scorpionc53
Well-Known Member
I’ve been brewing for a few years now and I have the opportunity to get a 5 gallon bourbon barrel from my local distillery. I’ve perfected a stout that I’ve made a few times and I’d like to age it in the bourbon barrel I’ll be getting. My issue is that I’ve got no clue on the steps I need to take. I have all the ingredients ready for my stout except the hops. The barrel will be tapped October 6th this year. Can someone point me to some information on how to brew and age with barrels? Main questions are:
At what point in the making process do I add to barrel? Do I ferment in the barrel? Do I let beer completely ferment in my carboys then siphon it into the barrel?
Do I need to add anything besides the beer to the barrel? Will the O2 in the headspace of the barrel cause an issue with my beer and ruin it?
Do I prime and bottle after it’s been aged and how long is a good period to age a 5 gal batch?
Can I siphon the beer out of the barrel once complete into a bottling bucket or do I need to run it through a filter or anything?
If I were to brew my beer now, would leaving it in the carboy until October have any effect on it or should I time it closer to finish fermenting and go straight into the barrel once I get it?
I was hoping to find an easy guide to follow but I’ve looked around and have a few brewing books and haven’t found the information I’m looking for.
At what point in the making process do I add to barrel? Do I ferment in the barrel? Do I let beer completely ferment in my carboys then siphon it into the barrel?
Do I need to add anything besides the beer to the barrel? Will the O2 in the headspace of the barrel cause an issue with my beer and ruin it?
Do I prime and bottle after it’s been aged and how long is a good period to age a 5 gal batch?
Can I siphon the beer out of the barrel once complete into a bottling bucket or do I need to run it through a filter or anything?
If I were to brew my beer now, would leaving it in the carboy until October have any effect on it or should I time it closer to finish fermenting and go straight into the barrel once I get it?
I was hoping to find an easy guide to follow but I’ve looked around and have a few brewing books and haven’t found the information I’m looking for.