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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 11:25 am
by old faithful
The question as I read it was when barrel aging of beer was first practiced. All beer stored in wood and for however long takes some flavor from the wood regardless of its prior use. Depending on the history and condition of the charred whisky cask acquired to house the beer first mentioned above, the whisky it used to hold may have a lot, some or no influence in the beer. An oak cask that never held anything before would however lend at least oak tannins to the brew, as e.g., the pin did that held Ron's IPA at Granite that used to be put on the counter there on some Friday nights in past years. So I read the question in the broader sense. If one takes it in the narrow sense of an ex-bourbon cask or Canadian rye cask or Scotch whisky cask that has residual flavours from the former contents, I agree that Upper Canada's pin of almost 20 years ago did not (as far as I know) have such a history.
Gary
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 11:56 am
by Rob Creighton
Gary, thanks for the reminder. The U.C. pins were sourced by Brewmaster Viv Jones from a contact of his at Bass in England and as far as I know had never been used for anything other than ale.
The fun part of the journey to Babbages was fining and hopping the cask, one at a time from the fermentor, then carrying it on my shoulder down to the Queen streetcar and getting strange looks from the driver and riders as I rolled the cask up and down the streetcar with my foot. Steve Bracegirdle and his wife were the owners of Babbages at the time and was truly an early adventurer in beer. I don't know what became of them.
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 12:25 pm
by old faithful
Time to do another cask ale dispensed from thumb-taps, Rob!
Gary
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 5:10 pm
by Rob Creighton
I'm sure the Volo cask ale festival will see several if it happens.
Cheers
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 3:05 am
by JWalter
Ken & Adrian - Loved the Whiskey Barrel aged Brown Ale at the Fest, Great Job!
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 9:28 am
by JerCraigs
JWalter wrote:Ken & Adrian - Loved the Whiskey Barrel aged Brown Ale at the Fest, Great Job!
Seconded. Now get on that oak aged imperial stout already.
Actually i would love to see a version of the Nut Brown made with the higher gravity first runnings then whiskey barrel aged. Mmmm...
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:30 pm
by midlife crisis
Also, thanks Ken for making enough Hop Bomb that there has been a cask at Volo this week. Enjoyed some a great deal on Wednesday evening.