balcones blue corn whiskey barrel

[madscientistbrewNq]

Well the wife was nice enough to purchase a 5 gallon barrel for me. Honestly I don't know what date it was dumped but she indicated that it was recentlying dumped.... This was from there blue corn whiskey. Any recommendations on next steps..... I want to do a founders breakfast clone. I would probably do primary 3 weeks followed by secondary for 1 week over 3 bourbon soaked vanilla beans and 2.5 oz of cocoa beans. Transfer to barrel and age as long as necessary probably 3 weeks to 3 months followed by cold steep coffee at bottling. Is a 8.5 % beer sufficient for a barrel as I noticed a lot of bourbon bartel aged brew are typically higher? Should I run some metabiphospate? Given I can't get balcones where I live, any recommendations on a whiskey/bourbon (not sure it w I I'll be acceptable to put in the barrel) that might be acceptable that isnt over 50 dollars to ensure that it is wet? Or any ideas what the typical time frame is for not needing to ensure the barrel is wet. For example if I can find out it was dumped 1-3 months is that sufficient to just transfer the beer in let's say 5 weeks (I won't be able to brew for 2 weeks)...

 

[Gentlemans_Ale]

You basically have to pre-order a balcones barrel these days so I'm almost sure it was freshly dumped. I just kept the bung in until I was ready to transfer which was about 1 month from when I got it. I would roll some Makers Mark around in it if you're still nervous. Stay away from the citric acid + potassium meta...these will strip the precious flavor that you want imparted to your beer.

 

[madscientistbrewNq]

Yeah maybe I will just get a bottle of something I originally was going to order the balcones blue corn whiskey but 65 not including shipping left me thinking would it be acceptable to just get a bottle of corn whiskey or bourbon. I'm leaning to some makers or knob creek. Good to know about using chemicals to address possible bugs.

 

[adiochiro3]

I acquired a freshly dumped barrel last fall. By the time the brew was ready for barrel aging, the barrel had dried a bit. To ensure it was tight, I dropped about 2 gallons of boiling water in and plugged it -- swirling and rotating the barrel. It had a few leaks that swelled right up. It imparted great flavor to my RIS. I now have a 6% porter just about done, and it is so smooth.

 

[Gentlemans_Ale]

BTW Bob, I want a bottle of this when it's done. Don't know how legal it is since liquor is a whole new ballgame, but I have ample access to Balcones her in Texas...and Eternal Sunshine sure sounds nice right about now...lol.

 

[madscientistbrewNq]

Sure thing I want to age some so I will hook you up. My bud has a corker so I was thinking of scoring some bomber bottles and cork and caging or maybe capping and waxing the tops.


pizza boy is suppose to be releasing a black sour, raspberry sour and blackberry sour in the near future. We'll have to talk.... I thought about reaching out to you about that distillery. I can get a bottle online but I'm not really interested in spending 75-85 for a bottle just to wet the barrel

 

[madscientistbrewNq]

So now that the 9 % coffee, cocoa, and vanilla stout is fermenting away and I'm wetting the barrel with what was removed I realized the hole is not large enough for my ferm tech autosiphon..... Any ideas, I'm mean the problem will not be with getting the beer in, but getting the beer out appears to be the new issue.

 

[madscientistbrewNq]

Guessing I will just look into a racking cane with a turkey baster.