top up a whisky barrel of russian imperial stout

[chrisdb]

I have a little under 5 gallons of a russian imperial stout fermented with scottish ale yeast in a 5 gallon whiskey barrel. I want to take up the remaining head space with a bottle conditioned ale- the idea being it will outgas CO2 to replace liquid lost to evaporation.
This was an all grain brew that has a lot of cofee/chocolate notes, and a viscous mouth feel. SRM is high (47), so the 'top up' doesn't need to be a dark or heavy ale. Here's the recipe I used


11G batch,
28 lb marris otter
2 lb 10 oz rolled oats
2 lb pale chocolate malt
2lb midnight wheat

2 oz target @90 minutes
1 oz East kent goldings @ 75 minutes
1 oz East kent goldings @ 60 minutes
1 oz Styrian goldings @ 45 minutes
1 oz Styrian goldings @ 10 minutes

fermented with WY1728 scottish yeast

Interested in suggestions for an addition... probably about 1 quart to top up.

 

[Herky21]

I've had experience topping off wine barrels and beer barrels. From what I understand, you usually want the flavors to mesh when the proportion of liquid being added is significant. In this case, a quart, relative to 5 gallons, certainly is. I'd suggest going to Trader Joes's if you are near one and purchasing something that is cheap, but close to what you have made. You also shouldn't have a problem finding a 6-pack of a basic stout that would fill that space. I have done the same to fill headspace for a Breakfast stout and just used some stouts that I had on hand and the flavor change was nearly undetectable.

 

[chrisdb]

Trader Joe's in California is a great idea- I have bought there limited edition (brewed by Unibroue) at a fraction of the price of lLe Fin du Monde. Unfortunately, I live in Pennsylvania that has a beer distribution scheme engineered to discourage sales - a legacy from the governor in office at the end of prohibition- where beer is sold either by the case at a 'distributor' or by the bottle or 6pack at taverns and bottle shops with big markups.
I topped of the keg for now with uncarbonated beer from the same brew, but still like the idea of using a carbed beer... probably a smaller amount... to top off the keg. I'd like to find a Belhaven Stout as that was the insiration for my recipe.

 

[Herky21]

oh that distribution system sounds like a pain. We have a Trader Joe's in Iowa too so i assumed the company had made it's way into almost every state (as Iowa is usually toward the end of a company's growth plan).

 

[chrisdb]

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald
a porter, but stout enough for me