just curious. every time i read about barrel aging beer eventually the subject of bugs comes up. the lacto, brett, etc. that you seem to get when barrel aging. but what about beers that you don't want bugs in that are barrel aged? most bourbon barrel stouts don't have brett in them?
barrel aging question
- Thread starter itsratso
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I am not an expert in the topic by any means but barrels don't have the bugs most people add them. If you want to make a bourbon stout with no sourness you would just age in the oak barrel. If you want sour you add bugs or use a bug blend while fermenting then age in oak barrel.
Hopper5000
Well-Known Member
If you have a barrel that has been freshly dumped and had hard alcohol in it then nothing is really going to survive in that environment. You can rack your beer into it and let it age without any significant problems usually. The head space (due to evaporation) can provide enough oxygen for aceto bacteria to grow in the beer so you need to be aware of that.
Because wood is a permeable membrane and you really can't clean it well because of this, bugs will eventually infect the barrel. This is why most folks eventually just use the barrel for souring.
Because wood is a permeable membrane and you really can't clean it well because of this, bugs will eventually infect the barrel. This is why most folks eventually just use the barrel for souring.
WI_Wino
Well-Known Member
I would say it depends if you want to bottle carbonate or force carbonate. If you force carbonate, you can add potassium metabisulfite (k-meta) to prevent bugs from taking hold. That's why winemakers add k-meta during various stages of bulk aging.
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