Used Whisky Barrel

[LakesideBrewing]

Hey,

I have been brewing for over 20 years but have only recently dove into the world of bacteria, bugs, etc.. I have a Balcones Whisky Barrel that has served me well. It has had 4 batches in it and I'm looking to sour it with some Brett while I age a Saison in it. Here's the problem: I don't want any, any, whisky flavor in my Saison. Is there any way to 'strip' away any remaining whisky flavor from the barrel. Boiling water? Should I let it sit for a period of time with water in it? Any help on this would be great; I've search high and low for an answer.

Thanks,
Mike

P.s. Mods, please move if this might be in the wrong spot. Thanks.

 

[ne0t0ky0]

I just filled my first whiskey barrel which had 3 batches over a period of a year. I used this:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/diy-barrel-steamer-307507/

along with a complete fill with boiling water.

My lambic-style beer with ECY-20 is about 3 months old at this point and I get zero whiskey, but quite a bit of oak... in fact it was really incredible during primary fermentation.

Every single barrel I have will eventually go down this path; =)

 

[LakesideBrewing]

Perfect! Thanks, that was exactly what I wanted to know.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[ChugachBrewing]

I just rinsed 3-4 times with hot tap water (about 150degF) and haven't had any whiskey flavors in my ECY20 barrel.

How much whiskey flavor are you getting after the 4th batch? I found I wasn't getting much after my 3rd batch. One barrel I got from a brewery that had used it for their beer, and after rinsing I couldn't identify any whiskey flavors.

 

[LakesideBrewing]

I still had a small amount of whisky character left in my last beer from the barrel. It was a barleywine and I kept it in the barrel for a few months. I'll rinse it out a few times with real hot water. Thanks.

 

[dcp27]

It has had 4 batches in it and I'm looking to sour it with some Brett while I age a Saison in it.

just an FYI, while brett can kick off a lil acetic with oxygen exposure, brett alone won't make it a sour, you need bacteria for that.