playalinda
Apprentice
A friend of mine has asked me to brew a 5 gallon batch of Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. The fermentation period calls for a minimum of 6 months to 1 year. I have ordered an 8 gallon freshly dumped whisky barrel and plan to ferment the ale in the barrel.
A few questions:
1st - should only the secondary fermentation be done in the barrel or should I do both primary and secondary in the barrel, essentially skipping the transfer from the primary to secondary?
2nd - The kit come with oak chips and it is recommended to soak the chips in a bourbon or whisky of choice for 3 weeks and then place them in the secondary. Since I am using a freshly dumped whisky barrel would I still need to soak oak chips for 3 weeks prior?
Thanks for the suggestions. Bryan
A few questions:
1st - should only the secondary fermentation be done in the barrel or should I do both primary and secondary in the barrel, essentially skipping the transfer from the primary to secondary?
2nd - The kit come with oak chips and it is recommended to soak the chips in a bourbon or whisky of choice for 3 weeks and then place them in the secondary. Since I am using a freshly dumped whisky barrel would I still need to soak oak chips for 3 weeks prior?
Thanks for the suggestions. Bryan