7 replies to this topic

[SWAGMAN]

Hello brewersMy friend Pancho and myself made a batch of Port wine which is aging in a oak charred barrel. Now Pancho is known for coming up with some off the wall ideals from time to time. BUT: he stated why not age a beer in the barrel after the port is aged??? In all my years of brewing I can't recall this being done but at my age that could have been done yesterday and I don't remember. lolAnd to top it off his choice of beer Porter. Porter port that's close to the copper clappers kept in a closet.Anybody out there tried or hear of anybody trying it? Dominus VobiscumSwagman

[strangebrewer]

Russian River does this quite a bit. In fact all of their sour beers come from barrels previously used for Chardonnay, Cab Sauv, and Pinot Noir. Now Port wine is a different beast with it's flavor profile but that just means you have to taste frequently and you may have to pull the first batch early and have a 2nd batch waiting in the wings.What's a good first beer for a port wine barrel I'm not sure. My first thought is actually a mead to mellow what will be a pretty intense grape character from the port. Next in line I'd think Belgian or Saison but that's just me. If those aren't your style I'd think the right porter could handle it but again I'd keep a close eye on it!

[CaptRon]

As strangebrewer pointed out Russian River Brewing does a lot of this. I live in the area of Russian River (Santa Rosa, CA) and so I am lucky that I get to frequently drink their brews. For the Oak Barrel aged brews, I've had their Damnation 23 and Consecration. Both are EXCELLENT, but I think the Damnation 23 really showcases the oak aging as Consecration is aged with currants which is good but I just prefer the Damnation 23. Check it out: https://russianriver...web/barrel.htmlI think you should follow what Vinnie at RR does and maybe try a Belgian Strong Ale. Maybe a good time to check out brewing with Brettanomyces. That is also on that page that I linked.

[tjthresh]

You could hit on of the Lukas stores and fin a JW Lees that has been conditioned in port barrels. Barrel aged beers are becoming more common than non-barrel aged beers it seems.

[japh]

Port-Porter may work, and it has a kind of nice name-continuity. Now, from what I understand (I've never done a barrel brew, just on chunks), you want something higher in alcohol to extract all of the good stuff from the barrel. I'd also be concerned about the potentially overwhelming flavor profile of the Port.If you really like Porter, you could do 2 batches through the barrel and blend them.

[rockon]

Sounds like a great idea. Why waste a good barrel? I've never had one, but I've heard of beers being aged in a port barrel. I think I would go with something a little darker like a dubbel or belgian strong ale. Porter could also be good, but I wouldn't use too much roasted grains. My feeling is that the roasty/ coffee flavors would not blend well with the port sweetness. I have little experience with barrel aging, though, so YMMV.

[awall]

the CBC does a lot of barrel-aged barleywine. i've had some from whiskey, chardonnay, and merlot barrels. The recently had a porter that was aged in a bourbon barrel and it was fantastic. short answer, go for it!

[djinkc]

Kolsch