Empty barrels what to make of them?

[chefeffect]

I have a few questions regarding these barrels I acquired a year ago, my sweet as brewing brother in law found some equipment on ebay including wine press, 6 barrels with airlocks, and a grape crushed for under $500. I bought them for my cider trees and am planning to brew a heap of cider but that's at-least 3 years away. All the equipment was bought from an Italian dude whose father had passed away, his dad made wine and used the barrels for fermenting, he is probably rolling in his grave considering all the equipment would be over $2000 worth.

I want to know how they where commercially used? Surely not for fermenting beer on a large scale? At least not in Australia? They all look like traditional ale casks but they don't seem to have the regular key stone hole on the bottom, it appears to be a threaded hole in the middle just like the pic below. The top is just like a cask ale barrel with a large hole for a bung and fermenter.

I have 6 of these which I am not sure what size probably 50lt-70lt? You can see the cork in the fermenter bung hole:



Some are Firestone and the others made for Tooheys:



I also have this smaller one which is about 40lt and it just fits in my fermentation fridge:



My next question is what would people recommend brewing in these bad boys until I have enough apples. I was thinking maybe a Lambic but the temps here get over 45deg in summer and I wont be able to put them anywhere to regulate the temp, could I get away with the high temps for a lambic?

I was also thinking maybe a mead? Or a real ale, just not sure how I would dispense the beer maybe someone has advice on that too? I have a cool room which might help with suggestions but its for my business and needs to stay below 3deg.

I would really like to make something that can sit in them for a year or so as I have no other use for them

Cheers in advance. I have tried finding out what they where used for but cant really narrow it down, as I have not seen any others until I bought them which was for stuff all!!!

 

[slcmorro]

They'd make brilliant spits and pot bellies!

 

[chefeffect]

Yes I guess they would But I have an awesome pot belly and spit and it would be cool to use them for there intended use :beerbang:

 

[yum beer]

I dont know if your asking is serious or not,
those my friend are beer kegs, 18 gallon ones. They were standard before the piss weak 11 gallon became standard.
They filled from the side and used a spear in the top, they were a tricky fucker to tap and many a cellarman was injured by a spear that would come flying out at you if not inserted with enough force.
I'd suggest sending them my way there's not really anything you can do with them.

 

[mxd]

As above, I use 1 as my kettle, there nice and thick and stainless

there 80 litres, you could ferment, server etc.. out of them

 

[punkin]

The samller one is a 9 gallon or 40l keg. They are much too precious to cut up.

 

[QldKev]

As mentioned above, they are the old style kegs that were used before the 50L came out. They are actually 82L to the brim. I use one for my HLT, my mate also has them as his HLT and mash tuns. We paid $70 for our ones, but any where $60-$80 is a decent price.

Here's mine in use a few years back when I used to BIAB, almost getting to the boil

And it in it's newer home on the 3V

 

[chefeffect]

I dont know if your asking is serious or not,

Thanks for that I seriously had no idea how they where used, honestly only ever saw the 50lt kegs in my pub travels!!

The samller one is a 9 gallon or 40l keg. They are much too precious to cut up.

Great thanks good to know the size, and I agree with the precious part, they will come handy for the cider as mentioned, and wine if I get some vines in one day. :super:

They are actually 82L to the brim. I use one for my HLT, my mate also has them as his HLT and mash tuns. We paid $70 for our ones, but any where $60-$80 is a decent price.

Awesome thanks, also handy to know the actual size of these. Sweet looking use of them you have on going there!! 82lt BIAB pot sounds freaking awesome, I am tempted all-ready maybe one wont hurt!!

As above, I use 1 as my kettle, there nice and thick and stainless

there 80 litres, you could ferment, server etc.. out of them

Serve out of them?? I might have to do some research maybe I can make a real ale out of the 40lt one? All-though the flying spear scenario sounds not so good..

 

[punkin]

You can convert them to serve out of using balllocks. This one isn't used round here as i haven't soved the logistics of getting it into my keezer :lol:

 

[chefeffect]

You can convert them to serve out of using balllocks. This one isn't used round here as i haven't soved the logistics of getting it into my keezer :lol:

keg80l3.jpg

That's sweet!! Did you weld the ball locks onto it? And the centre piece how did you do that? Could be a handy option? All-ready have 50lt that I rarely use except for camping or parties, but if I need to store large amounts of cider might be helpful?

 

[mxd]

Serve out of them?? I might have to do some research maybe I can make a real ale out of the 40lt one? All-though the flying spear scenario sounds not so good..

beer engine, real ale

 

[Tiny_Tim]

I was thinking maybe a Lambic but the temps here get over 45deg in summer and I wont be able to put them anywhere to regulate the temp, could I get away with the high temps for a lambic?

As far as I know, once the primary fermentation is well and truly finished a lambic can handle a little summer warmth. Many of the barrels at Cantillon are stored in their attic, with no temperature control, throughout summer. 45 degrees would be pushing it a little.
I would not recommend making lambic in these though, oak barrels provide a far better environment for wild yeast & bacteria.

 

[S.E]

Thanks for that I seriously had no idea how they where used, honestly only ever saw the 50lt kegs in my pub travels!!


Great thanks good to know the size, and I agree with the precious part, they will come handy for the cider as mentioned, and wine if I get some vines in one day. :super:


Awesome thanks, also handy to know the actual size of these. Sweet looking use of them you have on going there!! 82lt BIAB pot sounds freaking awesome, I am tempted all-ready maybe one wont hurt!!


Serve out of them?? I might have to do some research maybe I can make a real ale out of the 40lt one? All-though the flying spear scenario sounds not so good..

I wouldn’t use them for serving real ale unless you intend to use it all within 3 or 4 days. The problem is with the large surface aria of the exposed beer it will oxidise quickly especially if you lay it horizontal to tap and serve.

If you want real ale to last longer it is best to use a container that minimises the surface aria of the beer exposed to the air as you serve.

For homebrew real ale you are better off conditioning and serving in a cube, jerry can or even a 30L fermenter, if using a fermenter you can push a hard or soft spile in the air lock grommet.

 

[chefeffect]

I wouldn’t use them for serving real ale unless you intend to use it all within 3 or 4 days. The problem is with the large surface aria of the exposed beer it will oxidise quickly especially if you lay it horizontal to tap and serve.

If you want real ale to last longer it is best to use a container that minimises the surface aria of the beer exposed to the air as you serve.

For homebrew real ale you are better off conditioning and serving in a cube, jerry can or even a 30L fermenter, if using a fermenter you can push a hard or soft spile in the air lock grommet.

Yeah the serving time was one thing I was concerned about. The cube idea or fermenter sounds like a better idea cheers...

 

[brad81]

Awesome thanks, also handy to know the actual size of these. Sweet looking use of them you have on going there!! 82lt BIAB pot sounds freaking awesome, I am tempted all-ready maybe one two wont hurt!!

Fixed it for you mate

 

[QldKev]

Serve the real ale connected to your CO2 bottle at 10kpa, so it has CO2 to fill the void and not air. Then you can take as long as you need.

 

[S.E]

Serve the real ale connected to your CO2 bottle at 10kpa, so it has CO2 to fill the void and not air. Then you can take as long as you need.

Such blasphemy. According to CAMRA who coined the phrase “real ale” you can’t serve real ale like that. However I don’t think CAMRA have Jurisdiction in Australia and can’t arrest you, so you may get away with it.

 

[punkin]

I bought the keg like that sorry.