Handmade Oak Barrels

Aging Cider in Oak Barrels

As we know aging any kind of alcohol in an oak barrel is a common thing for every brewer.

• Vodka, whiskey, wine, beer…they are improving their taste and quality after being aged in an oak barrel.

What about cider? Can we age cider in oak barrel?

The answer is - Yes!!!

• We can age, store and even fermenting cider in oak barrels .It has been a common practice before advent of stainless still tanks.

Aging cider in oak barrels can add a sweetness and warm to the cider. The influence of oak on cider establishes a stronger and deeper flavour.

• Fermenting in the barrel

After fermentation we can just top off with fresh cider .Then we leave it on the lees in the barrel until bottling time. It usually takes at least 6 months. The cork hall at the top of the barrel is 30 mm so a bubbler airlock can be fitted if the fermentation is going to take place in the barrel.

There are few more important questions about aging cider in oak barrel. As we know, oak barrels must be toasted from the inside in order to improve the flavour of the aging alcohol. 

• What kind of level toasting do we require for aging cider?

Our long years’ experience of producing wooden barrels and brewing alcohol proves that Medium and Medium plus levels of toasting are the most suitable for cider.

• Do we make the cider-aging barrels differently than the wine and whiskey barrels?

Yes we do.

 We use slightly ticker staves and stronger (thicker) metal rings. We recommend a barrels to be made without spigot hole. The spigot (wooden tap) can be a week point when under pressure.  It is very important after purchasing a barrel from our Barrel Shop to let us know what kind of alcohol you are going to age so we   can make the proper barrel for you.

• Can the oak barrels be reused?
  The answer is - Yes!!!

The barrels can be reused many times through a very long period of time if they are maintained and taking care of properly. It is very important to soak in the barrel with water for couple of days and fill it with the cider immediately after draining water. Basically the barrel does not like to be kept empty!

World-famous ciders has been aged in an Oak Barrels: Bad Seed Cider, Good Intend Cider, Long Meadow Cider, and Citizen Cider, the Mitten…

I would like to challenge you to ask yourselves the following question:

Why don’t we use the experience of the well-known technology to become a better home-brewers and improve our own cider as professionals do?

You can easily purchase Oak barrels in our Barrel Shop.

Please do not hesitate to Contact us .

         

Lets make Beer Cocktails!!!

Ace of Spades

Ingredients:

-          ½ pint   Beer – Stout beer or Guinness

-          10ml Kahlua Liqueur(coffee –flavoured sugar based liqueur )

-          20ml Dubonet (sweet, aromatised wine based aperitif – 15% alcohol)  

-          Ice

Preparation:

You can use any tall cocktail glass or even pint glass.

Fill the glass with ice. Pour 10ml Kahlua and 20ml Dubonet.

Top up gradually dark beer very carefully to avoid foaming.

Black Velvet

Ingredients:

-          Sparkling wine or champagne

-          Stout beer or Guinness

Preparation:

You can use tall champagne glass.

Fill tall champagne glass halfway with chilled sparkling- wine (or champagne) and float stout beer on the top of the wine.

Black and Tan

Ingredients:

-          Pale ale or lager

-          Stout beer or Guinness or porter

Preparation:

You can use a pint glass.

Fill a glass halfway with pale ale or lager and then add the stout beer or porter.

Pour very slowly the top layer to avoid splashing and mixing the layers.

(Tip: Use upside-down tablespoon placed over the glass )

Boilermaker

Ingredients:

      -          1 shot whiskey

-          1 pint lager

Preparation:

Fill the pint glass with lager. Drop the whiskey shot into the beer.Engoy!!!

Flaming Doctor Pepper

Ingredients:

      -          ¾ shot Amaretto(sweet ,almond flavoured Italian liqueur)

-          1/1 shot  Vodka

-          ½ Pint lager
Preparation:

Use a shot glass and a pint glass.

Fill the glass about ¾ full with Amaretto. Top it off with high-proof vodka to be able to burn. Light the shot and allow it to burn. Drop the shot glass into a beer glass.

Irish Car Bomb

Ingredients:

-          0.10ml Irish Whiskey

-          ½  pint Irish stout

-          0.20ml Baileys (Irish whiskey and cream based liqueur)

Preparation:

Use a shot glass and a pint glass.

Pour 20ml Baileys into a shot glass. Top up with Irish whiskey. Pour ½ pint glass with Guinness (Irish stout). Drop the shot glass into a beer glass.

Hangman’s Blood

Ingredients:

-          ½ shot gin

-          ½ shot rum

-          ½ shot whiskey

-          ½ shot brandy

-          ½ shot port

-          ½ pint Stout beer or Guinness

-          ½ glass champagne

Preparation:

You can use pint glass.

Add all five shots into a pint glass. Top to desired level with stout beer.

Fill to top of the pint glass with champagne.

                           Enjoy your cocktails and visit our

                                          Barrels Shop

Aging beer in Oak Barrels

Oak Barrels are also suitable for storing and aging beer-lager, stout, real ale.

Aging beer in barrels can add new depths of aroma and flavor to your final beer.

Beers with higher alcohol contents and stronger flavors are best suited for barrel-aging.

How long should you age your beer depends on what flavour and aroma you are trying to achieve.

Aging for 2 to 3 months is enough time to add bourbon and wood notes to the beer.

But if you are looking for floral and deep vanilla notes of the barrels then you must age the beer for longer period of time – 6-12 months. The beer will fully soak into the barrel staves and will bring out those delicate flavors you are looking for.

The barrels must be toasted (charred) from inside as follows:

Low toast, Medium toast, Medium toast +, High toast.( LT, MT, MT+, HT )

Heavy Toast brings pronounced caramelized, carbonized and toast flavours very quickly - it doesn't need much time.

Medium Plus Toast is between Medium and Heavy Toast. 

It has aromas of honey, roasted nuts and a hint of coffee and spices. 

Medium Toast has less tannins but more bouquet, so will impart more aroma than flavor. 

It has a warm, sweet character with strong vanilla overtones.

Light Toast French oak, coconut and fruit flavour.

Please visit our                 Barrel Shop

Vertical Wooden/Oak Barrels

                               

Please visit our                 Barrel Shop