Vanilla Bourbon Oaked Winter Strong Ale

Evan! · 12-06-2006, 08:14 PM

Well, here it is. Planning this for Sunday morning. Give me your thoughts. My biggest concern is getting the IBU's right. I have very little guidance from BJCP here.

Vanilla Bourbon Oaked Winter Ale

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

21-B Spice/Herb/Vegetable, Christmas/Winter Specialty

Min OG: 1.030 Max OG: 1.100
Min IBU: 2 Max IBU: 100
Min Clr: 2 Max Clr: 25 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 11.75
Anticipated OG: 1.075 Plato: 18.28
Anticipated SRM: 22.3
Anticipated IBU: 39.1
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 5.88 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.064 SG 15.68 Plato

Formulas Used
-------------

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %

Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
42.6 5.00 lbs. Generic LME - Weizen Generic 1.035 7
25.5 3.00 lbs. Generic LME - Extra Light Generic 1.035 7
17.0 2.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
4.3 0.50 lbs. Biscuit Malt Great Britain 1.035 35
4.3 0.50 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt 1.033 2
2.1 0.25 lbs. Chocolate Malt America 1.029 350
2.1 0.25 lbs. Coffee Malt America 1.030 350
2.1 0.25 lbs. Melanoidin Malt 1.033 35

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.

Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 6.50 28.4 60 min.
0.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Whole 6.00 10.7 45 min.

Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.00 Cup(s) Bourbon Other 21 Days(fermenter)
2.00 Unit(s)Vanilla Beans Spice 7 Days(fermenter)
2.50 Oz Oak Cubes - American, House To Other 7 Days(fermenter)

Yeast
-----

Wyeast N/A Rogue Pacman Ale

Notes
-----

Steep vanilla beans in bourbon during primary fermentation. Add bourbon and oak cubes to secondary.

Evan! · 12-07-2006, 07:09 PM

Bump. I need feedback...please!

cweston · 12-07-2006, 07:16 PM

Soak the oak cubes in water and/or bourbon, and then steam then to sanitize before adding them.

You can skip the soaking, but then you get a very strong oak flavor that takes weeks/months to mellow.

Torchiest · 12-07-2006, 07:24 PM

I'm not much of a hop head, and since you're using vanilla, seems to me like too much bitterness would clash with that. It is a pretty big beer, but if it were my beer, I'd probably only use 1/2oz Northern Brewer. This is from an avowed MaltHead. The Christmas Ale I brewed last month came in right around 20 IBUs, which was perfect IMO.

Evan! · 12-07-2006, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cweston

Soak the oak cubes in water and/or bourbon, and then steam then to sanitize before adding them.

You can skip the soaking, but then you get a very strong oak flavor that takes weeks/months to mellow.

Any thoughts on how much oak to use? AHS's product page said to use 2.5oz per 5 gallons of wine, but for beer...?
Shouldn't soaking them in bourbon take care of the sanitizing?
What about soaking them in the bourbon that's going to go into the beer itself, along with the vanilla?

Evan! · 12-07-2006, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torchiest

I'm not much of a hop head, and since you're using vanilla, seems to me like too much bitterness would clash with that. It is a pretty big beer, but if it were my beer, I'd probably only use 1/2oz Northern Brewer. This is from an avowed MaltHead. The Christmas Ale I brewed last month came in right around 20 IBUs, which was perfect IMO.

What was your OG?

pain++ · 12-07-2006, 07:45 PM

Thanks for posting your recipe idea! I've recently had Winters Bourbon cask ale, and was wanting to make something like it next. This appears to be right on the money.

I'm curious as to how you plan on using the vanilla beans. Are you going to steep them in the bourbon for the entire 7 days, and then just add the bourbon? Or will you add the beans as well?

I'm also curious to hear about the quantity of oak to use. I'll be keeping watch for some guru to throw their ideas in the ring

Torchiest · 12-07-2006, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evan!

What was your OG?

OG 1.050 FG 1.010

Evan! · 12-07-2006, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torchiest

OG 1.050 FG 1.010

Okay, so, if your OG was 1.050 and your IBU was 20, then if my OG is 1.075, wouldn't it follow that my IBU should be around 30? At least, given how yours is pretty nicely balanced, as you said.

Evan! · 12-07-2006, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pain++

Thanks for posting your recipe idea! I've recently had Winters Bourbon cask ale, and was wanting to make something like it next. This appears to be right on the money.

I'm curious as to how you plan on using the vanilla beans. Are you going to steep them in the bourbon for the entire 7 days, and then just add the bourbon? Or will you add the beans as well?

I'm also curious to hear about the quantity of oak to use. I'll be keeping watch for some guru to throw their ideas in the ring

Gonna soak them in bourbon for 7+ days---they're alcohol soluble, so it'll leach the flavor from them. I'll remove them from the bourbon before adding it to the secondary, though.

As I noted above, AHS's prod page for the oak cubes said to use 2.5 ounce for 5 gallons of wine, but I'm not sure about beer...