My brother in law is a homebrewer in the SW burbs. He is also a regular at kenwood liquors which is one of the top liquor stores in that area. The beer manager there got 2 barrels from smooth ambler (7 and 8- yr bourbon barrels). He wanted my brother to fill them but he doesn't really have the capacity to do it. He asked me if we wanted the barrels free of charge. In return we would have to give the guy from kenwood maybe a sixtels worth from each barrel. My understanding is he wants them to give to some of his better customers, etc. I told him I would ask around. Do we have the room for two new 55-gal barrels? If we do wanna do it, we should brew for them ASAP as they are at kenwood, wrapped and ready to fill.
Wed, Aug 20, 2014 - 9:09pm
#1
2 free recently emptied bourbon barrels
Wow what a huge and amazing oppurtunity. I'd say the club should definately jump on this oppurtunity.
I'm in.
I think we should accept them either way.
I will be at chaos tonight for a little to try and see how we can accomodate them.
Lets keep this as a running pole for people who want in. Keep in mind we have alot of barrels to be filled and soon.
Ok. Let me know if we have room and we can try to arrange pick up ASAP. I'd like to brew for one, if not both. I think the guy from Kenwood is looking for a stout, so maybe we could do one barrel as a RIS. Ideas for the second? I nominate a quad.
In for one barrel, barleywine preferably.
If we take them, I think we should be clear on the expectation that it will be probably 7-9 months at least before he sees any beer from these, possibly more..
i'd rather do something other than a barley wine since we already have some in a barrel currently, but if thats what consensus is...
I'm in for one of the barrels if we decide to pick them up.
I am more than happy to get in on another barrel project.
Would love to do another barrel-aged session beer of some kind
A session beer could be interesting and fun.
Maby a new take on a common whiskey drink Like Whiskey gingerale or Wiskey and Cranberry, etc. Ive never had anything like what im imagining a beer version of this would taste like but im open to new ideas.
Oaked Belgian single? Or Patersbier?
What did you guys do in the past?
We did a Cali Common a few years ago that was good stuff, and there were plans to refill that barrel with Saison, but we never got the volume
I was thinking about one of those recent "House" recipes like the Brown Ale or the BIPA
I like the Northern Brown ale for a barrel project. We could probably even get a mixed whiskey drink flavor with it, as well, if we thought about it enough. (Meaning I have no idea at the moment how we would do that.)
In to brew for this...
I could be down for the brown...
We were all speaking last night about this and came up with that house brown recipe would be great.
However I think that having 2 pretty identical barrels is too good of an opertunity to not do some sort of experiment with. i.e. 2 different recipes, 2 different aging conditions, effects of 2 different styles of brewing on an aged product. any other ideas?
so it sounds like we want these barrels. anyone have a truck we could use for pickup?
I really think we just need to invite Cory King over to teach us how to make an Abraxas and Sump clones.
I'm down to brew for one or both of these. I do like the idea of using these two identical barrels in some sort of experiment.
I have a truck and would be in to brew whatever. Perhaps come do one with someone at the club.
I pass through Oak Park often and can pick up the barrels and drop them off at Chaos if needed. I have a Jeep Cherokee and I think I could fit one or both. I'd also like to join for one of the barrels.
My brother-in-law is delivering the barrels Sunday morning at 10:30. I think well need a couple more pairs of hands. Any volunteers?
The barrels are at the brewhouse. Didn't know where to put em so we put them in the middle of the floor. Let's get some recipes! I like the RIS and the brown ale ideas.
Here is an idea. Since Stone didn't ship the wootstout out of CA this year, Wil Wheaton decided to give out the recipe via northern brewer.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/allgrain/AG-w00tstout.pdf
Could be a really interesting barrel.
That looks like a good recipe. It would be interesting to try to replicate a popular commercial beer.
On another note, my brother-in-law told me that the guy from kenwood has semi-unrealistic expectations about how much beer he'll be getting from the barrel. He said he wants like 30% of the yield. My BIL tried to explain to him the cost and labor behind brewing these beers so thatight have backed him down a little. I also suggested to him that it might be a good idea when the beers ready to perhaps do an event at kenwood to showcase chaos and home brewing in general. I will be donating half of my yield to kenwood.
So it was discussed today at the meeting that it will be next to impossible to realistically get both of these barrels filled in time to make it worth while.
we will enternain 1 barrel only to fill. This wootstout recipe seams right up our alley. Next week we will be emptying 2 of the currently filled barrels and do some reorganizing to make room for this so anyone is welcome to come.
i will head this up and start a new official thread to get this acomlished. In order to get this done well and within a reasonable span of time we will due 2 official big brew days were we can ensure quality and get all of the brews together. Sign up for at least one of these days or you will be left out.
It will also need to be decided now if this guy who donated the barrels wants what we can reasonable give him or scrapped all together.
If he wants the second barrel back to let him know.
i would say that its reasonable to give him 1 full share 1/2 from general and 1/2 from mike since you said your willing to.
Sorry a wasn't able to make the meeting yesterday. I'm down to brew at least 10 gallons for the barrel project, but I'm not sure how many others are i interested. I'll keep my eye out for the new thread! Thanks
I wasn't at the meeting. Why are we only going to use one barrel if we are emptying 2 others soon? Seems like we would have room for 2 new barrels if that's the case.
Those spaces are planned for future projects and those barrels are being filled with other beer.
Okay. I just wish someone would have told me not to acquire both barrels. According to this thread from earlier, we were interested in both. I don't care if we are using both or not, but I don't want it to go to waste. I'm going to pick up the second barrel Saturday morning when I drop off my carboy for the barleywine barrel that is being emptied. If anyone wants to help brew for that barrel, let me know via PM.
Sorry. Hopes and dreams and talk are different then actual actions.
Im really trying to rectify the barrel aging program into a better working machine and how we always used to do it was last minute and depending on everyone else to follow through with brewing wich never got done.
Im sure if we brewed something for these on our own it would take min 1 month for everyone to brew. By that time who knows what condition the barrels would be in.
Were as space has to be alocated for future more successful barrel projects.
There was a lot of interest (including from Me) in filling a barrel, one of these or something else, with the House Brown Ale. Can we still make that happen?
There was a lot of interest (including from Me) in filling a barrel, one of these or something else, with the House Brown Ale. Can we still make that happen?
If everyone wanted to and the concern was strictly space I could store in my garage. I plan to keep the heat on at a cool temp this winter at least 40-45. Also I could run a 15 gal batch off depending on gravity. Still not sure how that would stack up against time and what oxygen risk would be during transport. I have a 2ton portable cherry picker so lifting it would not be big concern.
Hi Mike. I'm down to brew for that 2nd lonley barel and it sounds like Jer-Bear will have the space to store it. I have never brewed for/filled a barrel and wouldn't be able to take lead on it or anything. I'm guessing your guy would still want a 30% yield of the end result? I'm cool with that.
John
Jer-Bear, thanks for offering up your garage. I might take you up on it. Right now, it looks like we are going to bring it back to Kenwood and store it there. My brother-in-law and I are going to try to fill it ourselves, but might need help with 10-15 gallons. Jer-Bear and johngammal, I'll let you know if we need the extra gallons.
Sounds like a plan. Thanks Mike!
Just let me know if you need something. I was just offering to help out. I am brewing this weekend but will have some capacity in about a week or so.