Stupid idea of the day… Someone has offered me a 5 gallon stoneware crock with lid. The inside is in great condition with no chips in the finish. I could use it as a big ass bucket or to make metric sh!t tons of kraut, but I think I would use it for beer. How insane would it be to open ferment a Belgian Farmhouse type beer in this sucker? I doubt that the seal will be air tight, so plenty of local microbes can join the party, if they want. Should I wait until the summer and let it ferment on the back porch? The temperature swings may screw with the yeast though…
I’m guessing that the material might be fairly porous, so maybe over time you’d get the sort of “house culture” that some Belgian breweries get taking up residence in their barrels? If so, that might mean sour beer. . .
I do enjoy the fact that you are getting out of the same old same old. Sanitizing prior to your end -ever will help to get close to what may have been done in a earlier time. Just because everyone goes over board with the fermentation carboys/vessels doesn’t mean you are going to fail using a different fermenter!… But as always, document ALL they you do, so if it works you have a chance to replicate it or if it fails it only means you may need to alter something… RELAX AND ENJOY A HOMEBREW ! B-}
Weren’t ancient beers all brewed in stoneware? You may want to look into ancient recipes too, All sorts of bittering agents were used before hops became popular. Ancient recipe or modern, stick with your crock; while I’m up for kicking’ it old school I think a modern glazed stoneware would be better then the "dung-tempered pottery
