Here’s a look at what’s been happening at Brewer’s Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more.
Computes all of the following: ABV, IBU, SRM, OG, FG. Allows scaling by batch size or efficiency, matches recipe to style, and has many advanced features. Allows saving, sharing, and the ability to ‘brew’ a recipe.
2024 4th Quarter recipe by Donoroto with 23 posts this month In tonight’s Zoom call, Josh selected [USER=5014]@Yooper[/USER] as the brewer of the quarter.So, we’ll await her response: What should we all brew this quarter?Stand by…[ATTACH type="full"]3…
First medal by Box of Rocks with 11 posts this month Just found out my Mango Lambic-style sour beer took a second place medal in the Michigan State Fair Homebrew Competition. My first medal, so I am happy. And more important, the beer is tasty.
Clean up yeast temperature by Mashmellow with 12 posts this month I am currently fermenting a Kellerbier with Cellar Science German Lager yeast. The recommended range is pretty narrow 50-59F. I’m at 53F. My question is: when you raise the temp for clean up, is …
Never hitting FG, advice needed! by barndoor101 with 7 posts this month A little bit at our wit’s end.Setting the scene:Myself and a mate Andrew started brewing together in Covid times in my flat (cleaning… was… a nightmare!!) "Balcony Brewing" occurred, armed w…
Tropical Stout (Rye Lager) by Mashmellow with 22 posts this month I apologize up front for the complex malt bill and length of this post, but I’d appreciate any input. My neighbor likes the darker/heavier brews so I’m putting together a Tropical Stout recipe wh…
Problems with bitterness, flavor and aroma on a NZ Pils. by K.O.brew with 9 posts this month Good evening.Long story short, i brewed a NZ pils (recipe by yours truly). Pilsner malt with some carapils and Vienna, thirty minute boil, two additions of 25 grams each Rakau, Wai-iti and Waimea…
hello everyone by Brewer #437123 with 6 posts this month Hey everyone! I’m Anthony, a self-proclaimed alchemist but instead of turning lead into gold, I’m more focused on turning grains, fruits, and other goodies into liquid gold . I’ve been dabbli…
JAPANESE LAGER (KIND OF) by Brews Bros with 30 posts this month hi guys, i made this rice lager 4 times and 4 times i have a really bad taste in mouth, cannot explain the taste but no possible to sell this.1-ok so i think i don t understand how to cook the ri…
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Water Profile adjustments for Milk Stout by JockMcBrew on Fri, 13 Sep 2024 with 3 posts so far HI there folks I have a lot of success micro brewing BIAB Single hopped IPA’s with only slight Sulphate increase to my water profile.. But nixt week am planning a Milk Stout and was wondering …
Recipe Calculators/Software by Frank Beebe on Fri, 13 Sep 2024 with 2 posts so far Does anyone know of any recipe calculators/software that adjusts the amount of hops based on boil time?I brew (BIAB) small batches and only boil for 35min. Drew Beechum and Denny Conn say in the…
2.5 gallon pre-boil for 5 gallon batch by Dr. BruBeer on Fri, 13 Sep 2024 with 7 posts so far I am about to try a new recipe that calls for 2.5 gallon pre-boil for a 5 gallon batch. I typically start with about 6.5 gallons for the boil to get down to the 5 gallon mark. Is there any benefi…
Strawberry Cheesecake Sour Ale incredients by Brewer #437371 on Mon, 09 Sep 2024 with 4 posts so far Hi,I’m Norman and I’m from Germany. On a recent trip to the US I had a Starwberry Cheesecake sour beer and it was amazing. Therefore, I was looking for a recipe. I found it here but I’m not sure …
Blonde ale, basic recipe by Mastoras007 on Sun, 08 Sep 2024 with 12 posts so far Hello everyone.The recipe is:91% pilsener 9% carapils OG: 1048 fg 1009Cascade at 60 and 15 minutes 50-50% bitterness 22Yeast: us-05Question: If i put cascade at 20 minutes will make a big…
Problems with bitterness, flavor and aroma on a NZ Pils. by K.O.brew on Sun, 08 Sep 2024 with 9 posts so far Good evening.Long story short, i brewed a NZ pils (recipe by yours truly). Pilsner malt with some carapils and Vienna, thirty minute boil, two additions of 25 grams each Rakau, Wai-iti and Waimea…
hello everyone by Brewer #437123 on Fri, 06 Sep 2024 with 6 posts so far Hey everyone! I’m Anthony, a self-proclaimed alchemist but instead of turning lead into gold, I’m more focused on turning grains, fruits, and other goodies into liquid gold . I’ve been dabbli…
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Here’s a look at what’s been happening at Brewer’s Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more.
Converts between LME and DME weights while preserving the same gravity. If you have a recipe using LME and want to use DME (or DME and want to use LME), enter the quantity called for in the appropriate calculator and convert.
Boiling 90 Minutes recipe by Mastoras007 with 38 posts this month Hello,I’m going to brew this recipe [URL]https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/209608/heineken-lager-clone[/URL]it says boil 90 minutes, i’m thinging to boil 60 minutes as i do norma…
Problems with online brewing supplies by Brewer #331949 with 15 posts this month Hello all, I placed an order with an online brewstore on July 27th. Never heard anything after several days and emailed to get an update. They responded and said they were having labor and supp…
First Bottle Bomb! by the_goat_Birdman with 12 posts this month Hi all!Imagine this: you are finishing up a brew day, cleaning up the fridge for your fermenting vessel when you uncover a forgotten bottle of brew that’s ice cold and inviting. Naturally, when i…
Hello from Plymouth Mich by Brewer #331949 with 13 posts this month Hello All, I have been brewing for 25+ years and typically brew a couple of times a year. Still bottle all that I brew. Went to all-grain brewing about ten years ago. Greatly appreciate the co…
Filling 1 or 2 bottles from keg by Zambi with 15 posts this month As the title saysI want to gift a friend just 1 or 2 bottles of my kegged beer and I got no special equipment.Just an 8 litre oxebar keg and picnic tap.The beer is carbonated.I was thinking of …
Safbrew 16 by Minbari with 9 posts this month So can someone explain how 102% attenuation is possible?[URL=’https://craftabrew.com/products/safbrew-da-16-yeast?utm_content=DPA_Catalog_Carousel+Ad&utm_source=fb&variant=40771160244289&utm_medi…
Kvas Cross Contamination / Fermenter by JWR_12 with 14 posts this month Hi all. Rank beginner here again. So I just gave in and bought myself a stainless steel fermenter (7 gallon). Meanwhile, on a separate track, I’m thinking about brewing some Kvas. It’s basically a …
Low alcoholic Winter beer by Brewer #434184 with 6 posts this month I’m currently looking into brewing my first winter beer, do you know if there is any recipes out there for low alcohol winter beers? I’m not looking for something christmasy, just something that wo…
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Final abv consistently low by Cliffy&Norm on Tue, 13 Aug 2024 with 5 posts so far I have a Vevor brewing system and have been doing this for almost 2 years. My beers always come out .5%-1% lower than anticipated. My beers turn out a little sweeter than anticipated. I assume the …
Safbrew 16 by Minbari on Sun, 11 Aug 2024 with 9 posts so far So can someone explain how 102% attenuation is possible?https://craftabrew.com/products/safbrew-da-16-yeast?utm_content=DPA_Catalog_Carousel+Ad&utm_source=fb&variant=40771160244289&utm_medium=Fac…
Sauwrkraut in hot weather by Zambi on Sun, 11 Aug 2024 with 7 posts so far So..1 small batch came out fine1 big batch did not. But I know what went wrong. At least I think so. I didn’t pack it proper and not enough weight on top.I had some mould which I removed and it …
Cherry Juice Concentrate Addition by Plymouth Backyporch Brewing on Sun, 11 Aug 2024 with 9 posts so far Hello all!I am going to brew a cherry sour with lactose. I have purchased a bottle of tart cherry juice concentrate to add at secondary fermentation. I am wondering about how much to put into a…
Attending Oktoberfests in 2024 by Josh Hughes on Fri, 09 Aug 2024 with 4 posts so far I know quite a few of us love to go to seasonal festivals and Oktoberfest season is close. Post pictures and information about the ones you are going to.Tomorrow is my first one. A little early I…
In Fermenter Timeline by Brewer #397869 on Fri, 09 Aug 2024 with 7 posts so far My question has to do with leaving beer in the fermenter for an extended period of time for convenience. I have a couple mini-kegs that do not cover the volume from a 5-gal batch. How long can I …
fermentation after bottling? by heavybevy on Fri, 09 Aug 2024 with 18 posts so far I bottled after 7 days+ about 5 hours. The refractometer read 1.015 and the o.g was low 1.030 at roughly 120 degrees f (measured with a hydrometer and thermometer) I bottled it early so a housegues…
Hello from Plymouth Mich by Brewer #331949 on Thu, 08 Aug 2024 with 13 posts so far Hello All, I have been brewing for 25+ years and typically brew a couple of times a year. Still bottle all that I brew. Went to all-grain brewing about ten years ago. Greatly appreciate the co…
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Here’s a look at what’s been happening at Brewer’s Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more.
Chaptalization calculator finds how much sugar to add to your must to hit the desired Brix. Chaptalization is the process of adding sugar to must early in wine making process to boost the Brix and thus the total alcohol in the finished wine. The purpose of adding sugar is to boost the Brix in a poor growing year and help the final product turn out better.
Extract to start by Steve Ruch with 10 posts this month Which of you started brewing with extract and moved to all-grain and who stayed with extract?
Basement brewery ventilation by philjohnwilliams with 41 posts this month I’m getting ready to make the switch from brewing with propane outdoors to electric brewing in my basement. I’ll be setting up in the laundry room where I already store all of my brewing gear and …
Cold Enough For Clean Fermentation? by the_goat_Birdman with 29 posts this month Hi all, Making a schwarzbier with S-23 for a local competition. After a 72-hour lag time, fermentation took off after I warmed the wort up a little by leaving it in my warm garage. It was initial…
Brewing a lager recipe with ale yeast by Mastoras007 with 10 posts this month Hello everyone.I have ingredients for this recipe [URL]https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/356952/nrden-bru-czech-pilsner-plze-[/URL]But I don’t have yeast ( i have only malt and h…
Hello All, From Orlando Fl by Brewer #428815 with 9 posts this month Fairly new to brewing, just stepping up to all grain after about six – 5 Gallon batches of malt extract brewing and stumbled upon Brewers Friend.I’m still learning how to use the site, and hoping …
Question about carbing by Yontsey with 37 posts this month So I have a two port CO2 regulator that I use one for a serving that goes to a manifold and then one for carbing when I force carb. I force carbed a keg and then switched it to the other line. I fo…
Dry Hop under pressure by Vallka with 13 posts this month Anyone have a good way to dry hop when under pressure?I ferment in All Rounders, but dry hopping is a pain!Anyone have a diy way of doing this, I might try magnetizing a bag to the bottom of the …
Yeast question by Brewer #404298 with 6 posts this month Live in Mississippi. 2 hour round trip to local brewery shop. Going to order online. Most sites say that they can’t guarantee yeast stays cold (understandable at 94 degrees every day). Thinking…
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Water Chemistry target profiles by Brewer #404298 on Sun, 14 Jul 2024 with 2 posts so far Maybe I am doing this wrong. I added a couple "target profiles" for brown ales I want to hit under My Brewing/My Profile/Water Profiles.In the water chemistry section of a brew session, I assum…
Fake stainless steel? by Mastoras007 on Sun, 14 Jul 2024 with 3 posts so far Hello.I left the beer tap inside the star for a few days (3-4).I had opened it in pieces and left it inside until it was time to use it again.when I took it out I saw that some of the parts whic…
What beer did I make? by Brewer #415673 on Sat, 13 Jul 2024 with 6 posts so far What beer did I make?I was trying to make a Best Bitter though I’m not sure where I landed, maybe closer to a dark mild?When I was ready for brew day I realized I only had 10L crystal instead…
Sugar for a Saison by Sandy Feet on Fri, 12 Jul 2024 with 7 posts so far I’ve done some research, talked to people, and I’m pretty damn sure table sugar isn’t going to make much of a difference over the 0/1 SRM candi syrup. I used a little candi syrup in my last French …
Extract to start by Steve Ruch on Fri, 12 Jul 2024 with 10 posts so far Which of you started brewing with extract and moved to all-grain and who stayed with extract?
Hello All, From Orlando Fl by Brewer #428815 on Fri, 12 Jul 2024 with 9 posts so far Fairly new to brewing, just stepping up to all grain after about six – 5 Gallon batches of malt extract brewing and stumbled upon Brewers Friend.I’m still learning how to use the site, and hoping …
Question about carbing by Yontsey on Fri, 12 Jul 2024 with 37 posts so far So I have a two port CO2 regulator that I use one for a serving that goes to a manifold and then one for carbing when I force carb. I force carbed a keg and then switched it to the other line. I fo…
Dry Malt by cowboy7307 on Thu, 11 Jul 2024 with 5 posts so far I am going to do am Extract beer and going to use 2KG of light dry malt, and do a mash with grain,the recipes say to boil some of the DME is this step really required or can i just put DME straigh…
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Here’s a look at what’s been happening at Brewer’s Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more.
Wine making calculators, not directly related to brewing beer. However there is some overlap between beer brewing and wine making. These calculators are useful in making grape wines as well as meads and fruit wines.
Five gallons? by Steve Ruch with 22 posts this month
Five gallon batches are considered the norm. What size does everyone actually brew?
First All-Grain (BIAB) Recipe – SMaSH Pale Ale by Brewer #430359 with 60 posts this month
As the title says, a friend and I are going to brew our first all-grain (BIAB) recipe in the next couple of weeks, and I was looking to get any feedback. We decided to go for a SMaSH beer, so we co…
Did I move to secondary too soon? by Msquared with 15 posts this month
[I]Our brewing group did a Belgian Quad at a commercial brewery. Everyone buys a carboy or 2 of wort does their own thing and brings it back around November to taste and compare. Beer had an og of …
“You know, what I really need is…” by Tim Bulin with 12 posts this month
Well what DO you :really” need? I’ll start…I really need to add ANOTHER pump and further overly complicate things in the interest of saving 10 minutes of work a month…
Hi all. Haven’t brewed in around 25 years and things have really changed. by Brewer #430125 with 10 posts this month
I used to brew a lot back when. The county I live in and the surrounding ones were dry counties until a few years ago and the nearest adult beverages could only be found an hour and a half away at …
My Red Ale by PaiboonL with 8 posts this month
This is my 3rd time brewed Irish Red Ale in Bangkok. It has biscuit flavors.
Top Off/Dilution Water pH? by mikezepponi@gmail.com with 10 posts this month
I have a 7.5 gallon Anvil Kettle, and I’d like to try a BIAB in it. In order to get the volume I want for my fermenter I’ll need to add a about half a gallon of water to roughly 5.5 gallons of wor…
Major #$@& up!! by Vallka with 12 posts this month
Ok bet you havn’t done this one……….Oh ya, hi everyone.So today was my first batch of the season, been really busy with a daughter grad:)Everything is going prefect, hitting #’s nice weathe…
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Adding new Tilt to Pi when another Tilt is using it… by Yontsey on Mon, 24 Jun 2024 with 3 posts so far
Is it possible, or what’s the best way to go about adding another Tilt to a Raspberry Pi when another Tilt is currently in a fermentation? I did a brew session yesterday and have my Tilt going, but…
Vastly Diff Temps From Chiller to Ferm by Yontsey on Sun, 23 Jun 2024 with 14 posts so far
So I finished my boil and ran my chiller on my G30. I ran it forever but got it down to 71° according to the Grainmaster. I transferred it to my SS Brew Bucket and tossed in my Tilt and it’s say…
Oxidization by cowboy7307 on Sun, 23 Jun 2024 with 4 posts so far
when we put the cooled wart into fermenter we are told to oxygenate the beer by stirring the crap out of it.But at bottling told be so careful not to oxidize it , why by string before fermentation…
Top Off/Dilution Water pH? by mikezepponi@gmail.com on Sun, 23 Jun 2024 with 10 posts so far
I have a 7.5 gallon Anvil Kettle, and I’d like to try a BIAB in it. In order to get the volume I want for my fermenter I’ll need to add a about half a gallon of water to roughly 5.5 gallons of wor…
Is my yeast pack good? by Yontsey on Sun, 23 Jun 2024 with 3 posts so far
I have a Wyeast 2565 Kolsch yeast packet I got from Northern Brewer a couple weeks ago and didn’t pay attention and tossed it in the fridge. Pulled it out this morning and can’t tell if the activat…
Favorites for a Hazy NEIPA? by Box of Rocks on Sun, 23 Jun 2024 with 12 posts so far
Two questions:1) What is your favorite yeast for a Hazy NEIPA?2) What is your favorite hop combination, and how do you add them? Am fine-tuning my hazy recipe, and would welcome your thoughts, …
Lager beer priming by Mastoras007 on Sat, 22 Jun 2024 with 9 posts so far
Hello everyone.I’m now on cold crash step on my lager, after that i will bottle some part of beer and rest of it keg.What i need to do for bottle? After priming with dextrose what temperature i …
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In past centuries, all beers were fermented and sometimes aged in wood. Today, brewers seek to add complexity to beers, layering flavors and aromas, by aging beers in barrels. Some of these beers are the most sought-after commercial beers on the market – ‘whales’ – and breweries make a big deal about their release. These beers inspire collectors to buy, age and sometimes trade them for a profit.
As a homebrewer, I’ve participated in about twenty barrel projects and am a big fan. While Belgian brewers have been wood-aging Lambics forever, some claim that the more-recent commercial brewery barrel-aging phenomenon was inspired by homebrewers doing what we do best – experimenting!
Whether it was inspired by homebrewers or not, sources generally agree that Goose Island began the movement among commercial breweries when they released their Bourbon County Stout in 1992. It is a fascinating story and, if you haven’t already had a chance, you should read Josh Noel’s book “Barrel Aged and Selling Out” – it’s not only about the development of Bourbon County Stout, but that is a key part of the story.
In this article, I will lay out the basics you need to know about wood-aging beer for homebrewers and share recipes and process for a couple of medal-winning barrel-aged beers – a bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout and a gin barrel-aged Saison.
Thirty Gallon Oppidan Bourbon Barrel, on the Barrel Rack at CHAOS Brewhouse
Not Just Barrels
For most of this article, I’m going to write about barrel aging, because that is what I have experience in and know. Many homebrewers who don’t have a barrel use other products to get similar character – the most common are wood spirals.
The ratio of wood surface to beer – how much of the beer is directly in contact with the wood – is a key concept and one of the big differences between aging in a barrel and using wood spirals in a secondary vessel. The wood spirals will have a high ratio, with a higher percentage of the beer in contact with the wood, lending more wood character more quickly than a barrel.
You can buy wood spirals at many homebrew stores, at different char levels. Some brewers will soak the spirals in whiskey or bourbon before adding them to their finished beer, to lend spirit complexity in addition to wood. The spirals are added post-fermentation, often in a secondary vessel. My only experience in using wood spirals was adding wood character to a group whiskey distilling project I was a part of, and they worked well, adding a nice, dark-charred oak character to the whiskey with significant vanilla character.
Two key differences to using wood spirals over barrel aging: 1) you don’t have to acquire or store a barrel and 2) you can use spirals in typical five gallon homebrew batches.
Sourcing Barrels
For most homebrewers, the first step to doing a barrel-aged beer is acquiring a barrel. You can acquire a barrel that a commercial brewery has used for aging beer – they originally acquired it from a distillery. There is nothing wrong with using a barrel from a commercial brewery, but I prefer to get my barrels directly from the distillery. They have more spirit and wood character and are less likely to have any wild yeast or bacteria working away in the wood.
There are some online services that source barrels from distilleries and they are a reasonable option if you don’t live near a distillery, but you will pay a premium for the service and the shipping costs are significant.
I live in Chicago and have a number of distilleries near me, so have been able to acquire barrels directly. Generally, you need to reach out to the distillery and ask. One of my local distilleries, Koval, has a program for selling their barrels – I just reach out and ask them if they’ve got any barrels currently available or if they know when they will.
I’ve also developed a relationship with a smaller distillery in the area, Oppidan, and have made some excellent beers in two of their bourbon barrels. The distiller is Jeff Walsh and he founded Oppidan, located in Waukegan, Illinois in 2015. If you’ve not had his products, you should seek them out.
When I am looking for a barrel, I call or email Jeff and generally work something out. One of my vehicles is a hatchback and I can fit a barrel in it, so I drive out to the distillery and Jeff helps me load it in.
In the past, I have paid anywhere from $45 to $150 for a barrel when purchasing directly from a distiller.
Types of Barrels
All the barrels I am familiar with are made of oak. According to the internet, sometimes hickory, maple, redwood, walnut, cherry, and chestnut are used by distillers and wine makers, but I have never drank a wine or distilled spirit aged in those woods – they seem to be rare.
Aside from the wood used, another variable is the type of spirit aged in the barrel before it is used to age beer. Bourbon barrels are the most common for homebrewers, in part because bourbon makers can only use their barrel once and then must replace it with a new, unused barrel, in order to call their spirit bourbon. Whiskey or Scotch barrels are less common, because they don’t have the same restrictions.
Increasingly, homebrewers are finding other types of barrels available to them. Distillers have been aging batches of their gin in oak barrels. A small distillery near me barrel ages Sherry and Amaro (a bitter Italian digestivo). Of course, wine makers have been aging wine in barrels forever, also.
Gold-Medal Winning Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout – brewed with Hugh Vondracek, Brandon Kessler, Melissa Edwards Hiller and Patty McGuire Cook
Char Levels
All the barrels I’ve used have been charred, to some extent. The distillers use different char levels for different effects. The reactions in the wood to charring are more complex than just smoke – charring causes a reaction with the hemicellulose in wood that breaks it down into wood sugars, essentially carmelizing the wood. Ligin is degraded, leaving vanillin compounds, which yield those characteristic vanilla flavors many of us love in bourbon and bourbon barrel aged beers. Also, higher char levels mellow the tannin in the wood.
Storing, Filling and Emptying the Barrel
One reason homebrewers may use spirals instead of barrels is the space a barrel requires.
If you have the space, though, basements are ideal for barrels, in that they keep a fairly steady temperature. The temperature changes in a garage, though, can also be interesting, as the beer and barrel expand and contract as the temperatures change, drawing the beer in and out of the wood.
You need to think through getting the beer in and out of the barrel as you decide how exactly you are going to store the barrel. If you don’t have a pump, you need the barrel to be high enough that you can use gravity to empty it, but not too high that you can’t fill it via gravity. Once, I stored a barrel in my garage, on saw horses that were about waist high – I used a ladder to fill it from above, and then emptied it into kegs below, with an autosiphon and tubing.
These days, I brew at the CHAOS homebrew club brewhouse, and we have a barrel rack which can hold four 50+ gallon barrels on the bottom rack and four or five smaller barrels on the top rack. For the club, I acquired a pump that winemakers use to transfer wine from fermenter to barrel – it is self priming and uses a diaphragm. It cannot transfer hot liquid, but for this purpose, it gently moves beer in and out of the barrel without worrying about priming the pump. I bought ours from Bobby at brewhardware.com and highly recommend it.
Barrel Sizes
I’ve used barrels from distillers that were 15 gallons, 30 gallons and 52 gallons. Because of the wood:beer surface ratio issue I raised earlier, each of these sized barrels are a little different – the smaller the barrel, the higher percentage of wood in contact with the beer, theoretically reducing the aging time. Also, availability of barrels in these sizes vary – my 15 gallon barrel was from Oppidan, but Jeff no longer uses those as his distillery has grown.
Perhaps the biggest difference that barrel size makes, though, is in how you organize the barrel project. A five gallon barrel (which can be bought new online) can be filled by one brewer. Some homebrewers may be able to brew fifteen gallon batches, but not most. For that size and larger, you need to run a barrel project, inviting other brewers to join you and then organizing the whole thing.
Organizing the Barrel Project
For my projects, I purchase the barrel, I don’t ask others to divide the cost of the barrel with me – that way, it is clear that I own the barrel and, in the end, make decisions about the barrel. But some brewers prefer to divide the cost up front and that works fine, also.
I decide upon a style and then contact other members of my homebrew club, inviting them to join the barrel project. Usually, I intentionally include newer members of the club who may not have had the opportunity to participate in a barrel project before – that’s how we build the homebrewing community. So, for my projects, it’s usually a mix of more experienced and less experienced brewers.
Once the roster for the project is set, I come up with the recipe and share it with other brewers. Because these beers are going to be blended in the barrel, I often will give options in the recipe – for example, if its an English barleywine, I may suggest using either East Kent Goldings, Challenger or another English hop, depending on what the brewers might have on hand or can easily get ahold of. If there is something important in the recipe, though, I make sure I note that – for the barleywine, for example, using Maris Otter as the base grain is essential.
I give the brewers a deadline when we’d like the beers to be done and then a day to fill the barrel. They can join me for that, but they don’t have to – I go ahead and fill the barrel with their beer. If a brewer misses the deadline, I don’t stress – I just add their beer when its ready.
How Long to Age? The ‘Barrel is Magic’ Theory
How long to age in a barrel is the key question for many homebrewers. In my experience, the only barrel I’ve used where it was an issue was the small 15 gallon barrel, because of the high wood:beer surface-area ratio. For larger barrels, I have become an adherent of what a friend once termed the magic of the barrel. Basically, I fill the barrel and leave it alone. At the beginning of the project, I decide how long I’m going to let the beer age, which is always at least a year for the larger barrels, and I don’t muck around with it.
It is tempting to taste the beer as it ages, but in my experience, that often leads to the barrel being emptied too early. I have a reasonably good palate and I find it hard to gauge when a beer is done in the barrel or not. As my friend put it, let the magic of the barrel happen, don’t rush it, don’t interfere with it.
Obviously, as you age more batches in the barrel, both it’s spirit and wood character will diminish and you can age batches longer in it, if you wish. Generally, for the first use of a barrel, I age six months for a 15 gallon barrel, 1 year for a 30 gallon barrel, and 1.5 years for a 50+ gallon barrel. For successive uses, I often increase the time.
If a beer comes out of the barrel and has too much barrel character, it’s a simple problem to solve – blend it with some non-barrel aged beer of the same style. But I have found that is seldom necessary.
Silver Medal Winning Gin Barrel-Aged Saison, Brewed with Hugh Vondracek, Americo Ochoa, Ben Resch, Bianca Alley, and Freddy Zavala
Pairing Styles with Barrels
Bourbon barrels seem to be made for pairing with Imperial Stouts – such a delicious combination. I have also aged Imperial Porters, American Barleywines, an historic Arctic Ale (a dark, sweet, strong Burton ale brought by Shackleton on his Arctic expeditions) and a Belgian Dark Strong in bourbon barrels.
Other barrels may call for other styles. The gin barrel I used was a lighter char and lent significant gin botanicals to the beers aged in it. We aged a series of Belgian-ish styles in it, including Saison, Golden Strong, Biere de Garde and a Quad.
Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
I’ve learned from experience that I most enjoy Imperial Stouts aged in bourbon barrels that push the upper limits of gravity, both starting and final. The barrel, with its oak tannins, tends to thin out our impression of the beer’s mouthfeel, and for a barrel-aged imperial stout, a big, full sipping beer is the hallmark.
A couple of years ago, our bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout won a gold medal at the annual Brixtoberfest competition. For that beer, we aged it in a 15 gallon Oppidan bourbon barrel for six months, as the first beer in the barrel. Five brewers got together and we brewed three typical five-gallon batches together, on the same evening. We fermented in a temperature controlled ferm room at 65F and when fermentation was done, we added it to the barrel.
Typically, we don’t worry about fining or aging the beer before adding it to the barrel – it will have plenty of time to smooth out and clarify in the barrel. After barrel-aging, I emptied my portion into a keg and force carbed it, then bottled it with a beer gun and stored the bottles. It had aged about nine months in the bottles before I sent it to the competition, so had aged about 15 months total.
The Numbers: Batch Size – 10 gallons Mashed at 156F Single Infusion, Batch Sparge Fermented at 65F Original Gravity 1.121 Final Gravity 1.026 Bitterness 54 IBUs Color 55 SRM
Hop Schedule: 5 oz Challenger (6.8%) 60 mins 4 oz E.K. Goldings (5.6%) 20 mins
Yeast and Fermentation: 4 packs of US-05 Clarity Ferm Fermented at 65F
Gin Barrel-Aged Saison
In 2019, a Saison we aged in a gin barrel won a silver medal at the Happy Holidays competition in St. Louis. The gin barrel was from Koval, which had first aged a rye whiskey in it, then a batch of gin. This was the second beer we aged in this thirty gallon barrel. We left the beer in the barrel for one year, I kegged our portion, force carbonated it, bottled it using a beer gun and stored the bottles. We entered the beer in the competition about six months after bottling it.
The base Saison was purposefully lemon-forward – we used Sorachi Ace hops which lent a prominent citrus and lemon flavor, which I think worked wonderfully with the wood and gin botanicals.
The Numbers Batch Size: 5 gallons Original Gravity: 1.057 Final Gravity: 1.008 Bitterness: 34 IBU Color: 4.3 SRM Single Infusion Mash 152F Batch Sparge
Grain Bill 9 lbs Pilsner 1 lbs Munich Malt 1 lbs Wheat Malt 12 oz Table Sugar
Hops 0.75 oz Sorachi Ace (13% aa) 20 min 0.50 oz Sorachi Ace 15 min 0..50 oz Sorachi Ace 10 min
Yeast and Fermentation Omega Yeast’s French Saison Clarity Ferm Fermented at 65F, cold crashed at 34F
Many homebrewers dream of turning their avocation into a vocation – becoming a professional brewer. This series on Pro Brewers will introduce a professional brewer, briefly exploring their path and journey. Then, each article will delve into their current brewery and situation, and share a favorite recipe that homebrewers can try.
I first met Leah Dienes at the Homebrew Con in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Before the conference, the BJCP held a session on the Kentucky Common style, and Leah helped lead the session and also served some samples of this home-grown style. In the session, her seriousness and depth of brewing knowledge struck me immediately.
In some ways, Leah followed a typical path to her current position as co-owner and brewer at Apocalypse Brew Works in Louisville, Kentucky. But it also took a few unique turns.
Hobbyist Beginnings
From the beginning, creative endeavors held Leah’s interest. She studied music at the University of Louisville and Boston University, before pivoting to graphic design at Northeastern University. Afterwards, she returned to Louisville and worked in that field, including at Fearless Designs.
But while that was all happening, Leah expanded her creative reach by exploring homebrewing. Like many homebrewers, her homebrewing took off when she connected with a local homebrew club. In her case, she joined LAGERS, the Louisville Area Grain and Extract Research Society, founded in 1989.
Through LAGERS, she benefited from the tutelage of Darwin ‘Dibbs’ Harting and other experienced brewers who gave feedback on her beers and shared brewing insights. Eventually, she served as the club’s president. Most importantly, she began a friendship with Bill Krauth, another LAGERS member, with whom she would later form a partnership that begat Apocalypse Brew Works.
Winning Medals
Imbued with a meticulous nature, Leah kept detailed brew logs and honed her homebrewing expertise. Soon, she began earning medals at homebrew competitions. Lots of them.
At one competition, where she was volunteering, BJCP president emeritus Gordon Strong tasted one of her gold medal winning beer. He took her aside and urged her to go through the BJCP process. She took the advice and earned the rank of National judge and currently serves as an assistant representative for the Midwest region in the BJCP.
Making the Transition to Pro Brewer
As she continued homebrewing, Leah’s career in design became less fulfilling. It hit a significant bump when the economy tanked in the late 2000s, during what came to be called the Great Recession, and the slow recovery that followed. She began exploring the possibility of making the transition to professional brewing and secured an internship at Bluegrass Brewing Company. And she and Bill Krauth started planning what became Apocalypse Brew Works.
Opening a brewery presents many challenges, including capital – money. Leah and Bill faced this obstacle and met it using sweat equity and the tools at their disposal. Leah, in addition to her brewing expertise, brought design and marketing experience. Bill owned a heating, air conditioning and plumbing business, and had the expertise to construct much of the equipment they needed.
Building a Brewery
Bill also owned his business’ building, so they didn’t need to buy or lease space. Together, they built out the brewhouse and taproom, which opened in 2012. To save on costs and to act on their commitment to sustainability, they made liberal re-use of found objects and equipment used in the build out.
Staffing also followed the same model, they did it all – brewing, marketing, sales, social media and bartending. In recent years, as the brand grew, they hired some help, and after a contraction during the pandemic, continue to responsibly build. Recently, Bill retired and sold his interest in the brewery.
Still on the job, other ‘staff’ helping out since the start include feral brewery cats working to keep the rodentia population out of the place. They’ve become less feral over the years, and you can view a video of them getting groomed here. In addition to visiting the cats, people come to the taproom for a wide-range of programs, including yoga, pop-up markets, outdoor movies, food trucks and live music.
The Apocalypse theme plays throughout the brewery, including the taproom, named “The Fallout Shelter”. Their slogan, “Drink Beer Til the End”, and their beer names (Cream-ation, Fallout Dust, Pestilence Porter, Atomic Amber, etc.) carry on the theme. The setting is industrial and, while not dystopian, seems appropriate!
Award Winning Smoked Weizen Recipe
Leah agreed to share with us a recipe that she first brewed in 1989, according to her early beer logs – a smoked weizen. It began as a recreation of a smoked Hefeweisen she enjoyed in Bamburg, Germany. It won medals, including the President’s Choice Award in FOSSILS’ Smoked Beer Competition.
