The Science of Wood, Barrel Aging and Producing Sour Beer in Barrels
Broadcast Date: January 28, 2026 | 11:00am - 12:00pm Central
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Webinar Summary
This seminar will address science around wood, barrels and barrel souring. Knowledge of wood is needed to understand how barrels hydrate, permeate gasses, create and release nutrients and flavor. The making of the barrels also influence the flavor and off flavor potential of a barrel, although most of the mistakes are brewer related and should not be blamed on the barrel! Steering flavor extraction or production due to the mixed microbiology is not completely understood, but some actionable suggestions will be discussed.
Learning Objectives
Attendees should become more familiar with wood, barrels and the souring process. There should be a better understanding on how to influence and steer flavors produced in this barrel aging.
About the Presenter
Peter Bouchaert
Purpose Brewing and Cellars
Peter is a Belgian brewing engineer who studied at the University of Gent Belgium. He studied Quality Engineer in Belgium and is a Six Sigma Master Black Belt. He has been active in brewing, quality, raw material and new product development organizations in Belgium and the US. He has almost always worked with barrels or foeders in his career and is co-authored the book "Wood and Beer, a Brewers Guide".
His passion in brewing goes to new ingredients and processes. We are just on the verge of discovery on what has been done, is done and how we will create in the future. We need to keep on learning what happens in different countries and how it could apply to what we can do. So exciting!
He has been brewmaster for 10 years in Brouwerij Rodenbach in Belgium, 21 years in New Belgium Brewing in the US, owner/brewmaster at brouwerij De Zwingel in Belgium and Purpose Brewing and Cellars in the US. He now is still active at Purpose Brewing and Cellars and works as a consultant in many countries.
Publications are covering yeast vitality, wood aging, blending, modeling fermentations, metabolic profiling, Belgian and other beer history and speleology.