Oak barrel aging

JamieD · Dec 31, 2016

Hi,

I got a small oak barrel for Chrimbo, it is designed for aging your beer or spirts etc, and give your drink an oaky flavour. Does anybody else have one or have used one of these before? The instructions are a bit vague. I would of thought by pouring beer into it the beer would go flat, or should you bottle it after it has been the barrel for a bit.
It says that the barrel should be turned a quarter every 2-14 days, which would indicate it has to be in there for a fair bit.

Cheers
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Mark D Pirate · Dec 31, 2016

What beer are you planning on ageing ?
I've not done it myself yet but know others that age imperial stouts and strong Belgiuns in used whiskey barrels , usually for over 6 months

KC · Jan 17, 2017

Use it for aging, then carbonate separately unless its a style that doesn't need it, like barleywine. Traditionally, some beers (especially sours) can age up to 2-3 years but most of us don't have that patience. Be aware that the small barrels have a much higher ratio of surface:volume so the oak and char flavors are imparted much faster than full size barrels. Draw a sample every month to check progress.