Why some beer needs to be kept in wooden barrels？

First, let's take a look at what beer barrels are. When talking about wine and oak barrels, the first thing everyone thinks of is the high-quality products such as wine, whiskey, brandy and so on that have been stored in oak barrels for many years. In fact, before metal containers were manufactured, most alcohol was brewed in wooden barrels, including beer. The earliest main fermentation process of beer is also fermented in large open wooden barrels, and then transferred to oak barrels for long-term storage.
According to the information, oak barrel-fermented beer originated in the United Kingdom and flourished in Belgium. Belgium has too many well-known barrel-fermented beer varieties, such as Flanders red Al. What we are talking about here is the process of putting the fermented wine in different types of oak barrels to continue the fermentation and aging process. The product obtained through this process is called "barrel beer".
Beer brewing cannot be separated from boiling water, malt, hops and yeast, so if you want to create a unique taste, you sometimes have to use wooden barrels. In general, wooden barrels provide additional flavor to beer, mainly through two points:
1. Provide beer with the residual taste in the barrel
2. Use the existing microorganisms and wild yeast for secondary fermentation.

What will happen to the beer's "passing barrel"?

The first point: use the taste in the barrel
Wooden barrels are the most important raw material for many wines, such as whiskey, wine and so on. There are often rich flavors in wooden barrels. There are also many kinds of wooden barrels used for winemaking, but oak is the most widely used. In the process of "passing barrels" of modern craft beer, the "second-hand wooden barrels" left after brewing various other wines are most used. These wooden barrels often have the taste of other alcohols, and after the beer passes the barrels, it will absorb a lot of the taste of these wines, making the beer itself more rich and full-bodied. For example, the wine aged in brandy barrels or wine barrels will have some fruit. aroma.
The second point: some beer passes through the barrel to use the microorganisms in the barrel for secondary fermentation
These beers are basically sour beers. As some wine barrels (especially wine barrels) contain many microorganisms, such as bacteria and wild yeast, many sour beer brewing uses these microorganisms to produce sourness and other special flavors.
Among all the types of sour beers, there may only be two sour beers in Germany. Berliner weisse and goose do not need to be barreled. Almost all other sour beers have to be brewed in barrels to ensure the sourness and musty flavor. Some The fruit sour beer has to be passed twice-the first time it produces a sour taste, and the second time it is blended with fruit to make the sour taste, moldy aroma, and fruity taste in harmony.

What wine is suitable for barrels

1. Strong: Generally, the alcohol content of barrel beer is recommended to be above 8% (v/v).
2. Sour: some beer acidified by bacteria is suitable for barrels.
3. Smoked: some beer made with smoked malt will show different tastes over time.

Treatment of oak barrels and matters needing attention

1. Keep the wine barrels moist and wash the used oak barrels immediately after pouring the wine. In the storage process of common oak barrels, if no problems such as rancidity are found in the wine, it can be used again after cleaning with sterile water. If the barrel is stored for a long time, it can be soaked in hot water at 80℃ for 1-2 hours.
2. It is strictly forbidden to avoid using chemical cleaning agents to clean the barrel. Acid, alkali, disinfectant, etc. will damage the barrel.
3. Second-hand barrels that have been filled with spirits can be used directly without cleaning.
4. It is strictly forbidden to leave the empty barrel for a long time, it will cause great damage to the barrel.
5. The wooden barrel is a porous surface structure, so it can never be cleaned thoroughly. Because French oak is more porous and porous, it is more risky than American oak, so do not clean it thoroughly, it will lose the aroma substance.

How beer passes through the barrel

1. Barrel size and barrel aging time: The larger the barrel used, the smaller the contact area between the barrel itself and the beer, and the less flavor it adds. Therefore, the bucket time should be appropriately extended. The smaller the barrel used, the larger the specific surface area, so the aging time of the barrel should be relatively shortened
2. Keep the barrel full: Because too much oxygen will promote the growth of acetobacter, high content of oxygen will make the production of acetic acid and ethyl acetate faster than lactic acid, which will cause the acidity of beer to increase sharply and stimulate its softness and sourness
3. Environmental factors: For most types of beer, it is recommended to continuously control the temperature between 12-15 degrees. Low temperature also helps prevent acceleration of oxidation. Keep beer in a dark place and avoid direct sunlight. This is also a protection for barrels and beer.

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