Three Witches Wood-Aged Beer

First, source a fresh or full rye whiskey barrel. I was able to get a 15-gallon (57-liter) barrel from a local distiller and arrived just as they were emptying it. This batch is based on half of what was needed to fill the barrel, so I brewed it twice.

Mash at 156°F (69°C) for a full body. Pull 1.5 gal. (5.7 L) of first runnings to the boil kettle. Boil this down, stirring continuously, to yield a caramelized syrup. Add the remainder of the wort to collect a pre-boil volume of about 11 gal. (41.6 L) aiming for a finished wort volume of 8 gal. (30.3 L).

Add all the hops at 60 minutes, then a fining agent near the end of boil. Cool, transfer to fermenter, pitch yeast, and ferment at 68°F (20°C).

Brew recipe twice to yield enough beer to fill the barrel. When both batches have completed fermentation, transfer immediately to the freshly emptied barrel. Do not rinse or flush the barrel before use. After 2 weeks, transfer from barrel to kegs and age for 9 months or more. When you remember you have these kegs, sample to taste and put on tap. Or continue to age for another 2 years as I did.

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