WMurack Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 Has anyone tried finishing whiskey in a sour beer barrel? I've scoured the internet and haven't heard of someone doing this. I'm just interested in whether the flavor profile is a good complement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlickFloss Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 Sour beers are full of what are known in whiskey as faults (acetics etc) I have elected to not even plant that field Could be wrong just my .02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_Kelly Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Seven Stills of San Francisco did an experimental batch of distilled sour beer, then ageing in the barrels that the beer came out of. I can't say I would drink a lot of it, but it came in 375 mL bottles and was fun for distilling folks to geek out about. Unfortunately, they've since shut down if I recall correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silk City Distillers Posted March 29, 2023 Share Posted March 29, 2023 We finished bourbon in ex-IPA and ex-Stout barrels. Both were very well regarded by customers. Keep in mind secondary fermentation in oak will create yeast mass in the barrel that can’t be effectively removed beforehand. Washing barrels clean resulted in almost non-existent flavor contribution. Without washing, and aging on the yeast lees will require sub-micron filtration to remove the yeast, but the flavor was far, far better. You are thinking I am crazy for sure. We accidentally filled one unwashed barrel and threw it on the rack for finishing. That barrel was the gem compared the others. Took a minute to realize that we could clear the yeast solids with 0.1 micron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustAndy Posted March 29, 2023 Share Posted March 29, 2023 There are a few 'sour ale' cask finishes out there; Mosswood did one and so did Sagamore Spirit. I tried one from another producer called Virgil Kane and I think the cask finish was a negative and not a positive but everyone's tastes are different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streven Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 On 3/28/2023 at 8:37 PM, Silk City Distillers said: We finished bourbon in ex-IPA and ex-Stout barrels. Both were very well regarded by customers. Keep in mind secondary fermentation in oak will create yeast mass in the barrel that can’t be effectively removed beforehand. Washing barrels clean resulted in almost non-existent flavor contribution. Without washing, and aging on the yeast lees will require sub-micron filtration to remove the yeast, but the flavor was far, far better. You are thinking I am crazy for sure. We accidentally filled one unwashed barrel and threw it on the rack for finishing. That barrel was the gem compared the others. Took a minute to realize that we could clear the yeast solids with 0.1 micron. I had a local brewery age some imperial stout in one of our 53 gal bourbon barrels and they dumped today. I am planning to do a finished whiskey in those barrels for 6 months or so. To make sure I understand the post above, your recommendation is no washing / rinsing of the barrel prior to filling with whiskey. Just fill and then filter down to 0.1 micron prior to bottling? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaintingGoatSpirits Posted August 9, 2023 Share Posted August 9, 2023 On 5/23/2023 at 7:40 PM, Streven said: I had a local brewery age some imperial stout in one of our 53 gal bourbon barrels and they dumped today. I am planning to do a finished whiskey in those barrels for 6 months or so. To make sure I understand the post above, your recommendation is no washing / rinsing of the barrel prior to filling with whiskey. Just fill and then filter down to 0.1 micron prior to bottling? Thanks! How did this turn out? Did you wash it before hand? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlickFloss Posted August 9, 2023 Share Posted August 9, 2023 On 3/28/2023 at 7:37 PM, Silk City Distillers said: We finished bourbon in ex-IPA and ex-Stout barrels. Both were very well regarded by customers. Keep in mind secondary fermentation in oak will create yeast mass in the barrel that can’t be effectively removed beforehand. Washing barrels clean resulted in almost non-existent flavor contribution. Without washing, and aging on the yeast lees will require sub-micron filtration to remove the yeast, but the flavor was far, far better. You are thinking I am crazy for sure. We accidentally filled one unwashed barrel and threw it on the rack for finishing. That barrel was the gem compared the others. Took a minute to realize that we could clear the yeast solids with 0.1 micron. I think you're crazy but this isn't why. We've done a few in beer barrels that once held our rye, (rye barrel went to liqueur maker, went to brewery, came back to use for BA Gin) but never any whiskeys just gins. They're awesome. And like you said, only had value coming from the unwashed casks and needed some filtration Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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