What to put into red wine barrels?

[porter]

A few Cabernet Sauvignon barrels found their way into my brewery and I'm trying to figure out what to brew into them.

Any suggestions as to what would work best? I'm thinking sour ale... Since they came without bungs.

These are french oak and about 6 years old. Freshly dumped with a tiny bit of wine inside.

[Moonlight]

Wine would be good.

[Guest]

6yrs on oak for even a seriously tannic Cab Sauv to round out, is a hell of a long time, no?

That said, I have no experience of oak-cask ageing anything, so I can't comment on that score.

Best luck,
& let us know how you get on,
MikeMcG.

[Geoff Logan]

About a year ago I put our 6.3% Porter into a Red Barrel I got from a local winery and let it sit for a month. The result was less than satisfying. Honestly, the wine beat the hell out of my poor little beer. Make it a big beer if you're intending to use wine barrels. Sours might be overwhelmed also.

Geoff

[william.heinric]

Something golden with lots of Brett. The golden will highlight the red wine color highlights, and the Brett will be a blast x6.

Bill

[porter]

I think the barrels were used for multiple wines, not just one batch.

I was thinking of brewing a 50/50 Pilsner and Wheat beer with some aged hops and pitching a different blend of sour cultures into each barrel. I have been growing some little beasties from my favorite Belgian sour bottles and from a previous barrel program.

The goal would be to pickup the red color of the wine as Bill suggested. My biggest concern would be the oak overpowering the beer. So maybe do a maltier beer?

[Gordie]

A 6 year old barrel is going to be pretty darn neutral. You'll get very little oak. Focus more on the tannin in the last batch of wine in the barrel - that's your enemy...