Does the whiskey Barrell need to be full?

[Padj]

Firstly Merry Christmas one and all.

Secondly, I've inherited a Weller whiskey barrel that has just come from the distillery and hasn't been used for anything else. I would love to make a barrel aged stout but my question is does the barrel need to be filled with stout or can I fill it one quarter or half way and get the same success?

A whiskey barrel holds about 53 gallons. I was thinking dumping 20 gallons in.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[T Murph]

I think it would be OK as long as you ensure all o2 is purged and make sure it maintains Co2 pressure throughout aging. I aged a barley wine once that was about 45 gal and it turned out great.

 

[NTBeer]

Never used an actual barrel to "barrel age", but this is my understanding.

It will probably leak. Wooden barrels need to be in contact with liquid to keep the staves from drying out and shrinking. You might be able to get away with rotating it on a short schedule, but the more liquid the better.

 

[IslandLizard]

You'd need to fill it all the way, or you'll get heavy oxidation from the air (O2) left in the headspace. Air in the head space also invites bugs from multiplying, such as acetobacter, and you'll end up with an (unintentional) sour Stout, which can be quite good if you're lucky, but 52 gallons of it maybe a bit too much for enjoyment.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

Do you know anyone else that brews?

Several people would make it easier, and do you really want 52 gallons of barrel aged stout?

And for the effort, a big RIS might be a better option.

 

[Beerstein]

Ive done this with 8 to 9% stouts, where the top few inches is not filled. Purge with co2, and rotate the keg every week, even if its just 30 degrees.

 

[davidabcd]

do you really want 52 gallons of barrel aged stout

Absolutely!
Would be a popular person with the crowd I run in.
Seriously, that's a LOT of one type of beer.

 

[Brew_Dude41]

As everyone has already pointed out the less head space you leave, the better off you will be. It limits the opportunity for oxidation and will keep the staves wet and sealed better.

 

[davidabcd]

I saw some advice about getting the CO2 in there. That's a lot of space to account for.
I'd either suck it up and make a sh**-ton of beer or get a smaller barrel.

 

[mashpaddled]

As said above barrels need to be full or mostly full so the wood remains wet and swells liquid tight. A partially filled barrel will dry out potentially causing leaks but definitely introducing more oxygen than you want. Consider this: would you age a stout in a carboy or bucket with the lid off? If not then you wouldn't want to do the same with a barrel.

Fifty-three gallons is a lot of beer but if you have a few homebrewing friends then a few ten gallon batches it's not unreasonable. Another option is fill the barrel yourself entirely and then pull five or ten gallons at regular intervals refilling what you take out. That's still a lot of stout to pull and eventually maybe too much when it comes time to drain it. If none of these options make sense for you then chop up the barrel into blocks or staves and dry them out. You'll have enough to add barrel character to fermentation vessels for a long time at volumes of your choosing.

 

[davidabcd]

barrels need to be full or mostly full so the wood remains wet and swells liquid tight.

I didn't know that. It makes a lot of sense. Now I can see why barrel aging would work.
Very cool.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

As the wood soaks up some of the beer and some evaporates through the wood, it will need to be topped off periodically as well. (the angels share)

 

[Padj]

As the wood soaks up some of the beer and some evaporates through the wood, it will need to be topped off periodically as well. (the angels share)

Would that only work for high abv liquors not stouts though? I could see devil's cut but not angels share.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

Devil's cut - angel's share - whatever you want to call it, it happens - I have three 10 gallon oak barrels.