Recommendations for 1st brew in oak barrel

[ndinh]

A couple of years ago, my wife bought me a 5 gallon untreated oak barrel. I was going to age something in it but never got around to it so it's been sitting dry as decoration. Now I'm thinking of putting something in it for fun but haven't found much info in the recipes section using a 5 gallon barrel. I'm thinking maybe a belgian dubbel or tripel or maybe even a sour but I'm just afraid if I put a sour in it, it'll be infected forever. Do you guys have any recipes that you've used that sounds like a good start for me and should I dump in chardonay, pinot, whiskey, bourbon, etc. to soak it? Thx.

 

[DustyBrew]

Check this out.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=467626

 

[duboman]

Since it has sat around for 5 years in whatever conditions it is probably quite dry and the wood has shrunk. Fill it with water and let it sit and swell so it doesn't leak.

As for infection, most likely there are already some bugs in there since there has been no alcohol in it for some time. I would anticipate whatever you put in it will naturally become a sour anyways I wouldn't expect you to be able to barrel a clean beer in this barrel but I could be wrong

 

[ndinh]

Check this out.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=467626

Thanks a lot! The link has tons of good stuff. Gotta head out and buy a bottle of bourbon now.

 

[riderkb]

Can you get moonshine in LA? Not the stuff they sell in the liquor store, but real shine, made by toothless old guys. Lightly oaked shine is very tasty. The good stuff tastes a little like sweet corn. Bad shine tastes like a wet dog smells.

 

[ndinh]

Can you get moonshine in LA? Not the stuff they sell in the liquor store, but real shine, made by toothless old guys. Lightly oaked shine is very tasty. The good stuff tastes a little like sweet corn. Bad shine tastes like a wet dog smells.

Hahaha. Unfortunately, we can't get real moonshine in L.A. The only time I've tasted moonshine was when I was in Raleigh for work. Had it out of a mason jar, homemade. Good but crazy strong.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

Since it has sat around for 5 years in whatever conditions it is probably quite dry and the wood has shrunk. Fill it with water and let it sit and swell so it doesn't leak.

As for infection, most likely there are already some bugs in there since there has been no alcohol in it for some time. I would anticipate whatever you put in it will naturally become a sour anyways I wouldn't expect you to be able to barrel a clean beer in this barrel but I could be wrong

Fill the barrel with boiling water.
It will cause the wood to swell quicker and kill any bugs.

Then brew a Russian Imperial Stout or an old ale to fill the keg.