4 replies to this topic

[brewhead]

on saturday some of our club members and i will be FINALLY creating the bourbon barrel oak aged mead. we will ferment this then transfer it to a fresh dumped 55 gallon oak barrel to set in a 65 deg cool room for a year. AND THEN IT'S ON!

[Hightest]

As a thought to consider, after transferring the mead to the barrel you might want to sample it at regular intervals - perhaps monthly after the first 3 months - just to ensure the oaking doesn't become overpowering.

Edited by Hightest, 27 March 2009 - 07:51 AM.

[brewhead]

As a thought to consider, after transferring the mead to the barrel you might want to sample it at regular intervals - perhaps monthly after the first 3 months - just to ensure the oaking doesn't become overpowering.

we did this on our bourbon barrel imperial stout. along with an extra 5 gallons on the side to top off the "angels share". we won two first places and an honerable mention with that project. and i am really excited to do this one as well. we'll keep a taste bud on the process :)the only time i've found the oaking to come up pretty fast is with smaller barrels. i guess it's the liquid to wood ratio.

[Hightest]

...the only time i've found the oaking to come up pretty fast is with smaller barrels. i guess it's the liquid to wood ratio.

Yes. Smaller capacity barrels have a larger surface area, compared to their volume, than do larger capacity barrels; and therefore, smaller barrels tend to impart their oak flavors faster than do larger barrels.

[BeesNBrews]

I used bourban soaked oak chips then got side-tracked for two months. What an over-oaked mead that turned out to be! The bourban comes through nice; if only it didn't seem like I were licking a tree every time I took a sip