Aging Old Ale Advice

[shaneshepherd]

I'm planning to brew the Old Ale recipe out of Brewing Classic Styles, Old Treacle Mine, this weekend. I want to try aging this ale on oak, something I've never done. I'd love some advice on an appropriate fermentation/aging schedule for this beer. My initial thoughts were:

• Primary, 10 days, 68º
• Secondary, 10 days, 70º
• Tertiary, 30 days with 1 oz oak cubes, 70º
• Move to keg and carbonate

I want this beer to be drinkable before Christmas if possible.

 

[drainbamage]

Just curious, but why a secondary and a tertiary? You won't suffer any by leaving it in primary until the bulk of fermentation is over, then racking over the oak cubes (or just adding them to the primary) and aging.

 

[webersa4]

I can't comment on that exact recipe but I brewed an old ale 4th of July weekend. I used WLP002 and it was done fermenting and dropped out in 14 days. I moved it off the yeast and added an ounce of american medium char oak. Its still sitting on that and tastes great. I'll probably bottle it next weekend now ill just have to see how long I can make it last!

 

[helibrewer]

I'm planning to brew the Old Ale recipe out of Brewing Classic Styles, Old Treacle Mine, this weekend. I want to try aging this ale on oak, something I've never done. I'd love some advice on an appropriate fermentation/aging schedule for this beer. My initial thoughts were:

• Primary, 10 days, 68º
• Secondary, 10 days, 70º
• Tertiary, 30 days with 1 oz oak cubes, 70º
• Move to keg and carbonate

I want this beer to be drinkable before Christmas if possible.

Eliminate all the head space you can in secondary and add the oak there. Fill whatever head space is left with CO2 before bunging it. You can go up to 2oz in 5 gallons with cubes. Once you have the oak flavor you want, keg it. Remember that the subtle flavors will decrease with aging.

 

[shaneshepherd]

Tertiary was an assumption I was making as a beginning brewer. Sounds like it is not needed. Thanks for the advice. I will rack the beer after primary and add oak immediately. Any comments on the temperatures?

 

[unionrdr]

I oak in secondary at room temp for about a week with chips, longer with cubes.

 

[shaneshepherd]

I oak in secondary at room temp for about a week with chips, longer with cubes.

Thanks!

 

[Fathand]

I am not sure what your recipe looks like however I am sure it being an Old Ale it'll most likely have a rather large original gravity. Please note the fermentation schedule you mentioned above might not work for this beer. Let the beer do it's thing and tell you when it's ready to be moved.

On bigger beers, +1.080 and up I usually keep in primary for a month and then secondary for several more.

Also you mentioned that you are a beginner brewer so know that big beers need lots of yeast so please make a starter.

 

[rodwha]

I intend to ferment mine for 4 weeks and transfer what will fit into an available 3 gal Better Bottle and bottle the rest to age for maybe 3 months before I try one. My understanding is that you really want to allow it to sit, and originally they were aged 2-3 years.