Holiday Bourbon Ale Recipe

I have been researching like crazy trying to find an extract recipe for a Holiday Bourbon Ale with little luck. So I decided to come up with my own and want your opinions on it.

5gallon Batch partial boil 60 min 2.5 gallon boil Volume

6.6lbs of Light LME

STEEPING GRAINS
8oz Caramel 120L
1oz Chocolate

1oz Fuggle Hops full 60 min
1oz Fuggle Hops final 5 min
1 11G Pack Nottingham Ale Yeast
1.5oz French Oak Cubes
12oz Bourbon
2 vanilla bean

I have got the OG figured at 1.050ish and IBU at 20ish FG at 1.012ish
Soak the oak cubes and vanilla beans in the bourbon for the duration of primary. Dump oak, bourbon, and vanilla into secondary and rack on top of them. Secondary for 21 days before bottling or kegging and condition another 4 weeks.
Let me know what you guys think of this recipe, do I need to modify it? I am planning on brewing this weekend, so It will be ready around Christmas time!

For a holiday ale, or an ale using oak, or an ale using bourbon, I would highly recommend a bigger beer than 1.050. You have all 3 elements. I don't think 1.050 would stand up well to oaking or to the relatively strong flavor of bourbon and a winter warmer should be higher abv than 5.5%

Just my 2 cents.

cimirie said:

For a holiday ale, or an ale using oak, or an ale using bourbon, I would highly recommend a bigger beer than 1.050. You have all 3 elements. I don't think 1.050 would stand up well to oaking or to the relatively strong flavor of bourbon and a winter warmer should be higher abv than 5.5%

Just my 2 cents.

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I see you point.... Maybe up the OG with some light DME and pitch a starter or double up on the nottingham.

I know I am calling it a ''HOLIDAY'' Ale, but I am going for something more like Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. I know That KBBA is a hybrid between an english pale ale, and an irish red ale. I am for sure not shooting for a porter, or a stout.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

unionrdr said:

From my own experience with making my Whiskely ale out of my dark ale recipe, I can tell you that 12oz of bourbon with only 1.5oz of oak is def overkill. I used 4oz of oak with 5 jiggers (7.5oz) of Beam's Black,& it took 9 weeks & 6 days,with 2 weeks in the fridge to mature properly. My OG was 1.050 as well. Needs less bourbon soaking in the oak for the duration of fermentation. With 1.5oz of oak,I'd say use 2or 3 jigger measures of bourbon to put the flavor on the back where it belongs.
And just for clarification,1 jigger measure (the metal double shooter things in bar tender kits) is the big end,which is 1.5oz,or a shot & a half. I put my oak & bourbon in tight lidded plastic containers in the fridge when I pitch on the brew. Let it sit there & soak till it's time to rack to secondary. I left mine,chips & all poured into secondary through a hop sack & tied off in there for 8 days.
The amount I used was 4oz chips to 5 jiggers bourbon,& it was pretty strong already. So give it a week,then take a shot glass size sample & see if it's where you want it before bottling & aging.

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Thanks for the info, maybe I will up the oak to 2 oz and go with 5.5-6oz of bourbon.

Thanks for the help.... This is my first attempt at oaking a beer, so I will keep you updated how it turns out.

A quick google search for "holiday beer recipe extract" brought this up.
http://www.brew-dudes.com/holiday-ale-recipe/111 I don't have two months to age (I'd like to be drinking while opening gifts) so any suggestions? Less hard A?