How to Oak Beer in a Used Bourbon Barrel
Acquire a used bourbon barrel., Determine a safe, temperature controlled place to store the barrel., Brew enough beer to almost fill a bourbon barrel., Drain off any residual bourbon., Check the inside of the barrel., Secure the barrel on a stable...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Acquire a used bourbon barrel.
Used barrels can be ordered online or through homebrew shops.
Distilleries may have used barrels available.
Bourbon is whiskey, with a mash bill of at least 51% corn, made in the United States and aged in charred, new oak barrels.
It's fine if the metal banding on the barrel is rusty, but the wood should not be overly deteriorated.
There may be residual bourbon in the barrel.
It's a good sign if there is, because the oak should stay wet in order to prevent shrinkage of the wood and resulting leaks.
The barrel's bunghole should also be securely sealed with a rubber stopper, as this will help to ensure that the inside of the barrel has remained moist and free of external contaminants.
A barrel with residual bourbon also probably won’t harbor a large amount of microbes because alcohol is antimicrobial, although wood will always harbor certain microbes that actually give oak beer desirable sensory qualities. -
Step 2: Determine a safe
A cool basement with a concrete floor is optimal, as this will need to sit several months or years.
There is always a chance for leakage, so make sure it's on a surface that can be cleaned. , Bourbon barrels have a capacity of 53 gallons (200.6 L).
If you're a home brewer, you'll most likely need to brew quite a few batches to fill one barrel.
This is quite doable, however, since the barrel will be filled with fermented, uncarbonated beer.
Just have your full carboys or conical fermenters ready when you're going to fill the barrel, or invite some friends to brew together. , Invert the barrel and drain the bourbon through the bunghole.
The residual bourbon will contain charcoal because the inside of bourbon barrels are charred.
The residual bourbon will contain a fair amount of charcoal particles.
Removing the residual bourbon serves to remove these charcoal particles, but you'll also end up with some bourbon that you can filter with a cheesecloth and drink or use as desired. , Use a flashlight to inspect the inside of the barrel for unwanted objects or damage. , Put the barrel on a platform that, if desired, can be moved with a forklift or pallet jack, such as a small wooden pallet.
Screw or otherwise fasten blocks to the platform that will keep the barrel from moving, but never drill, screw, or nail into the barrel itself. , Fill the barrel with uncarbonated beer using any means that you have available.
Use a siphon, sankey-keg filling line, or other such means.
Leave a little head space.
Use a flashlight to monitor the fill level.
Be sure to sanitize the filling equipment, as you want to prevent as much microbial contamination as possible, even though the beer will become contaminated in the barrel to a certain extent.
Don’t be overly concerned with preventing oxidation, as the beer will oxidize to a certain extent while aging in the barrel (oak barrels are somewhat permeable to the outside air).
However, it should be fine to purge the barrel with CO2 in order to prevent initial oxidation, and it's always a good idea to place the end of the filling tube at the bottom of the barrel to prevent splashing, which is a major cause of oxidation. , Sanitize an airlock and a drilled rubber stopper, and securely set them in the bunghole.
Fill the airlock with sanitizer so that the bunghole is sealed from the open air. , The aging process can last from one month to over one year.
If desired, take small samples with sanitized equipment during the aging process to determine when you think it is ready. , When the beer is ready to keg or bottle, siphon or pump it out and into the kegs or bottles.
At this point it may be a good idea to purge kegs and/or bottles with CO2 to prevent additional oxidation and stabilize the beer.
Also, be sure to sanitize the bottling equipment, as well as the kegs and/or bottles. -
Step 3: temperature controlled place to store the barrel.
-
Step 4: Brew enough beer to almost fill a bourbon barrel.
-
Step 5: Drain off any residual bourbon.
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Step 6: Check the inside of the barrel.
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Step 7: Secure the barrel on a stable platform.
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Step 8: Fill the barrel with beer.
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Step 9: Seal the bunghole with an airlock.
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Step 10: Let the beer age in the barrel.
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Step 11: Remove the beer from the barrel and package it.
Detailed Guide
Used barrels can be ordered online or through homebrew shops.
Distilleries may have used barrels available.
Bourbon is whiskey, with a mash bill of at least 51% corn, made in the United States and aged in charred, new oak barrels.
It's fine if the metal banding on the barrel is rusty, but the wood should not be overly deteriorated.
There may be residual bourbon in the barrel.
It's a good sign if there is, because the oak should stay wet in order to prevent shrinkage of the wood and resulting leaks.
The barrel's bunghole should also be securely sealed with a rubber stopper, as this will help to ensure that the inside of the barrel has remained moist and free of external contaminants.
A barrel with residual bourbon also probably won’t harbor a large amount of microbes because alcohol is antimicrobial, although wood will always harbor certain microbes that actually give oak beer desirable sensory qualities.
A cool basement with a concrete floor is optimal, as this will need to sit several months or years.
There is always a chance for leakage, so make sure it's on a surface that can be cleaned. , Bourbon barrels have a capacity of 53 gallons (200.6 L).
If you're a home brewer, you'll most likely need to brew quite a few batches to fill one barrel.
This is quite doable, however, since the barrel will be filled with fermented, uncarbonated beer.
Just have your full carboys or conical fermenters ready when you're going to fill the barrel, or invite some friends to brew together. , Invert the barrel and drain the bourbon through the bunghole.
The residual bourbon will contain charcoal because the inside of bourbon barrels are charred.
The residual bourbon will contain a fair amount of charcoal particles.
Removing the residual bourbon serves to remove these charcoal particles, but you'll also end up with some bourbon that you can filter with a cheesecloth and drink or use as desired. , Use a flashlight to inspect the inside of the barrel for unwanted objects or damage. , Put the barrel on a platform that, if desired, can be moved with a forklift or pallet jack, such as a small wooden pallet.
Screw or otherwise fasten blocks to the platform that will keep the barrel from moving, but never drill, screw, or nail into the barrel itself. , Fill the barrel with uncarbonated beer using any means that you have available.
Use a siphon, sankey-keg filling line, or other such means.
Leave a little head space.
Use a flashlight to monitor the fill level.
Be sure to sanitize the filling equipment, as you want to prevent as much microbial contamination as possible, even though the beer will become contaminated in the barrel to a certain extent.
Don’t be overly concerned with preventing oxidation, as the beer will oxidize to a certain extent while aging in the barrel (oak barrels are somewhat permeable to the outside air).
However, it should be fine to purge the barrel with CO2 in order to prevent initial oxidation, and it's always a good idea to place the end of the filling tube at the bottom of the barrel to prevent splashing, which is a major cause of oxidation. , Sanitize an airlock and a drilled rubber stopper, and securely set them in the bunghole.
Fill the airlock with sanitizer so that the bunghole is sealed from the open air. , The aging process can last from one month to over one year.
If desired, take small samples with sanitized equipment during the aging process to determine when you think it is ready. , When the beer is ready to keg or bottle, siphon or pump it out and into the kegs or bottles.
At this point it may be a good idea to purge kegs and/or bottles with CO2 to prevent additional oxidation and stabilize the beer.
Also, be sure to sanitize the bottling equipment, as well as the kegs and/or bottles.
About the Author
Rachel Stone
Brings years of experience writing about home improvement and related subjects.
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