Racking from a barrel with fruit

[B-Dub]

I have a 30G barrel I am racking 2YO Blond sour into next week with 4 pounds of dry sour cherries.

What is your method for racking out of a barrel with fruit?

Vinnie at RR drills a 15/16" hole in the head and uses a bottle cork as a stopper. When the beer is ready they remove the cork and quickly place a 15/16" OD tube in the hole. They run that though a strainer and pump to the bottling tank. I like the idea and ease of use with this method. I am a little nervous to drill a large hole in my only 30G barrel head though.

If I go with the hole and cork method I plan on using a 5 gallon paint bucket nylon strainer into a corny with CO2 running at 1-2 psi through the "in" side. Once the keg is full pinch the tube and switch to the second keg, third, fourth and fifth, etc. From there I can prime and bottle, rack some to carboys for further aging or even more fruit; if needed.

Looking to also add the SS nail tasting port as well. Any one have extra nails on the Cen Cal Coast? Trade for beer?

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I wouldn't want to ruin my only barrel, either. I would just rack out of it with a normal racking cane but use a paint strainer bag or something else to keep the fruit out. No risk of damaging your barrel, even though it's a much slower process.

 

[B-Dub]

I wouldn't want to ruin my only barrel, either. I would just rack out of it with a normal racking cane but use a paint strainer bag or something else to keep the fruit out. No risk of damaging your barrel, even though it's a much slower process.

Kind of what I am thinking. Last year I racked a sour off peaches and that was a nightmare. Even though I had a paint strainer tied to the racking cane the peaches surrounded the inlet and slowed the process way down. Just want to make it easier in the long run. I was thinking about going through the top for the first 20G and bottle that. Then the last 10 go into carboys with Raspberries.

BW