Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale
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One other quick question. I have 3 oz of heavy toast american oak sitting in about 1 cup of bourbon. Guy at the homebrew shop suggested only adding the soaked chips and discarding the bourbon that remained, and said to add fresh bourbon. Any thoughts on what to do?
That's right. The oak & bourbon do indeed trade some flavors. So you should add the whole thing. Just don't waste bourbon soaking 2-4oz of oak in a whole quart of bourbon. You don't need anywhere near that much. I soaked 4oz of oak in 5 jiggers (7.5oz) of Beam's Black for the whole ferment time in the fridge. The oak chips soaked up 2/3 of the bourbon. Dumped it all in. the oak & smooth bourbon flavor are good. But need to round out more as of day 22 in the bottles. 2 in the fridge @ day 29,a couple days ago. We'll see if the 7 week bit holds up . Maybe tonight.
Chia
Well-Known Member
u can get a barrel for $130 from what i hear. LHBS is getting one and we are all cookin up the same beer to age in it. will let you know how it goes.
Well,I must say,after half of one glass of this stuff,I'm already a bit tipsy! 5.9% is nothing to sneeze at! It's dark,& just a little clear,although I may've gotten some yeast in it from the bottom of the bottle.
After being in the fridge since Monday,It has a dark bourbon nose to it. Smooth spicy oak flavor on the lighter bourbon flavor now. I think the Kent Golding & Haulertauer added some spice to the oak flavor. More like Black Oak instead of medium toast French oak. Interesting difference. Not at all offensive,however.
If Germans made this stuff,this is what it might taste like,imo.
I guess it's my German heritage coming through?...
After being in the fridge since Monday,It has a dark bourbon nose to it. Smooth spicy oak flavor on the lighter bourbon flavor now. I think the Kent Golding & Haulertauer added some spice to the oak flavor. More like Black Oak instead of medium toast French oak. Interesting difference. Not at all offensive,however.
If Germans made this stuff,this is what it might taste like,imo.
I guess it's my German heritage coming through?...
I haven't drank in a few days,the wife has been sick,& just didn't feel like it. We've been drinking Stroh's lately,so this stuff would be a big difference. It spent 8 days on the bourbon soaked oak. It was pretty strong. But now,it's mellowing out,& the hop flavors are giving the oak a spicy quality. But the vanilla is starting to come through.48 days in the bottles as of now. The oak was soaking in the bourbon while the dark ale was fermenting,a couple of weeks.
I am in the middle of making something VERY similiar. One thing I am afraid of, it has been sitting in secondary for 5 months. Will yeast be dead? I am afraid thing wont CARB up, when I add some cane sugar and bottle. What do you think, any suggestions??
Hamada
Member
Pitch another packet of yeast when it goes into the bottling bucket. That will make sure it carbs.
So for Hibbleton's recipe, he has 8.5oz of bourbon and 3 oz of oak chips. My question is, when adding this to the secondary do you strain the bourbon off and just add the soaked chips to the beer? or do you add the oak chips and the bourbon?
I just drank my last bottle of this year-old beer, and there is no bourbon flavor at all. There was some before but it was never very strong. If I made it again I would use charred oak cubes instead of chips, boil them a short while to remove astringency (which was prevalent the first few months in mine), just barely cover the cubes in bourbon for at least a couple weeks, dump all the oak and bourbon into a secondary fermenter, then rack the beer off the yeast and into the secondary and let it sit there a couple of weeks until it tastes good. Remember these are just ideas, I haven't made a second batch of this yet.
I used 4oz of oak chips,& 5 jiggers (about 7.5oz) of Beam's Black in a sealed container in the fridge while fermenting the dark ale I made to use it in. Poured the chips/bourbon mixture through a hop sack,tied it off,& dropped it in. Racked the dark ale on top of it. I let it sit for 8 days,& it was strong already. I bottled it on 7/2/11,& it took 9 weeks,& 6 days to condition. Then 2 weeks in the fridge for good head & carbonation.
Not to mention,getting the malt & hops to shine through again.
Not to mention,getting the malt & hops to shine through again.
I made Northern Brewers Black IPA and aged with oak and bourbon. Very Dark, and strong oak and bourbon taste. It is mellowing a bit after a month in the bottle, and is very drinkable....
Roadliner
Well-Known Member
Sleepyemt
Well-Known Member
Here's another thread with an email from the brewery...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/my-kentucky-bourbon-barrel-ale-attempt-281790/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/my-kentucky-bourbon-barrel-ale-attempt-281790/
Roadliner
Well-Known Member
Thanks.. I really want to make this brew for my brother as it's his favorite beer.
