Steam sanitizing a wooden barrel?

[user 35653]

Hey all,

I've just scored a 20L wooden barrel. I haven't picked it up yet however I nor the seller have any idea what's been in it. My aim is to age some RIS.

Other than the standard hot water rinse/sodium per-carbonate wash I've read it's good to do a steam sanatization to kill any brett/wild yeast that's living in the wood.

Option 1:
Does anyone know of a service where this is offered? (I've googled and see lots of companies that offer the equipment but not the service per se)

Option 2:
Can I use a home based method and achieve the same results? I was thinking of a hand-held steam cleaner? (plugging the hole, etc)

Some pictures of said barrel:


Thanks,

BrutusB.

 

[Droopy Brew]

Perhaps put a few inches of water in your boil kettle (if it's big enough to hold the barrel) prop the barrel up above the water (can use anything such as a cake rack etc) and pop the lid on. Boil for 20 minutes or so and give it a good sauna.

 

[Lionman]

boiling water maybe?

If you filled your brew kettle with water, boiled it, you could fill the barrel, let it soak, empty, repeat a few times. After a good soak with naperc of course.

 

[labels]

A lot of those port barrels have waxed ends to stop the port from becoming too wooded, worth checking that out first. Having said that I did have a barrel steam cleaned and it worked out really good however, I had access to super-heated steam from an industrial boiler - I think a home steamer would be be pretty useless. Try doing a thorough google on barrel cleaning . . .

 

[user 35653]

A lot of those port barrels have waxed ends to stop the port from becoming too wooded, worth checking that out first.

I didn't realise it was a port barrel or that they could be waxed. Lucky I only paid $20 for it.

 

[niftinev]

Is the black on the tap end mould/mildew? and does the inside look clean (what you can see) when you shine a torch in it, If mouldy (black) inside I would not use it and not sure if you can get rid of it without tainting and not being able to use

If the inside looks ok maybe blast the outside then just submerge it in lukewarm water first to make sure it seals, then I would just rinse with a little water and a vigorous shake a couple of times to remove any gunk (if any inside) then sterilise with alcohol.

 

[labels]

You only paid $20.00 for it. It would be well worth your while knocking off the hoops from one end and the middle, dropping the end out and cleaning it. It also give you the option of 'firing' it with fire (just google firing a wooden barrel) and then reaasemble by popping the hoops back on and putting the end back in and then soaking to create a water tight barrel

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Or just use it as an awesome novelty pot to grow hops in. That would be my thought for a $20 purchase. The burning inside barrel idea can be everything you condition in it tastes like your drinking out of an ash tray. ymmv

 

[Feldon]

Haven't read this book but I recall it got good reviews when it came out not too long ago. Might be worth a squiz if you are keen on learning how to maintain and use wooden vessels for beer.

 

[Blind Dog]

You only paid $20.00 for it. It would be well worth your while knocking off the hoops from one end and the middle, dropping the end out and cleaning it. It also give you the option of 'firing' it with fire (just google firing a wooden barrel) and then reaasemble by popping the hoops back on and putting the end back in and then soaking to create a water tight barrel

If you go this route, number the staves with something that'll stay on through the cleaning. Found that one out the hard way.

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

You only paid $20.00 for it. It would be well worth your while knocking off the hoops from one end and the middle, dropping the end out and cleaning it. It also give you the option of 'firing' it with fire (just google firing a wooden barrel) and then reaasemble by popping the hoops back on and putting the end back in and then soaking to create a water tight barrel

A few tips: if the barrel is mouldy, don't bother trying to clean it, you can't get mould flavour out of wood.

IMO refiring a used barrel always creates an identifiable off character.

Unless you've refitted a head to a barrel before expect to have a few tries before you get it right: the pros have a special tool that they use to work around the staves. I've done it without the tool but never on a barrel I intended to re-use, only on ones I was selling off for garden pots. If you get it wrong and notch the vee on the edge of the head it will leak.


Re inspecting the insides of a barrel: I use a high power white LED on a short length of wire, with heatshrink around the wire end of the LED to reduce backscatter. Also very useful when filling: dangle the LED at the required fill height and watch the reflection as the level rises. when the reflection reaches the light you are at your selected fill height. If the light disappears you've gone over. If the sides of the barrel are wet you've gone way over.

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

I think a home steamer would be be pretty useless. . . .

I just checked the compliance label on the barrel steamer I'm using as I write. It uses 15 kW, runs on a 3 phase 415 V x 20 A supply. Takes about half an hour to treat a barrel so that's about 8 kWh.

I think that confirms that the home steamer won't work at all.