of weeks and periodically after that until I'm satisfied with the flavor profile.

Most of this will get bottled in 750ml Belgian bottles, corked and caged.

That is going to be another incredibly awesome beer. Again, we are not worthy....

Is there a waiting list to get a bottle?????
I'm almost wishing I got a 15 gallon barrel instead of the 55 I got...

Wow.... that's all I can say. You are my hero.

Hardcore man. I would be interested to see how well the finished product resembles the mini blended sample.

I hope to get to this point with the home brewery some day.

You are my hero. What's the batch size at Naked City?

EDIT: I now notice a home in the background, and remembered that you're still setting up the brewery space. Question withdrawn; you're still my hero.

I likey! I really need to try making a sour beer at some point, not because I especially like them but because I can.

that sounds and looks amazing...great job

That looks so fun. As always, you make me want to get to Seattle soon.

BTW, just so you don't think I'm fickle, you were already my hero before you did this.

wow, i'm really impressed! that sounds like it's going to be a killer beer. let us know!!!!

Kilted Brewer said:

Is there a waiting list to get a bottle?????

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Tell you what, the first 10 HBT members that shows up at Naked City Taphouse after we open will get a free bottle!

McKBrew said:

we are not worthy....

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You may not be worthy....I'm going to that tap house!

You keep posting the updates and the opening date and I am there!

Remember, the website is NOT www.nakedcity.com. That site has very little in the way of homebrew, and more to do with boobies.

EvilTOJ said:

Remember, the website is NOT www.nakedcity.com. That site has very little in the way of homebrew, and more to do with boobies.

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Thanks for the info...I almost didn't make that mistake.

Sounds like a great beer! Wish I was closer to Seattle.

Brewtopia said:

Tell you what, any HBT member that shows up at Naked City Taphouse after we open will get a free bottle!

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I'll be there!! Good seeing you again at Big Al's last week Don.

If it turns out anything like Grapes of Wrath did it then you may have found your calling in special blended soured beers.

That is a great process! I hope to make it out to that side of the country someday, if so I'll be stopping by!

http://www.nakedcitybrewing.com/
Naked City Brewing.

I just joined up for the updates.

Wish I could be at the opening.

I just kegged 8 gallons of this beer today and bottled 2 cases in 750ml corked bottles. Just shy of 2 months in the barrel after aging 9 months with the oak dowel. It really tastes great. Pleasantly sour and slightly acidic. Smells like Cantillon which is awesome!

Now what to call it? I know one thing for sure. The style will be American Wild Ale! :rockin:

Okay . . . . This, right here? This is cool.


TL

I am just standing here applauding.

Awesome.

Nicely done!!!

Brewtopia said:

Tell you what, any HBT member that shows up at Naked City Taphouse after we open will get a free bottle!

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Twist my arm, why don't ya. I can't wait to come out there again, I love Seattle.

Brewtopia said:

Now what to call it?

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Brewtopia!

Brewtopia said:

Now what to call it? I know one thing for sure. The style will be American Wild Ale! :rockin:

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I decided that this is the beer that will bear Gilda's name. Here is a pic of the bottle. (front & back) along with a glass pulled from the tap.

I'll be there in spirit so save me one

So do you just use a champagne corker to cork those bottles?

Beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous.

I'm drooling so heavily I think my keyboard is going to short circuit. :cross:

I really dig the label. Honestly, I'm out of words. This thread is the Omega.

Beautiful Job Don! First Rate!

Looks frickin Awesome!

That looks magnificent. I can almost taste it looking at the picture. Wanna ship me one of those bottles?

I know your offer to the first 10 HBT'ers to show up.....

But what is the availability of these bottles?

Very nice!


TL

talleymonster said:

I know your offer to the first 10 HBT'ers to show up.....

But what is the availability of these bottles?

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Yeah. I'd love to show up, but I'm willing to pony up cold hard cash, too.

Ditto, same here Sacch.

Any chance on selling/"trading" some of those beauties?