Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer Bourbon Vanilla Porter (AG)

Lil' Sparky said:

Sounds like you have things about right, although I've never sparged by moving grains in a bag from one pot to another. I think your OG would definitely be low if you did a no-sparge. What is your typically efficiency mashing with that technique? I wouldn't worry about doing a mashout, it'll just make things more complicated - save it for another time.

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I haven't done the Brew in a Bag method before, this is my first. I've double milled my grain which I've read should help with my efficiency. I've decided to do the no-sparge method as shown in the BIAB sticky. I'll let you know how it turns out!

A few last minute items from the homebrew store and I should be all set to brew this weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Lil' Sparky said:

I'm not an extract brewer, but Beersmith converts 9 lbs of 2-row (65% eff) to 5 lbs of DME, so I think you definitely need more fermentables. I'd recommend more 2-row, but it depends on if you have the capacity to mash that much.

If you don't have a brewing program, I highly recommend it. It'll help out a lot when you're trying to figure out estimated OG based on a recipe and your typical efficiency, not to mention water amounts, IBUs, color, etc.

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Software is on my Christmas list. I have a Brew Magic system I'm converting to electric HERMS. I'm going to attempt a partial mash on this with a mash in a bag concept using my bottling bucket and a 0* sleeping bag as my MLT. Then I can sparge into the Brew Magic BK and boil with my propane burner. I'll see if I can get my hands on a few pounds of two row. 5.5 lbs of 2-row and 3 lbs of plain light DME with the other grains (1.25 lbs of chocolate malt) give me an estimated OG of 1.084 on Beer Calculus. Sound right?

Here's my dilemma – my boil kettle from the Brew Magic system is going to the welder for the work to convert it over to electric. I won't have it to brew this weekend.

I'm thinking I can make this work as a partial mash as originally intended, but I'm looking for recommendations to hold off on this until I can brew it all grain.

The recipe I have now is as posted on the first page with the following changes:
5 lbs 13 oz Plain Light DME
2 lbs of 2-row
1.25 lbs of chocolate malt

Everything else is the same. Accordinng to Beer Calculus, the DME is 40% of my grain bill. Is my math right that this is a 5.5 gallon batch, and if I'm using 40% DME, then the grain bill should be calculated for mash/sparge/etc based on 60% of the 5.5 gallon batch? 60% of a 5.5 gallon batch is 3.3 gallons. If I use 3.3 as my batch size for calculating water volumes, I can fit that in my 7 gallon brew pot (2.73 gal mash, 2.9 gal sparge, 5.64 total water with less going into the kettle due to grain absorption, etc).

5 point something gallons of wort from the grain going into the brew pot, boil according to schedule for 45 minutes, add DME for the last 15 minutes for hop utilization, etc, chill, top off to 5.5 gallons, aerate, pitch yeast.

Sound RIGHT, or should I wait and do this as an all grain recipe since this takes enough time to age/mature that I won't drink it until next Thanksgiving/Christmas anyway?

Its funny this thread has so many more posts than the actual thread that denny participates in.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/denny-conns-bourbon-vanilla-imperial-porter-144612/

i think the second to last page denny himself gives the partial mash recipe. He also suggest drinking it about the month and a half mark!. I brewed it and accidentally threw in an extra pound of dme and ended up about 11% abv. it is 2 months old right now and on tap. I really like it. I will probably bottle some just to taste how it ages but as he states there is no need to wait that long to drink it

Just opened mine after 3 weeks in the bottle. Pretty yummy!

Wanted to comment on the bourbon choice. I wanted to try my favorite bourbon with the brew and see if it was a better fit than Jim Beam Black. I suspected that it wouldn't be because Jim Beam is more straight forward than my favorite bourbon (Eagle Rare 10 Yr old). Price difference is a few bucks, but it did give me the chance to buy two bottles of bourbon vs. one

Turns out I was right and my wife even commented (hers was a blind taste test) that there was too much flavor with the eagle rare and it didn't meld together as well.

I did my taste comparison by pouring some untreated DBVP into a glass and some bourbon into two shot glasses. I went back and forth between the bourbon and the beer and let my taste buds tell me which melded better. I didn't make a mix of the bourbons and brew because IMO the brew isn't ready and needed one more day of vanilla and some aging before trying to find the right bourbon to DBVP ratio.

Just thought I would let people know my results.

I am finally brewing this tonight. Had it on my to do list for over a month. How much bourbon for 5 gallons again? I think I have 10 ounces prepared.

theveganbrewer said:

I am finally brewing this tonight. Had it on my to do list for over a month. How much bourbon for 5 gallons again? I think I have 10 ounces prepared.

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Denny was saying 10ml per pint (16oz). But to use that as a reference and add some in and taste until you get there. The bourbon is not supposed to overtake the brew though. you are going for nuance.

The recipe call for 12 oz. I used 6 oz. & wish I would have used 4 oz. , I also used Makers Mark .

Thanks for the info on the bourbon. 10oz seemed like a lot, especially for an 8.7% beer. I'll add slowly and check it along the way. I had a very nice brew night and hit all my marks. Came in at 1.089. Grains smelled so good they woke my wife up and she came out to investigate. Thought I was baking.

Has anybody served this on nitro?

Just a quick follow up. 7 weeks in and I think the brew is in a sweet spot (did jim beam black and denny's recc. dosage). So for me, grain to glass fro this one is 7 weeks.

The brew has a nice body to it and by far I really like this beer at a warmer temperature, like 50-54F, YMMV.

Enjoy!

Thinking about brewing this soon as a PM.
Also think I'm gonna throw some cold pressed coffee into the secondary with the vanilla beans. Try and make it ala Victory at Sea from Ballast Point which is one of my favorite all time porters.

lemmiwinks said:

Thinking about brewing this soon as a PM.
Also think I'm gonna throw some cold pressed coffee into the secondary with the vanilla beans. Try and make it ala Victory at Sea from Ballast Point which is one of my favorite all time porters.

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Make sure to taste it first. This was our plan as well, but it had an incredible roastiness without any coffee additions. Almost everyone asked if we had put coffee in the brew.

HitTheTwit said:

Make sure to taste it first. This was our plan as well, but it had an incredible roastiness without any coffee additions. Almost everyone asked if we had put coffee in the brew.

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Thanks for the tip.
Was probably going to add at bottling so I'll be sure to steal a sip or six prior to throwing any in.

slothorentropy said:

I've had a batch of this in secondary on the vanilla beans for a couple of weeks, and I'm getting ready to bottle, probably with some Buffalo Trace--money's a little tight for Maker's, and I really like BT as far as budget bourbons go. Question, though: should I use the normal amount of priming sugar with this (4oz/5gal), or should I cut it back some to account for the bourbon? Or will the bourbon not have any effect on carbonation? I've never used liquor in my homebrew before; wasn't sure what to expect.

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Sweet Jeebus! Did you use Bufalo Trace? That is some expensive and tasty bourbon to use as a flavoring agent!

Brewed this last night as a BIAB partial mash.
My intended recipe was:
5 lbs. light DME
1.5 lbs. Munich DME
1.5 lbs. 2-Row
1.0 lbs. brown malt
1.0 lbs Caramel 120
.75 lbs chocolate malt
.5 lbs caramel 45

Went to LHBS and he didn't have Munich DME so went with 2.5 lbs. Munich grain. Also subbed 1.0 amber malt for the brown cause he doesnt carry that. Was able to get the correct hops. Not realizing it at the LHBS this amounted to 7.25 lbs of grain for my very first PM with a 4 gallon and 5 gallon kettles. Mashed in 2.5 gallons at 150 for 60 minutes and had a second pot at 160 that I did the tea bag method on with the grains. Ended up with a 4 gallon boil that dropped down to about 3.75 after 60 minutes. Siphoned to primary and topped off to 5 gallons. OG was 1.082 and I pitched 1.5 packets of re-hydrated US-05. Airlock was already bubbling when I woke up this AM. Have about 4 oz of Makers Mark that I'm gonna soak the vanilla beans overnight before racking to secondary on top of the vanilla, bourbon and I'm thinking 2oz of cold pressed coffee depending on the taste.

This has been on gas for 3 weeks, the chocolate never mellowed out. It may be how it's supposed to taste and I just don't care for this style. Maybe I used a different kind of chocolate malt?

theveganbrewer said:

This has been on gas for 3 weeks, the chocolate never mellowed out. It may be how it's supposed to taste and I just don't care for this style. Maybe I used a different kind of chocolate malt?

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I think something is going on outside the recipe. My brew doesn't taste anything like carbonated chocolate

one more note - 10ml per 16oz has been working really well for me. At first all I got was bourbon, but then as a couple weeks set in I really preferred the bourbon at that level vs. the straight up brew itself. I mean I love bourbon in general, but IMO Denny has perfected the amount. I love chewing on this brew.

Well the batch I brewed up is only about 4.5 weeks in the bottle but it is great already. Hands down one of the best beers I've brewed. Mine pours very dark, almost entirely opaque, with a very thick, dark brown head (I tried to capture the colors with crappy lighting and a cheap cell phone camera but it doesn't do it justice).





I don't have my actual tasting notes with me but the smell is rich and complex, all malty and a bit of chocolate. The taste is surprisingly well balanced for 4.5 weeks. Everything seems to work together. I'd say chocolate is the most prominent and discernible flavor but it really melds well with the bourbon and vanilla flavors. In mine the vanilla is less pronounced than I'd like but really I knew that before I bottled and was just impatient. In any case, "chewing on this brew" is a perfect description. The mouthfeel is full and chewy. I'll definitely be making this one every fall/winter. Thanks Denny! Next I'm on to your Wry Smile.

EDIT: Man, these threads are getting damn confusing. I guess this is the one Denny does not post in? I can't remember which is which when they show up in "New Posts". Guess I'll double post.

Anyone try this with a Belgian yeast? Think that would work?

So I'm still relatively new to the idea of writing recipes and I want to float this by everyone, especially the procedure part to make sure I'm in the right.


INGREDIENTS:
5 lbs Extra Light DME
3 lbs Dark LME
1.5 lbs Chocolate Malt
.5 lbs Crystal Malt
.25 Black Patent Malt
1 oz Chinook Hops
1 oz US Golding Hops
1 Vanilla Bean
12 oz Makers Mark/Buff Trace
American Ale Yeast (2 packs or starter)
1 cup Brown Sugar


PROCEDURE:
1. Bring 2 gallons of water to 155 degrees, steep grains for 30 minutes.
2. Add 5 lbs Extra Light LME, bring to rolling boil
3. Add Chinook hops
4. Boil for 60 minutes
- add .5 oz US Golding Hops, 3 lbs Dark LME for final 15 minutes
- add .5 oz US Golding Hops for final 5 minutes
5. Add to 2 gallons of cool water in Primary Fermenter, top off to 5 gallons.
6. Pitch yeast at 60-70 degrees
7. Ferment approx 2 wks. During 2 weeks, soak vanilla bean in 12 oz bourbon
8. Transfer to secondary fermenter, add vanilla bean and whiskey (1-2 wks)
9. Prime with 1 cup pure brown sugar, bottle, age minimum 2 weeks

I brewed this last Novemeber and just served this at a beer and food pairing dinner with 5 other beers...we served this last and paired with brownie bites. We received several comments that this was their favorite of the evening.

Other beers served were

Allagash White Ale
Ommegang Hennepin farmhouse
Stone Ruination IPA
Sam Adams Boston lager
My homebrew Pale Ale
Home brew bourbon vanlilla porter

I just tasted my reading after almost 2 weeks and it is amazing! There is so much flavor packed into this beer and it's as smooth as can be. No bite, no bitterness. This is really a well-rounded beer and I haven't even added the bourbon or vanilla.

My efficiency was a little low at 1072 but for all of the trouble I had brewing this one, I think it's great.

I strongly advise against using a 5 gal MLT. I used mine and just figured I was mash longer but mashing took forever and my efficiency was still low. Beersmith said that I would need just over 6 gallons of MLT space given the grain bill.

Even given the extended brew day and the trouble we had brewing this one, the beer is well worth the trouble.

What style would this be in beersmith?

There's a beersmith recipe file in the original post. I input the style as robust porter.

Thanks Sparky. I am putting this recipe in beer smith but I don't have Brewers Malt 2-Row (Briess) in my list of grains. Any info available? Thanks again. If this is as good as your nut brown, I'll be doing back flips. That nut brown is awesome.

I just added the vanilla to the primary, and took an SG reading. It already tastes AMAZING. It has a nice dry, and roasty finish that will pair well with the vanilla and bourbon. I can't wait to keg it.

KNOTSANE said:

What style would this be in beersmith?

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I used "Baltic Porter" in beersmith. It seemed to fit the best but I don't know for sure

Thanks for the share Sparky! Looks tasty. Thinking about aging this in a retired bourbon barrel. Think it will work or will the oak bully the vanilla?

How much priming sugar should be used in a 5 gallon batch of this?

DrBrewDC said:

How much priming sugar should be used in a 5 gallon batch of this?

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Don't quote me on this cause my numbers are in iBrewmaster and I don't have my iPad with me at work but I'm pretty sure it calculated it to around 2.5 oz of priming sugar.
I can double check when I get home and let ya know.

lemmiwinks said:

Don't quote me on this cause my numbers are in iBrewmaster and I don't have my iPad with me at work but I'm pretty sure it calculated it to around 2.5 oz of priming sugar.
I can double check when I get home and let ya know.

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Just double checked - iBrewmaster calculated it at 3.52 oz

Depends on how carbonated you want it. I usually prime a batch with 4-4.5 oz of sugar, depending on the final volume.

Lil' Sparky said:

Depends on how carbonated you want it. I usually prime a batch with 4-4.5 oz of sugar, depending on the final volume.

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So then how carbonated will this be?

And here is another question I have not seen asked nor answered in this forum, yet (of course, it may be out there and I have just not come across it)...

If my OG was 1.078 (which it was) and my FG is 1.020 (and it is) and therefore, the ABV calculates to a glorious 7.73% (which I must presume) and I add precisely 10ozs of 40% alc/vol bourbon to approximately 5 gallons (but probably a bit more), how would I go about predicting the final ABV?

DrBrewDC said:

And here is another question I have not seen asked nor answered in this forum, yet (of course, it may be out there and I have just not come across it)...

If my OG was 1.078 (which it was) and my FG is 1.020 (and it is) and therefore, the ABV calculates to a glorious 7.73% (which I must presume) and I add precisely 10ozs of 40% alc/vol bourbon to approximately 5 gallons (but probably a bit more), how would I go about predicting the final ABV?

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I would just call it 8% and leave it at that

Kinda weird experience I wanted to report on. I really dug this beer until about 6-8 weeks old (brewed mine on 11/13/2011). Just recently I opened one and it tasted young, and not as good (tasted a bit thinner and more bourbon upfront flavor). I am thinking this will turn around with time and be really good with more age but wondered if anyone else experienced seesaw aging? I have experienced this with brews in the past, so I am not all that worried about it but curious what others have experienced

either that or it has too much bourbon in that bottle from a heavy handed pour....

bernerbrau gave the formula:

5gal * 7.73% + 10 fl oz * 40% = .3865 gallons + 4 oz = .41775 gallons.

.41775 gal / 5 gal (rounding down) = 0.08355 = Roughly 8.35%.

I can't help but getting all tingly and giggly as a school girl just thinking about it!!

Served mine out of the bottle on Friday.
ABV came in at 7.7% without the 6 oz. of Makers Mark factored it.
What a well balanced brew.
Vanilla on the front and a faint bourbon taste at the back.
As the glass and brew warm up, the Kona I used really shines through towards the bottom of the glass.

Have a feeling I'm going to always have to keep some of this around.