Sour beers

[manticle]

Tony - I just mean a silicon bung in the top - seals well and less likely to impart any flavour than a rubber one.

The ones I have have holes for an airlock so I have tended to fit the airlock then wrap the airlock with glad and foil. A hole-less bung would be best if you can find one.

When you bulk age for such a long time, you want to reduce exposure to oxygen as much as possible, particulalry if you want to keep aceto levels in check.

 

[Tony]

But a hogshead is sooooo much cheaper Tony, a bulk brew day perhaps?

Mmmmmm i have been doing some serious thinking about it but, 220 liters of lambic is a touch scary.

I want it to sit for at least a year, maybe 2 before i even look like bottling it. a 1/4 tonne barrel will not be fun to move when we move house which we plan to do in the next year.

I think i will start with the first one in a 23L glass Demijohn and source some good European oak staves. These can be kept and put in successive batched to impart their ingrained infections

 

[winkle]

Mmmmmm i have been doing some serious thinking about it but, 220 liters of lambic is a touch scary.

I want it to sit for at least a year, maybe 2 before i even look like bottling it. a 1/4 tonne barrel will not be fun to move when we move house which we plan to do in the next year.

I think i will start with the first one in a 23L glass Demijohn and source some good European oak staves. These can be kept and put in successive batched to impart their ingrained infections

We are thinking the same way mate (hey 220L is ONLY 10 cornies to drink if it goes pear shaped )

 

[NickB]

C'mon guys, you don't need to fill the 220L to capacity (initially)....

Just whack a double batch in...easy to carry and move house with. Then pull out half, top up again, and you have a perpetual brew ala the BABBs brew.....

 

[Tony]

Funny you mention that Nick. I was also stewing on the idea of a beer version of a master stock so to speak if i did get the big barrel.

Every 6 months, drain 50 liters or so to mature on fruit or by its self prior to bottling. Would be great to have other people in on the venture as well. Make a day to come collect a corny

Only issue i can see is will the barrel leak if its not completely full?

A free french oak barrel that has been used for white wine would work quite well and save me about $500

 

[seamad]

I've contemplated a solera type system for sours/lambics, and just take a portion out, some straight, others dumped on sour cherries or raspberries etc into demijohns, should get a pretty complex beer after a few years. Only partially filling will likely result in leaks and oxidation issues.
I have a 225 barrel at home from a wine bottling club I was in BC, its sat a while empty so may be buggered. Would be good to get a couple of brewers together to make it a bit more manageable.

 

[Tony]

I can knock out 60 liters on my main rig and 35 in my little rig in one day.

No chill them and go again the next day.

It will take 8 smack packs to get the correct pitching rate if i do it :O

 

[NickB]

Well, I can get 3 cubes on mine in a pinch, not high gravity beers but still.

Be keen for a road trip and an AHB master brew for sure!

Cheers

 

[Tony]

I know at least one other bloke locally who would be in on a communal brew, who has a passion for sour beers.

I will have to ask him.

I have sent a message to my friend to start organizing a barrel

 

[Mobbee007]

I'd love to be part of this Tony if it's possible? Am happy to road trip to the Hunter for it & I love sour beer
Cheers
Steve

 

[tazman1967]

I used put some of this into my Flanders Red:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SOUTH-AUSTRALIAN-RED-WINE-STAINED-FRENCH-OAK-STAVES-/380520177243?pt=AU_Building_Materials&hash=item5898c51e5b

I have some staves left over, was thinking of other beer styles to use them in.

 

[Adam Howard]

Edit: Manticle covered this already, if you just use tin foil for the entire period of aging you will end up with a large ingress of oxygen and acetobacter taking hold. Once fermentation really slows down and you don't have that nice blanket of CO2 forcing its way out the temp fluctuations allow the carboy to breathe in ambient air.

Totally with you on the wine barrel idea. You will find though if you go with a smaller barrel you will get a far more pronounced oak character and also more oxidation due to the surface area to volume ratio. Get a few mates together and get a full size one. Going to get one myself to maintain a Flanders Red as a solera. Have a good read of The Mad Fermentationist's blog for a tonne of info on Lambics and oak aging.

 

[Tony]

True.

I have sources a site where i can get silicon bungs. Will invest in one or 2.

My mate said it may be difficult to get a barrel as most used barrels were ditched in November at end of vintage, but he is going to see what he can chase up.

I am currently speed aging half a kilo of hops in the oven at 95 deg and the smell is almost overpowering.

A local friend who will be going in on the project has a kilo of 5 year old hops he said he would donate to the project if i get it off the ground

RexBanner, sounds like a plan mate, i will keep you posted.

I am thinking of also making another Berlinner Weisse with the smack pack i have in the fridge, and adding Brett to it this time round, and let it sit for a year as well.

 

[adryargument]

Tony,
If your able to source more than one barrel are you able to let me know?
I'm looking to increase my barrel count for more long term lambics.

Cheers

 

[winkle]

How many people in Brisbane would be keen barrel up a lambic or a Flander Red?

 

[tazman1967]

Count me in for either a Lambic OR Flanders Red
Cheers
Peter

 

[Tony]

I am in the process of ordering the bits needed for a flanders red.

going to make a 20 liter batch and put it on Roeselare in a demijohn for a year or 2. Also got some french oak chunks to age it on

The smack packs for sale are almost a year old but should be ok i hope.

 

[seamad]

Shameless plug here.

Trying to organize a bulk buy, have contacted Yalumba and can get 100l octaves for $80 each, Pallet to Brisbane $160 [ 3/ pallet]

Check bulk buy section and put your name down if interested.

cheers
sean

 

[Damien13]

Hey Seamad... you sound awesome. Did you know there is a homebrew club on the Goldy now?
A group barrel would be frigging epic....

 

[seamad]

Trust me I'm far from awesome. I saw that a GC club had started and would like to attend a few but I live on Tamborine Mtn, so a bit far to travel, especially if you want to sample a few brews.Winkles idea of a group barrel is very tempting too, but again it's a bit of a drive from here, it's why I am trying to get a 100l, get my self set up with a solera system. Just pull off a couple of demijohns worth onto some fruit each year and top up the barrel.