Barrel used for a sour

[archthered]

I am going to be able to get my hands on a small, 2.6 gal, used barrel. I have been thinking about getting one for some time but haven't due to cost. This one will be a deal but it's not quite ideal because it has been used for sours. I was wondering it it would ever be possible to use it for anything other than sours? I was thinking of filling it with starsan for a while then getting some everclear to throw in for a while. I'm concerned that even with that it will never be able to do anything but sours. If that's the case I had planned on playing with sours here soon so I'll end up getting it anyway, I'd just like to know my options.

 

[VikeMan]

I was wondering it it would ever be possible to use it for anything other than sours?

IMO, no.

 

[RM-MN]

No living organisms can live at high temperatures. If you can fit that barrel into an oven and heat it to 160F and hold it there for a few hours (being a barrel it will take time to heat throughout) it will be pasteurized. That's about the only way to be sure to kill of the organisms that made the sour.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I would recommend using it for sours. Microbes aside, the oak character is gone at this point, so all you'd get from aging a regular beer is oxidation.