First Stab At Barrel Aging

[Kidagora]

So I recently bought a 15 gallon rye whiskey barrel to age a RIS recipe I like. I'll be doing two 10 gallon batches to help fill and top off as needed. Currently have a yeast starter going and will begin the first batch in ~5 days and the second batch in 7-8 days.

I've read at least 4 different articles on care, preparation, and use and have decided on the following. I was hoping someone could critique and advise on this approach.

I have the barrel now and plan on keeping it sealed as bought without treatment for around 1.5-2 months (until the 20 gallons of the RIS has fermented.) Once I am within 1 week of adding the stout, I will fill to swell and monitor for leaks ~24 hours before draining and adding ~5 gallons of boiling water for sanitization. I will then fill to top off and would like to age for an extended period of time (~1-2 years).

My questions:

1. Do I need to prep and clean the barrel now? I've heard some recommend a soak but I do not want to risk mold/mildew 2 months prior to use. I've also heard of sulfur sticks to burn and sterilize the inside of the dry barrel on a routine basis. Not sure if that's a necessity or a recommendation.

2. I would prefer extended aging to get the most out of the wood (vanilla notes, sherry, etc.) but do not want an overpowering rye whiskey. A subtle whisky flavor would be preferred. Would the flavor mellow with extended aging? I've heard many say weekly tastings are a must on first use.

 

[Brewenstein]

This is what I did when I got my 3.5 gallon used bourbon barrel.

First, I took the bung out to see what it looked like inside (looking for any obvious signs of non-yeast bugs in there). Then I put a 1.5 liter of cheap bourbon in. Daily / almost daily, I would slosh the bourbon around and let the it rest on different spot in the barrel. Did this for almost 3 months until I brewed and had ready an imperial stout.

Drained the bourbon and put the stout into the barrel, bottled the rest (brewed a larger batch than the barrel would hold). Checked at two weeks - all oak. Was really disappointed. But I remembered a post that said it takes time for flavors to come out of the wood and meld into the beer so I let it ride. Long story short, it took 8 weeks to get where I wanted it. Bottled the beer and put the bourbon plus another 1.5 liter back in the barrel until my next project was ready - about another 3 months. Have a 12.5% barleywine in it now for a month.

As far as your questions - for sanitation some type of spirit (perhaps a rye whiskey since that is what the barrel was used for) should keep it sanitized and swollen as long as you roll it around periodically. I have heard that you do not want to do the sulfur burn with a used barrel - it may explode from the alcohol fumes. But I have no real experience in this area.

Your barrel is larger and has less surface area per gallon of beer, so the aging process will be slower. I would give it a month or two before your first sample (if you can stand to wait that long). And have patience. As I said, some of the flavors will be strong at first, but when other flavors come out they begin to blend. There is a reason that some spirits are aged for years in barrels. And make sure you bottle / keg the remainder of the beer so that you can add some from time to time to make up for the angel's share.

Please post back with your process and how everything works out along the way. Cheers !

 

[DogStar]

I soak and clean my kettle using sodium percarbonate and rinse thoroughly after every brew. I just rinse it out with warm water before using.

I use a stainless steel fermentor which I clean after use in the same way as I do my kettle. I rinse and sanitise with starsan before use.

I did once use a chlorine based sanitiser which left a faint but noticeable band aid taste in the beer. I won't do that again.

 

[Kidagora]

Dogstar: Do you mean barrel when you say kettle? I'm asking about barrel sanitizing for aging in rye oak barrels. Not your boil kettle or your stainless steel fermentor. I'm not concerned about my boil/fermentation process. I'm concerned about infection in a wooden barrel during aging. This barrel will hold a 12-13% RIS.

 

[madscientist451]

Check out the sour hour podcasts from the brewing network:

http://podbay.fm/show/920652546

The host runs the Rare Barrel and I believe in podcast #2 goes through his whole routine of what to do with a new barrel, how to prep it for use and storage.
I believe he advises to store the barrel with a storage solution, that storing it dry will lead to problems.

 

[fermentology]

Dogstar: Do you mean barrel when you say kettle? I'm asking about barrel sanitizing for aging in rye oak barrels. Not your boil kettle or your stainless steel fermentor. I'm not concerned about my boil/fermentation process. I'm concerned about infection in a wooden barrel during aging. This barrel will hold a 12-13% RIS.

In theory being a spirit barrel it should be sterile, however, there is always a risk with barrel aging. If you're going to store the barrel for two months before filling it I would fill it with cold water and lower the pH of the water using acid to close to 2 pH to prevent bacterial growth. If you don't fill it you risk infection and the staves drying out, which could lead to leaks.

If you're looking for subtle flavor addition then less time at a low temperature would be your best option. But you'll want to taste it to see where it's at during aging. The longer the beer is in the barrel and the more the temperature swings the more the beer will be absorbed into the barrel, which will cause it to pick up more flavor.

 

[BigPerm]

This is what I did when I got my 3.5 gallon used bourbon barrel.

First, I took the bung out to see what it looked like inside (looking for any obvious signs of non-yeast bugs in there). Then I put a 1.5 liter of cheap bourbon in. Daily / almost daily, I would slosh the bourbon around and let the it rest on different spot in the barrel. Did this for almost 3 months until I brewed and had ready an imperial stout.

This is pretty much what I did too, using a 5 gallon barrel. It had sat for maybe 2 months before I bought it, and was another 2 before I used it. I put in a liter of bourbon and sloshed it. This will keep the surface wet and clean. I had no leaks and, if your barrel was pretty fresh, you likely wont either. Personally, I wouldn't do a cold water soak. You bought it for the char and the spirit character, so do everything you can to keep that, especially for the first use.

I have the barrel now and plan on keeping it sealed as bought without treatment for around 1.5-2 months (until the 20 gallons of the RIS has fermented.) Once I am within 1 week of adding the stout, I will fill to swell and monitor for leaks ~24 hours before draining and adding ~5 gallons of boiling water for sanitization. I will then fill to top off and would like to age for an extended period of time (~1-2 years).

My questions:

1. Do I need to prep and clean the barrel now? I've heard some recommend a soak but I do not want to risk mold/mildew 2 months prior to use. I've also heard of sulfur sticks to burn and sterilize the inside of the dry barrel on a routine basis. Not sure if that's a necessity or a recommendation.

2. I would prefer extended aging to get the most out of the wood (vanilla notes, sherry, etc.) but do not want an overpowering rye whiskey. A subtle whisky flavor would be preferred. Would the flavor mellow with extended aging? I've heard many say weekly tastings are a must on first use.

With a 15 gallon barrel, you have a significantly higher surface area:volume ratio, so your aging time will be less than typical for a commercial brewery using standard 53 gallon barrels. I would taste after two months and see where you are. I'd be surprised if the oak wasn't getting overpowering by 6 months, maybe less. I went 6 weeks with a RIS in my small barrel. I should have gone 3-4. It needs some age to mellow it all out.

As far as your questions - for sanitation some type of spirit (perhaps a rye whiskey since that is what the barrel was used for) should keep it sanitized and swollen as long as you roll it around periodically. I have heard that you do not want to do the sulfur burn with a used barrel - it may explode from the alcohol fumes. But I have no real experience in this area.

DO NOT BURN A SULFUR WICK. For the reasons above. It WILL explode.

Good luck!

 

[tobbias]

I agree would go with the bourbon method. Look in bung hole with flashlight to make sure barrel looks clean. If barrel looks good proceed with bourbon.
I would also start making your next batch to fill barrel. You want to have your second batch ready to fill barrel once your first batch gets enough oak. Your IRS will be over oaked if left in barrel. I got 3 bourbon barrel batches out of my 11 gallon barrel before converting to sours barrel. The second batch was a RIS and it was the best. It got a 43 in competition rated by national beer judge and placed second. So your second batch through your barrel may be the best.

 

[tenbricks]

I had almost the same exact situation last year - 15 gallon rye bourbon barrel and the beer wasn't quite ready to go in.

First, I took the bung out to see what it looked like inside (looking for any obvious signs of non-yeast bugs in there). Then I put a 1.5 liter of cheap bourbon in. Daily / almost daily, I would slosh the bourbon around and let the it rest on different spot in the barrel. Did this for almost 3 months until I brewed and had ready an imperial stout.

This is what I ended up doing too, except only for about a month. I figured the few weeks of contact with cheap (er) bourbon wouldn't dilute the flavor from a few years of the original aging too much.

Before transferring the beer in, I dumped out the bourbon (taste it, you'll be surprised how much it changed) and filled it with hot tap water until it stopped leaking. Took only a couple hours.

Taste: After only 2 weeks, the RIS had a strong bourbon taste and a hint of charred-barrel taste. I pulled 5 gallons off and topped it up with new beer.

Two weeks later, it again had a nice strong bourbon barrel character so out came a second kegs worth.

It took just over a month for the flavor to mature this time, and it was smoother, biased a bit more towards oak flavor than before. I pulled a third keg, topped it off, and it is still aging. I think this will be aged for at least 6 months.


I guess the moral is, have plenty of beer ready to go in, and at the beginning, taste often. A Vinnie Nail will be your friend.

 

[Kidagora]

So I have 20 gallons that have undergone primary for 1.5 months and I'll be looking to fill the barrel at 2 months. Starting OG was an average of 1.118 and FG is 1.030.

Would aging for 6-12 month give a more complex flavor, stronger bourbon character or both? I'm looking more for the vanilla, oak, caramel notes and was under the impression long aging achieves this.

I like the idea of pulling off 5 gallons and replacing with fresh RIS to mellow the flavor to preference.

I do have a Vinnie nail and will be tasting each month but would prefer to let the entire batch sit and age for around a year.

 

[Brewenstein]

Any update?