The barrel has been moved to the back storage area of one of our local homebrewing shops, Fifth Season (thanks for hosting the barrel!). One drawback of this arrangement, is that the storage area is not climate controlled, so the barrel will see temperature fluctuations daily, with larger fluctuations across seasons. This issue was very apparent on our barrel fill day, when the temperatures back there were well into the 90s. The group's general consensus is that this is not inherently bad for the project, as many professional barrel storage areas also have uncontrolled climates. The changes in temperature can help the beer move in and out of the wood, which can provide better homes for the micro-flora. The higher temperatures may also result in quicker sour beer production and the batch maybe ready in less than the year originally predicted, though that could be tempered by the low temperatures in the winter.
All in all, I am grateful that the barrel is full and aging. Time will tell if the barrel can produce quality sour beer. Hopefully, the bourbon character in the beer has faded with the first batch and barrel rinsing. Sour and bourbon flavors do not marry well together. The barrel aging will also give me time to figure out what I am going to do with 10 gallons of Flanders Red, other than just drink it.
Cheers,
TW
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