Barrel fermented stout

[Chris-18]

Hey everyone,

I have been lucky enough to get my hands on a 30L burbon barrel from a local distillery. I have tried many BA stouts, but what about barrel fermented?
I have never messed around with barrels in general, but I know some breweries ferment directly in the barrels.
So my question is, what are the pros and cons of barrel fermentation?

I assume the burbon flavor will be intense, but I think that one of the pros of barrel fermentation is that there is a lower risk of infection, since you need to transfer the beer less times.

Any experience?

 

[porterpounder]

Fermenting in the barrel creates a mess if the barrel is fairly full. That's really the biggest drawback. Cleaning out a barrel after primary fermentation can also be a pain, but isn't a whole lot more work. Yes the flavors will be different, but who knows how different? As long as you follow common sanitary procedures there shouldn't be a significant risk of infection from a transfer to a secondary. Infected beer in barrels is usually from beer going into an already infected barrel.