user 214470
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I've brewed a porter two months ago (1 month primary, and it's been sitting for another month in old charred oak barrel). Before transferring to oak barrel I also put some in bottles but without priming sugar - so I am able to compare with the beer in the barrel month after month.
After the first month I tasted the bottled one and the one from the barrel - the bottled one is really nice but the barrel one has a moldy/musty/fusty flavour/aroma to it.
I have to mention that I had a little bit of mold happening when preparing the barrel - the barrel was clean but I rinsed it with water and left it sitting for a week or two - then I noticed a few small spots of mold inside (probably didn't dry well enough and the moisture did it's thing..).
Anyhow - I used a bottle brush to clean the mold, rinsed well a few times and poured a bottle of Jack Daniels to the barrel, splased/rotate it every day for two weeks. Then I transferred the porter to the barrel.
So - is the barrel and the porter completely ruined or are there any ways to save them?
The barrel contains 12 gallons of 7% abv porter, it would be sad to dump it.. The moldy taste/aroma is not very strong, more like a hint of it. (I haven't carbonated yet, I wonder if that would help mask it just a bit?)
As for the barrel - can the mold flavour be removed? I've read about making a solution of citric acid and potassium metabisulfite and filling the barrel with it - I wonder if that would suck the mold flavour out? Maybe there are any other methods? (I know about burning the sulphur stick but I think the solution would penetrate the wood better).
After the first month I tasted the bottled one and the one from the barrel - the bottled one is really nice but the barrel one has a moldy/musty/fusty flavour/aroma to it.
I have to mention that I had a little bit of mold happening when preparing the barrel - the barrel was clean but I rinsed it with water and left it sitting for a week or two - then I noticed a few small spots of mold inside (probably didn't dry well enough and the moisture did it's thing..).
Anyhow - I used a bottle brush to clean the mold, rinsed well a few times and poured a bottle of Jack Daniels to the barrel, splased/rotate it every day for two weeks. Then I transferred the porter to the barrel.
So - is the barrel and the porter completely ruined or are there any ways to save them?
The barrel contains 12 gallons of 7% abv porter, it would be sad to dump it.. The moldy taste/aroma is not very strong, more like a hint of it. (I haven't carbonated yet, I wonder if that would help mask it just a bit?)
As for the barrel - can the mold flavour be removed? I've read about making a solution of citric acid and potassium metabisulfite and filling the barrel with it - I wonder if that would suck the mold flavour out? Maybe there are any other methods? (I know about burning the sulphur stick but I think the solution would penetrate the wood better).
