Help with First Wild Barrel Fruit Beer

[Pappers_]

I'd appreciate any advice and counsel you can offer. I've read through the Milk the Funk wiki. Here's the scenario - we have a 15 gallon bourbon barrel that we've aged five beers in, but are now retiring it. It has shown no signs of souring naturally, beers are still coming out clean, but we sourced a brand new bourbon barrel that is being emptied by the distiller next week, so we're moving to that barrel for our imperial stouts et. al.

But instead of tossing the old barrel, I thought it might be fun to go down the fruit lambic or wild beer path. Here's what I'm thinking we might do:

1. brew a Pilsner/Wheat/Munich wort, mashed high, very low IBUs.
2. ferment in carboys, with Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, in temp controlled ferm room (65F)
3. post-primary fermentation, rack to the retired barrel and pitch Brettanomyces
4. let sit in the barrel secondary for six months (not temp controlled, temps will fluctuate)
5. rack into three carboys, one with cherries, one with raspberries, and one with peaches
6. age for six months
7. if gravity readings are stable and it tastes good, keg and carb, bottle from keg in sparkling wine bottles (in case of continued carbonation build up).

How does this sound?

Other options I've thought about is doing a more Lambic approach and pitch a mixed Sacc/Lacto/Brett directly into the primary carboys, then rack to the barrel after active fermentation ends, then continue as above.

I figured that the Brett or Lacto/Brett mix would inoculate the barrel, so for future batches, I'd ferment with Sacc, then rack to the barrel which would inoculate the beer.

What do you think? Other approaches? Am I missing anything?

 

[Staylow]

I'd appreciate any advice and counsel you can offer. I've read through the Milk the Funk wiki. Here's the scenario - we have a 15 gallon bourbon barrel that we've aged five beers in, but are now retiring it. It has shown no signs of souring naturally, beers are still coming out clean, but we sourced a brand new bourbon barrel that is being emptied by the distiller next week, so we're moving to that barrel for our imperial stouts et. al.

But instead of tossing the old barrel, I thought it might be fun to go down the fruit lambic or wild beer path. Here's what I'm thinking we might do:

1. brew a Pilsner/Wheat/Munich wort, mashed high, very low IBUs.
2. ferment in carboys, with Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, in temp controlled ferm room (65F)
3. post-primary fermentation, rack to the retired barrel and pitch Brettanomyces
4. let sit in the barrel secondary for six months (not temp controlled, temps will fluctuate)
5. rack into three carboys, one with cherries, one with raspberries, and one with peaches
6. age for six months
7. if gravity readings are stable and it tastes good, keg and carb, bottle from keg in sparkling wine bottles (in case of continued carbonation build up).

How does this sound?

Other options I've thought about is doing a more Lambic approach and pitch a mixed Sacc/Lacto/Brett directly into the primary carboys, then rack to the barrel after active fermentation ends, then continue as above.

I figured that the Brett or Lacto/Brett mix would inoculate the barrel, so for future batches, I'd ferment with Sacc, then rack to the barrel which would inoculate the beer.

What do you think? Other approaches? Am I missing anything?

Fruit flavor fades over time. If you want more of it present, I'd do the bulk of aging before adding fruit, then let it sit on fruit for a month, then package.

 

[RPh_Guy]

brew a Pilsner/Wheat/Munich wort, mashed high, very low IBUs.

For 15 gal I recommend no more than 0.6-1.2oz of low AA hops if you want it to sour.

ferment in carboys, with Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, in temp controlled ferm room (65F)

The more flavorful the Sacc you use, the more flavorful the final beer will be.

post-primary fermentation, rack to the retired barrel and pitch Brettanomyces

You'll also need bacteria (Pediococcus in particular), which produce the acid needed to sour. Brettanomyces will not sour the beer by itself.
You should also consider using bottle dregs.

let sit in the barrel secondary for six months (not temp controlled, temps will fluctuate)

I'd suggest to work on the yeast's schedule. Let them tell you when it's ready to rack.
Monitor and top-up if needed to avoid excessive acetic acid production. Depending on how thin your barrel is, you may consider waxing part of it.
Rack if it starts to develop too much oak flavor.

rack into three carboys, one with cherries, one with raspberries, and one with peaches

Add fresh yeast from an acid shock starter when you rack. This will help avoid THP.

age for six months

+1 to @Staylow
You'll want to add the fruit only a few weeks before packaging.

Other options I've thought about is doing a more Lambic approach and pitch a mixed Sacc/Lacto/Brett directly into the primary carboys, then rack to the barrel after active fermentation ends, then continue as above.

Either way works fine. If you add dregs, wait until after primary fermentation.
FWIW the more "traditional" approach is to do the entire fermention in the barrel, with a mixed culture right from the start.

Hope this helps. Cheers.

 

[Pappers_]

About the fruit, Belgian kriek brewers leave their lambic on the cherries for months. What am I missing here?

 

[RPh_Guy]

About the fruit, Belgian kriek brewers leave their lambic on the cherries for months. What am I missing here?

You are definitely correct.

My understanding is this:
It depends how much bright fruit flavor you want.... Whether you say "wow, this is cherry!" vs. more wine-like "dark stone fruit character".

Whether you have pits makes a huge difference too. The almond flavor is easily detectable in my opinion.

You could consider aging on whole cherries and then adding juice closer to bottling to get the best of both worlds.

http://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki/Soured_Fruit_Beer