The Bondy Barrel Imperial Red Ale

any chance this will dissipate over time in the barrel? There should be some yeast at the bottom that can help pull the diacetyl out, no?

I put this beer in a couple of days ago.  The barrel is now filled to the brim.  I also took a tasting, the beer itself tastes terrific, however, as Dave helped point out, there is a quite strong scent of diacetyl (buttery popcorn off-flavor).  This is a pretty big flaw when having your beer judged, but some people enjoy the aroma.  Comes off better in an imperial red than it does in a lager, that's for sure.

there's the possibility I'll brew to fill this barrel.  We're risking a lot by keeping so much headspace unfilled.

it made it in.  Also, you left a hydrometer in it.  It's now in our hydrometer drawer in the office.

it went well. but there's about 7 gallons of headspace.  Derek said he'll try and brew for it in about a week.  We basically just need someone to ferment a weak beer (1030-1050).  If I get time I might brew something up, but I don't know if that's going to happen any earlier than a week. 

Also if u want to use the pump it is in the office.  just run some star san through it when done...and dont let it run dry for more than a few seconds. oh and of course you need to prime the pump - its a march 809 hs pump.

I'll be there around 3.

I would also like to have my carboy back...

   I think the dollar means we've paid.

Mash and sparge a lot.  I personally will typically plan to boil off 6 gallons worth total when doing a big beer.  I spose it's possible to get better numbers through less cumbersome methods.  Certainly it's not a boil off I could do from home but only with the equipment at the brew house.  I use either my brew pot or niilos and then use niilo's shorter burner.  That's the best combination.  Also, if you're in the brewhouse, kick on the fan in the upper right corner near the burners occassionally to help the movement of humidity out of the brewhouse and off your boiling beer. 

My schedule went something like this:  Mash with 8 gallons of water, get 5 out of the grain (lose three through grain absorption), then sparge with 6 gallons.  You'll be running off at something like 1012 at the end of that. 

I also mash for 90 minutes. 

Another tip, your strike water will need to be significantly warmer than usual for you to hit the accurate temperature.  For instance, I think my strike temperature was something like 172 or something to hit 154-156.

what is wrong with tommy's ?  There's a check by his name?

derek, it's your barrel so ultimately you can make the decisions on this but I'll just throw in my 2 cents as someone who brewed for the barrel.  I think that we have to take what we can get since there aren't a lot of people jumping on this at the moment.  I think there will be some residual fermentation taking place if we use a 6 day old batch, but that's almost to be expected anyways.  I think as long as we use an airlock on the barrel for a few days after barreling instead of the bung, then we'll be ok.  I've used an airlock on barrels before and it works fine.  The better bottle plastic things I think fit ok.  I'd recommend using one initially instead of a bung anyways.  Keep the bung in a mason jar filled with cheap spirits to preserve it and then replace after a week or two.  My first barrel pressurized and when I took the bung out the first time it blew its gasket and vomited beer everywhere and I've been using airlocks ever since at least for the first few weeks of barreling.

Derek, I dont think I am going to be able to have this brewed by the 10th after looking at my calendar.  The only day I can do this is the 18th...which only gives about 6 days of fermentation.  Are you okay with that?  I can offer up my spot to someone else if you have other people that are eager to brew for this.

I brewed mine up on Saturday. OG was 1.103.