Here is the 4 second version... I gotta sour something in a bourbon barrel.
Here is the really long version...
I have a 60 gal used merlot barrel in the basement that a few of us made a RR Consecretion clone in a year and a half ago (there's a big obnoxious thread on here about it). After we emptied that barrel over this past summer, we did a turbid mash lambic to fill the barrel back up. So, 60 gallons of something full of bugs in a reasonably small storage area in my basement for a year and a half. I also have a couple of fermenters of oud bruin going down there all.
My HBC just bottled up a big quad that was aged in a 60 gal Jim Beam bourbon barrel. No one wanted the barrel so I jumped on it and now it is sitting in my garage... and I gots ta' fill it.
I gotta put the new barrel right next to the other one so I don't see the new barrel NOT getting all bugified... hence the need to sour something in a bourbon barrel.
So the question is what the hell do I put in it?
Sour and bourbon? And I don't wanna do a sour porter.... I don't think.
The only thing I can come up with (which wasn't really my idea) was to do this freakin' stupid Imperial Rye Wit that I've been fist-fighting trying to make for a couple months. First recipe was drinkable but not great. Second attempt, I was feeling all good about it... and three weeks ago I noticed... shockingly.. a nice fluffy pellicle forming up on the damn thing. I guess I can taste it but it's not soured up yet and even if I do taste it, I'm not sure I'm going to get a better idea if it would work with oak and bourbon overtones.
Plus... there's the the lovely issue of mashing 8.9 million freakin' pounds of wheat and rye.
Not sure if I'll have any of my usual volunteers to help with this batch (and not sure I wanna subject them to this stupidity) so I might be looking at pullin' the whole 60 gallons myself.
My initial thought is two big batches over a freakin' MARATHON Saturday... and I'll most likely primary it outside of the barrel and then rack into it.
I have a free Saturday coming up in a week and a half so I gots ta figure out what I'm putting in this barrel so I can grab an azsload of grain and yeast.
Here is the really long version...
I have a 60 gal used merlot barrel in the basement that a few of us made a RR Consecretion clone in a year and a half ago (there's a big obnoxious thread on here about it). After we emptied that barrel over this past summer, we did a turbid mash lambic to fill the barrel back up. So, 60 gallons of something full of bugs in a reasonably small storage area in my basement for a year and a half. I also have a couple of fermenters of oud bruin going down there all.
My HBC just bottled up a big quad that was aged in a 60 gal Jim Beam bourbon barrel. No one wanted the barrel so I jumped on it and now it is sitting in my garage... and I gots ta' fill it.
I gotta put the new barrel right next to the other one so I don't see the new barrel NOT getting all bugified... hence the need to sour something in a bourbon barrel.
So the question is what the hell do I put in it?
Sour and bourbon? And I don't wanna do a sour porter.... I don't think.
The only thing I can come up with (which wasn't really my idea) was to do this freakin' stupid Imperial Rye Wit that I've been fist-fighting trying to make for a couple months. First recipe was drinkable but not great. Second attempt, I was feeling all good about it... and three weeks ago I noticed... shockingly.. a nice fluffy pellicle forming up on the damn thing. I guess I can taste it but it's not soured up yet and even if I do taste it, I'm not sure I'm going to get a better idea if it would work with oak and bourbon overtones.
Plus... there's the the lovely issue of mashing 8.9 million freakin' pounds of wheat and rye.
Not sure if I'll have any of my usual volunteers to help with this batch (and not sure I wanna subject them to this stupidity) so I might be looking at pullin' the whole 60 gallons myself.
My initial thought is two big batches over a freakin' MARATHON Saturday... and I'll most likely primary it outside of the barrel and then rack into it.
I have a free Saturday coming up in a week and a half so I gots ta figure out what I'm putting in this barrel so I can grab an azsload of grain and yeast.