I've got a batch of Apfelwein that I'm planning to rack to a 20L oak barrel that once had blue corn whiskey in it but now has a gallon of cheap (Mcmasters) whiskey in it ( I turn it a few times a week to keep it wet). I was thinking that the night before racking I would pull the side bung and roll it over to drain out the cheap whiskey and let it "drip dry" over night to get all of it out. Then rack the cider into it.
The plan is to then serve the cider right from the oak cask at a big homebrew party. I was thinking racking it over a min of 1 week before the party or a max of 2 weeks before.
What are your thoughts on this whole deal?
1 week? 2 weeks? More?
As you know the Apfelwein is dry as a bone, would you think back sweetening it a bit would be a good thing or just leave it dry? If I sweeten it I was thinking of just bringing it up to say a 1.010 - 1.015. I would also do this with juice not sugar.
The plan is to then serve the cider right from the oak cask at a big homebrew party. I was thinking racking it over a min of 1 week before the party or a max of 2 weeks before.
What are your thoughts on this whole deal?
1 week? 2 weeks? More?
As you know the Apfelwein is dry as a bone, would you think back sweetening it a bit would be a good thing or just leave it dry? If I sweeten it I was thinking of just bringing it up to say a 1.010 - 1.015. I would also do this with juice not sugar.
