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DRoyLenz · 11-02-2009, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HalfPint

Yeah, I've been doing a lot of research on oak aging and this is what I've found.

Soak your oak chips or cubes in enough bourbon to cover them and sit into the fridge for a week +. Pull out oak and add directly into the fermenter reserving the liquor. Oak in the fermenter until you achieve the flavor you like. Most people say that 3+ months is best, but a lot of people don't want to overpower their brew and just do it until they like it. At time of bottling or kegging add you bourbon to taste. Remember what was said above, you just want the liquor to blend into the brew not be individually pronounced. Also, if you want to add vanilla extract, now would be the time to do so. I use extract b/c it's much cheaper (even the good stuff) and it's easier to fine tune to your liking than whole beans are.

J

Thanks HalfPint, great post! I knew from the beginning that this may not be realistic, but I'm hoping to have this bottled and ready to drink by the middle of January, or maybe February, so I'm hoping I don't have to age the oak chips for 3 months. I know a Porter is a good beer to age for a few months, so we'll have to see how well it conditions.

Denny · 11-02-2009, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrinksWellWithOthers

Denny, how many vanilla beans do you use?

2 nice fat fresh ones

Pschof · 11-02-2009, 07:10 PM

I think oak cubes take several months. Oak chips left in for 3 months, I would think, would be overpowering. I did a brown ale w/ chips. 1 oz for 10 days was plenty.

HalfPint · 11-02-2009, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denny

2 nice fat fresh ones

$8.00 +. You guys are rich!

**Brew-boy** · 11-02-2009, 07:25 PM

I used Markers Mark in mine but I did cut back on the amount. The 2 beans I used were way over the top at first and took a year to mellow. I took a second place win with this at the Michigan state fair and the beer had been in the bottle for a year.

Denny · 11-02-2009, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HalfPint

$8.00 +. You guys are rich!

That's about what I pay for 2 really good ones at Trader Joe's. Besides, man, it's a hobby! How much is a bass fishing boat?

HalfPint · 11-02-2009, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denny

That's about what I pay for 2 really good ones at Trader Joe's. Besides, man, it's a hobby! How much is a bass fishing boat?

Flat bottom with a trolling motor? Probably about what I've spent on brewing this year.

Lol, J/k.

I know what you mean and it's worth the money imo, but I've found you can get the same flavor with tuned in with extract. Granted you're using high quality extract. You can't use the artificial crap.

remilard · 11-02-2009, 07:45 PM

I got some good vanilla beans cheap from Ebay once, you need to buy more than two though.

That said, I like the result from Nielsen- Massey vanilla extract just as well. It probably isn't any cheaper but it is easier.

HalfPint · 11-02-2009, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by remilard

I got some good vanilla beans cheap from Ebay once, you need to buy more than two though.

That said, I like the result from Nielsen- Massey vanilla extract just as well. It probably isn't any cheaper but it is easier.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10317592

That's what I've been using for a while now.

Chester · 11-03-2009, 12:49 AM

I brewed this up on the first. I bought some Nielsen Massey vanilla beans to use they were like $10 that brings the total cost up to $35. Looking forward to this one