Barrel-Aging & Blending Big Beers with Firestone Walker

In this video course, Ponce goes into detail on Firestone Walker’s program of barrel-aging and blending—from grain to glass. Topics include: 

• Designing recipes from the outset with barrels in mind 
• Brewing big beers meant for barrels, from tricky mashes to long boils and healthy fermentations 
• Sourcing, selecting, and filling barrels 
• Minimizing and managing (but expecting) oxidation in barrel-aged beers
• Tasting and testing, and the importance of lab and sensory results
• Emptying barrels and monitoring dissolved oxygen 
• Flavoring barrel-aged beers with adjuncts such as coconut, coffee, hazelnuts, and ginger 
• Using recirculation with adjuncts for shorter time and greater control over flavor extraction 

Plus: a demonstration of the kind of benchtop testing used to dial in blends and adjuncts. And more.