Barrel aging 1/2 gallon at a time

[BroomVikin]

I was recently gifted an oak barrel for my birthday and was considering using it to age Yooper's Oatmeal Stout. Here's the rub, it's only 1/2 gallon in size. Is my logic sound in using it in the following way?

1) Brew beer and fully ferment
2) Pull half gallon off to fill barrel
3) Let age slightly longer than if I had added oak cubes/ spirals/ chips to full volume to account for dilution on reintroduction
4) Reintroduce "aged" beer into remaining beer and keg/ bottle as normal​

While I don't love the idea of going back and forth between vessels twice, I don't see a way around it. Aging and bottling just a half gallon at a time seems ridiculous. Help me out.

 

[NTexBrewer]

What you propose sounds good. If it is a new charred barrel it will give you intense flavor. Being able to blend to taste is ideal. I got a 2.5 gallon barrel and over oaked my first beer.

 

[BroomVikin]

What you propose sounds good. If it is a new charred barrel it will give you intense flavor. Being able to blend to taste is ideal. I got a 2.5 gallon barrel and over oaked my first beer.

TBH I don't know if it's charred or not. I would assume that it is but I haven't looked inside. Any guess on the timeline for only aging a 1/10th of the batch?

 

[NTexBrewer]

TBH I don't know if it's charred or not. I would assume that it is but I haven't looked inside. Any guess on the timeline for only aging a 1/10th of the batch?

I aged mine for 3 months and that was too long. I had previously used my barrel to make whiskey (filled barrel with neutral spirits). The whiskey aged in the barrel for 3 months.

I would maybe go one month. At that point you will have to do some blending to taste. You may not use all of the barrel aged beer if the oak is intense. Or you may not use all of the base beer if the oak is not too intense.