Well I not long ago scored myself an oak barrel to play with. I asked everyone what they thought I should do with it in this thread
http://thebrewingnetwork.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4259
Well the barrel turns out to be around 38-40 litres rather than the 25-30 I thought it was going to be and it used to contain, and in fact still contains a few litres of port. So here's what I'm gonna do with it. I'd like your opinions on the idea and the recipe.
I'm going ot do an Old Ale in it. Its going to basically be the recipe from BYO may-june 06 issue from the recipe on how to clone Newcastle brown. You have to do an old ale and then a low OG amber ale and blend them. I thought I would do the old ale, age it in the barrel, then blend 2 cornies worth of Newkie (ish) and still have enough left over for a keg of old ale.
The only changes I have made, is to make the old ale a chunk "bigger" I want it to handle the port notes and any oak it might pick up from the barrel. Also to minimise any possible infection. Although the barrel is unlikely to be infected considring the ABV o fthe port thats in it. So my Newkie clone will be a bit off, but should still be damn good beer!
OK heres the old ale recipe. what do you think
Newkie Brown (old ale component)
A ProMash Recipe Report
BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------
19-A Strong Ale, Old Ale
Min OG: 1.060 Max OG: 1.108
Min IBU: 30 Max IBU: 80
Min Clr: 20 Max Clr: 51 Color in EBC
Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (L): 22.50 Wort Size (L): 22.50
Total Grain (kg): 7.06
Anticipated OG: 1.074 Plato: 17.995
Anticipated EBC: 48.7
Anticipated IBU: 40.9
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 120 Minutes
Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------
Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 32.14 L
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.052 SG 12.83 Plato
Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential EBC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
70.8 5.00 kg. Pale Malt(2-row) Great Britain 1.038 6
17.0 1.20 kg. Flaked Corn (Maize) America 1.040 1
9.9 0.70 kg. Crystal 105L Great Britain 1.033 207
2.0 0.14 kg. Chocolate Malt Great Britain 1.034 936
0.3 0.02 kg. Roasted Barley Great Britain 1.029 591
Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.
Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
60.00 g. Fuggle Pellet 5.00 39.1 60 min.
10.00 g. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.00 1.7 15 min.
Extras
Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.18 gm Sodium Metabisulphate Other 60 Min.(mash)
3.55 gm Irish Moss Fining 10 Min.(boil)
0.06 gm Zinc Sulphite Other 1 Min.(boil)
Yeast
-----
WYeast 1099 Whitbread Ale
Mash Schedule
-------------
Mash Type: Single Step
Grain kg: 7.06
Water Qts: 15.85 - Before Additional Infusions
Water L: 15.00 - Before Additional Infusions
L Water Per kg Grain: 2.12 - Before Additional Infusions
Saccharification Rest Temp : 67 Time: 60
Mash-out Rest Temp : 0 Time: 0
Sparge Temp : 76 Time: 0
Total Mash Volume L: 19.71 - Dough-In Infusion Only
All temperature measurements are degrees Celsius.
So if I do 2 batches of this, then I can fill up the barrel, and have 5 or so litres spare for topping up when some of the beer evaporates through the wood.....
What say you fine folk. A disaster in the making or an OK idea?
Thirsty
PS: Mex, seeing as the barrel is bigger than I thought. We'd have to double batch even on your system. Still, I'd love to come round one day and brew with you anyway.
