What to do with an oak barrel?

[fettersp]

For chirstmas my brother got me a 3 gal oak barrel that was precharred.
I dont know what to do with it.
Iv done 10 batches of beers, wines and mead so im not experianced.
I dont know what this could be used for wxcept whisy and buorbon but thats illegal here

 

[Nate R]

For chirstmas my brother got me a 3 gal oak barrel that was precharred.
I dont know what to do with it.
Iv done 10 batches of beers, wines and mead so im not experianced.
I dont know what this could be used for wxcept whisy and buorbon but thats illegal here

Hot sauce??
That is a lot of hot sauce, but you could use as gifts.

 

[Qhrumphf]

A fresh charred barrel is going to be quite intense for beer, especially one that small. That doesn't mean you can't put beer into it, but you'd probably be looking at weeks (or less) before it's ready to back come out. And you'd be looking at wood character but not the aged character that comes with most "barrel aged" beers.

Depending on how long that barrel has been sitting before it ended up in your hands you may need to swell it up a bit as well so it doesn't leak. Standing the barrel on end and filling the exterior of the head with near boiling water, flipping, repeating, and repeating again a few times a day, and hammering the rings tight as you go, is my preferred way to do it. Filling the inside with near boiling water is faster and pasteurizes the barrel (to the extent that it can be...), but strips character and can create wonky staves if they swell unevenly. If it's fresh wood I'd be less concerned about sanitation (though less than if it held spirits, but moreso than if it held wine or beer)

 

[Snuffy]

Maybe you could trade it for stuff at your LHBS.

 

[Senormac]

That's super cool !! I think you should use it, and take your results as a learning experience. Then make adjustments. Try again. 3 gallons is not that much to practice with

 

[Dgallo]

I’ve read people making a simple stout and filling new Hb sized barrels and letting it sit for a few months just to extract the initial oak tannins out—Drink it or blend it. Then use it for barreling aging after that

 

[gbbeer]

My gf got me a smaller oak barrel last year. I've put it to regular use with several different stouts I've made. Initially I filled it with water for a few days, dumped it out, filled it with bourbon, let it sit for a period of time (the barrel soaked up more than half the bottle) and then eventually barrel aged my stouts. It's a great addition for anyone who likes that style/taste.

 

[cactusgarrett]

I'd LOVE to have one that small, as all of mine are 11+ gallons. yeah the pipeline is fat, but those volumes really handcuff a brewer with certain logistics.

Keep in mind that a barrel a) that new and b) that size rapidly accelerate beer aging. You're looking at intense barrel flavors for a handful of batches before it mellows out. Usually brewers with new barrels start dark/bold - imperial stouts, bigger stouts/porters, etc - styles that can accept the strong flavors. Eventually the barrel flavor will subside and you can expand your consideration of styles to age as well as plan to age for longer periods of time.