Solera Red

[cabron99]

I got my hands on 2 french oak barrels. 60 gallons each. They look good, smell good and have had nothing in them but a Shiraz / Syrah. It has been a few years since holding wine, but got them both to seal. My plan with one is to fill with a high abv Irish Red, wait a year and periodically remove and replace 5 or so gallons.
Don't know anything about sanitizing the barrels, so my question is how stupid is it to just go for the gusto and do it without extensive treatment?? I figure the worst that will happen will be some sort of a weird sour. Anyone have any easy quick treatments for a couple of really nice barrels? I'm up to 35 gallons of the Irish Red, so the clock is ticking.

 

[cabron99]

No help for a nooby beer barrel guy?? Come on guys (and gals).

 

[Xpertskir]

After a few years of not holding wine, I would not put beer in them. There is very little chance that the barrel doesn't have some acetobacter in it...no matter how you treat the barrel you cant remove the stuff hiding deep in the wood.

The fact that you seemingly want to barrel age a clean beer(aka not sour) makes the age and condition of the barrel that much more important.


A barrel project is a lot of work and a big expense, you are going to want to give yourself the best possible chance for success.

If you really want to do this, just go buy a freshly emptied used barrel. In CA they can be had pretty cheaply, especially when considering the amount of money that could be wasted on ingredients if the beer you make were to turn into a dumper.