My barrel arrives Friday, how much time do I have before I have to fill it?

[HappyFermentations]

So I impulse bought one of the 5g whiskey barrels that were being sold on Black Friday. It arrives this Friday, but I don't really have anything ready to put in it yet. I'm thinking Imperial stout or Barleywine, and I'd like to brew on Saturday, do a primary and then put it in the barrel. Would the 1-2 week period while it's in primary be a significant problem?

I do have an oatmeal stout that has been in primary for about 3 weeks that I could also put in it, but frankly I screwed up my efficiency really bad (was my second BIAB attempt - got like 25% or something awful like that) and had to add some DME, so I'm not really counting on anything amazing from it (although the hydrometer was actually pretty tasty). I'm also not really sure what a barrel aged oatmeal will taste like.

I've thought about quickly running the oatmeal through it for a couple weeks since it will probably pick up the oak and whiskey flavors fairly fast and then immediately switch to the Barleywine or RIS for a longer nap in the barrel with hopefully some milder barrel effects coming in over time. I really like the idea of a really long age in the barrel, but I've read that a 5g barrel will impart it's flavor super fast due to so much surface area in contact with the relatively low amount of liquid.

Any suggestions?

Sorry for the rambling post, and thanks!

 

[OleBrewing]

I believe you are supposed to always keep some whiskey in it so it doesn't dry out. That is the only advice i have.

 

[lumpher]

I had a barrel for a few years. You do have some options. You can put the stout in, and it will pick up some good flavor in a couple weeks. Another option is to fill the barrel with water and 3 or 4 crushed campden tablets. I stored my barrel for weeks at a time that way.

 

[finsfan]

My advice is to keep it simple. Below is what worked well for me.

When I got my 15 gallon barrels, I didnt have anything brewed to fill them. I immediately rinsed them with hot water, dumped, and then filled them about half way with room temp water for 24 hours to make sure it wasnt leaking. (Obviously replace the bung pretty snug for this entire process) The room temp or cooler water is important, as bacteria that can spoil a barrel enjoy warmer temps so make sure you cool it down before letting it rest. Roll it around during this period and let it rest on either head for an hour or so at least. If its not doing more than barely seeping in spots, you are good to go.

I then filled them with the liquor that it used to hold. In my case it was rye whiskey. Pick a decent bottle, not the cheapest. Just continue to roll it around and make sure all surfaces get some whiskey on it until you can fill it. Then just dump the whiskey back into the bottle before filling the barrel. You know have double barreled whiskey to enjoy.

Not sure what your tastes are, but a RIS was a no-brainer for me. Its been in the barrel since August and I will bottle next month. It tastes phenomenal.

If you have any questions, just let me know. Cheers!

 

[HappyFermentations]

Sorry, just now getting back to reading this. Thanks a lot for all the replies! The barrel just got here and it's awesome. It's from balcones in Texas and had blue corn whiskey in it. Pretty pumped about that because I love whiskey, but I'm not a huge bourbon fan.

I'm going to rinse it with hot water now, refill with room temp and 4 Camden tablets and let it sit overnight to make sure there are no leaks. Tomorrow I'm adding the oatmeal stout and then brewing the Imperial Honey Porter from the Strong Ale recipe section. Will let that ferment while the stout ages for a few weeks and then switch them out. Hopefully I can get at least one more brew out of it before it goes sour too. Not sure what that will be quite yet. Maybe a barley wine that needs some long term aging since the whiskey character in the Barrel will probably be pretty low by then. Fingers crossed!

 

[aprichman]

Sorry, just now getting back to reading this. Thanks a lot for all the replies! The barrel just got here and it's awesome. It's from balcones in Texas and had blue corn whiskey in it. Pretty pumped about that because I love whiskey, but I'm not a huge bourbon fan.

I'm going to rinse it with hot water now, refill with room temp and 4 Camden tablets and let it sit overnight to make sure there are no leaks. Tomorrow I'm adding the oatmeal stout and then brewing the Imperial Honey Porter from the Strong Ale recipe section. Will let that ferment while the stout ages for a few weeks and then switch them out. Hopefully I can get at least one more brew out of it before it goes sour too. Not sure what that will be quite yet. Maybe a barley wine that needs some long term aging since the whiskey character in the Barrel will probably be pretty low by then. Fingers crossed!

Don't put a beer that you got 25% efficiency on in your barrel!!! Brew a proper beer and put it in there.

 

[HappyFermentations]

I got poor efficiency from it when I brewed it, but added DME immediately and was able to salvage it. It started at a 1.056 and ended at a 1.014. I tasted a sample from the fermenter and it's delicious. Also, I feel more comfortable having that in there than just leaving it with nothing in it for the next 2-3 weeks while I wait for my Imperial to finish fermenting. Almost everything I've read said I should be good for at least two batches, so I would think I should be ok on this one.