NorthernBrewer Bourbon Barrel Porter

Just finished mine a couple weeks ago (brewed in late 2010, bottled in Early 2011) it WAS TOTALLY AWESOME!!!

amandabab said:

It really mellows with time. I think if your keg it and drink it fast 24-48 hours might stop the oak harshness. I also gave up on Makers Mark and switched to Elijah Craig or Four Roses.

I soak the oak for a week, let it sit in the beer for a month, then store it for 4-6 months.

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I was wondering why you gave up on Makers Mark? This is what I used and I can't taste any bourbon.

Does anyone who has brewed this have a strong recommendation for what yeast to use? I know NB has Scottish Ale as their Wyeast default on the kit. I bought the kit without the yeast. My LHBS doesn't have Scottish in right now.
Looking at other Porter kits (I have yet to brew a Porter in my young homebrewing career), I see everything from London ESB to American Ale to Ringwood Ale.
I imagine there are a handful of different strains that are good for Bourbon Barrel Porter and maybe I'll just use US-05. But wanted to check to see if anyone felt very strongly about a particular yeast for this.
If it matters, I am going to use a Rye instead of Bourbon for mine.
My thanks in advance!

A picture for a thousand words.

I brewed the extract version of the Bourbon Barrel Porter using Jim Beam back in December of 2011. I tried the first bottle about 2 months later and it was very strong tasting...almost overpowering with bourbon. I let it age longer and it got so much better! I just had a bottle the other night (7 months after brewing) and it was amazing! Very smooth! Next time I want to add vanilla bean.

WIBrewer83 said:

I brewed the extract version of the Bourbon Barrel Porter using Jim Beam back in December of 2011. I tried the first bottle about 2 months later and it was very strong tasting...almost overpowering with bourbon. I let it age longer and it got so much better! I just had a bottle the other night (7 months after brewing) and it was amazing! Very smooth! Next time I want to add vanilla bean.

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How much Beam did you use?

16oz of Beam...little over half a 750ml bottle

Does anyone have a suggestion for a bourbon family that also includes a rye variation?

I just saw that Northern Brewer released a Rye version and I thought they would fantastic to try brewing side-by-side. Some varieties I can think of would be Jim Beam Rye and maybe the 7 year, Bulleit reg and Rye, Knob Creek reg and Rye. Unfortunately the rye Wild Turkey isn't available around here.

Also I was wondering whether people are varying the quantity by the proof of the whiskey? I would think a lower volume of higher-proof whiskey would be ideal since you would be adding less water.

Regular recipe - http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/beerkits/BourbonBarrelPorter.pdf
Rye recipe - http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/beerkits/RebelRyePorter.pdf

zachary80 said:

Does anyone have a suggestion for a bourbon family that also includes a rye variation?

I just saw that Northern Brewer released a Rye version and I thought they would fantastic to try brewing side-by-side. Some varieties I can think of would be Jim Beam Rye and maybe the 7 year, Bulleit reg and Rye, Knob Creek reg and Rye. Unfortunately the rye Wild Turkey isn't available around here.

Also I was wondering whether people are varying the quantity by the proof of the whiskey? I would think a lower volume of higher-proof whiskey would be ideal since you would be adding less water.

Regular recipe - http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/beerkits/BourbonBarrelPorter.pdf
Rye recipe - http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/beerkits/RebelRyePorter.pdf

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I just brewed BBP on Sunday. I am planning on using Bulleit.
I was initially planning on using a Rye I like called Templeton Rye but its kinda pricey due to supply/demand.

That new rye sounds great, I'll have to try that one next. Smuttynose does an awesome oaked rye ale for Julios Liquors in MA, hope this kit is like that.

MDRex said:

That new rye sounds great, I'll have to try that one next. Smuttynose does an awesome oaked rye ale for Julios Liquors in MA, hope this kit is like that.

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I had a fantastic Rye Porter from Bell's brewery that sold me on the idea. I've never had a dark rye beer aged in oak/barrels, but I traditionally love rye (whiskey and beer). Despite not being a huge fan of Boulevard's Rye on Rye or He'Brew R.I.P.A on Rye I think this new NB recipe has promise

Coming up on 10 months now . . . . Man I wish I saved them all. This stuff is AMAZING! The bitterness had died down a tad and now the flavors have melded with the malt shining more. I must say this is very tasty, aromatic, and complex. This was the version with the Old Crow bourbon and Madagascar Vanilla beans (2).

I have a few bottles that are nearly 3 years old. I had one a couple weeks ago. The bourbon and oak flavors are pronounced, but the beer is smooth. Unfortunately some of the beer characteristics are gone. Still enjoyable, certainly still good.

I've made this beer several times. The last time I made it I soaked the chips in very good sipping rum to make a rum barrel porter. Took the blue ribbon with it at my local club.

I just kegged my porter, set up on a nitro tap. Just tried it and it doesn't seem quite ready (too boozy). Planning on taking it off the tap and aging it some more. Obviously, at this point I would keep at its current fridge temp. Just wondering about aging it cold. Any disadvantages to this? Would like to age at least another couple of months.

Hello all!

I brewed this baby on the first of November (2012).
Transferred to secondary after 3 weeks, added bourbon/oak to secondary in two parts one week apart from the other, and it's been sitting pretty in my closet since.

I left it in my closet over winter break with the heater off, so the beer dropped down to 54 and (presumably) stayed there for about a month until I came back home. I'm not worried about the beer going bad, as it isn't sitting on it's original yeast cake and the fermentation should have been done weeks ago. I'm curious though whether I should do anything differently when I bottle; add a tiny amount of yeast or more sugar perhaps?

Anyone know if a cold aging period like I unknowingly put my beer through will change or affect the finished product in a noticeable way? My only thoughts from all I've read about aging beers is that it's probably just preserved well. Either way I am more excited for this one than any other batch I've brewed so far. Only 11 months to go!....

By the way, there have been some wonderfully helpful comments and suggestions in this thread. I've become much more comfortable letting my beer sit. A belated thanks to all the helpful members of this forum!

noob here who has just finished my second brew and I have been drooling over this kit ever since I bought the equipment from NB last month. I was curious if anyone has tried to char the oak cubes before soaking them in the bourbon as a way to extract a bit more of a vanilla flavor? Might add a bit of a smokey flavor too...

Yum yum yum... Brewed march of 2012. Just now tasting it and im glad i waited. 2 oz. pure bourbon vanilla extract & 20 oz makers mark really make the beer. Cant wait to do version #3

Bought this kit recently. I'm planning to use Knob Creek Small Batch 9 year old Bourbon. I'm also planning on using some vanilla bean.

Should I soak the vanilla bean with the Bourbon and oak cubes or add it to the secondary?

Mike_G said:

Bought this kit recently. I'm planning to use Knob Creek Small Batch 9 year old Bourbon. I'm also planning on using some vanilla bean.

Should I soak the vanilla bean with the Bourbon and oak cubes or add it to the secondary?

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I used Knob Creek and had great results. Wish I had used vanilla. Seems like soaking them with the bourbon along with the oak would be a good idea to me.

Has anyone tried putting the oak and bourbon into a mason jar and vacuum sealing it instead of just letting it sit at atmospheric pressure?

I just brewed this bad boy. Big expectations! Came out of 2 week primary smelling great but kind of hot....

smurfwar said:

Yum yum yum... Brewed march of 2012. Just now tasting it and im glad i waited. 2 oz. pure bourbon vanilla extract & 20 oz makers mark really make the beer. Cant wait to do version #3

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Down to about 8 bottles. Really smoothed out on the oak. Make sure to keep it at cellar or at least a constant temp though. Moved recently and the temp spikes of temporary storage gave a little off but still tastes great. Next batch bottle conditioning until dec 2013

I brewed this back in the fall of 12 with a 750 of Jim Beam. First bottles around Xmas and beyond were heavy on the oak. The couple that I've had this summer, the oak has mellowed a lot and now the Beam is at the forefront. Interested to see what's next.
This is an awesome beer. And the way it changes as it ages is so interesting.

So I plan on brewing the NB BBP this weekend. I'm more of a scotch guy vs. a bourbon guy so I did some research and picked up some Jefferson's Kentucky bourbon. I stayed away from Beam products because of the heavy oak aging they already submit their bourbon to. I believe this may be why some people are saying brew tastes like a California Chardonnay. I do plan on letting this soak for 2 weeks prior to adding to the secondary.

My question...

Does anybody prep the oak cubes prior to soaking? I'm thinking of stoking them in a 250 degree oven for 15 minutes or so to drive out some moisture for better absorption. I don't want to char them but rather have them draw in more spirits. Also, I plan on discarding the bourbon that the cubes soak in a replacing it with some fresh stuff. I'll measure what I discard so as to keep the level 16 oz.

When I brewed this in 2011 [and I've got to do it again...another grandchild on the way!], I simply put the oak chips into the 16 oz of bourbon in a capped mason jar. Every time I walked past the jar, I'd pick it up and shake it briefly. Did that for about two weeks, and then just poured the entire contents of the jar into the secondary. Worked just fine.

glenn514

glenn514 said:

When I brewed this in 2011 [and I've got to do it again...another grandchild on the way!], I simply put the oak chips into the 16 oz of bourbon in a capped mason jar. Every time I walked past the jar, I'd pick it up and shake it briefly. Did that for about two weeks, and then just poured the entire contents of the jar into the secondary. Worked just fine.

glenn514

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I used a growler and a 750 ml bottle but same concept -- two weeks with a swirl every so often. Dumped it all into secondary.

jacko-45 said:

So I plan on brewing the NB BBP this weekend. I'm more of a scotch guy vs. a bourbon guy so I did some research and picked up some Jefferson's Kentucky bourbon. I stayed away from Beam products because of the heavy oak aging they already submit their bourbon to. I believe this may be why some people are saying brew tastes like a California Chardonnay. I do plan on letting this soak for 2 weeks prior to adding to the secondary.

My question...

Does anybody prep the oak cubes prior to soaking? I'm thinking of stoking them in a 250 degree oven for 15 minutes or so to drive out some moisture for better absorption. I don't want to char them but rather have them draw in more spirits. Also, I plan on discarding the bourbon that the cubes soak in a replacing it with some fresh stuff. I'll measure what I discard so as to keep the level 16 oz.

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DON'T DO IT!! The bourbon that's been sitting in that jar is filled with oils and tannins that the alcohol has helped to extract from the oak. You'd be better off if you didn't soak the oak at all and just tossed them separate into the fermenter. Also, no need to toss them in the oven. They already come with a medium toast on them.

glenn514 said:

When I brewed this in 2011 [and I've got to do it again...another grandchild on the way!], I simply put the oak chips into the 16 oz of bourbon in a capped mason jar. Every time I walked past the jar, I'd pick it up and shake it briefly. Did that for about two weeks, and then just poured the entire contents of the jar into the secondary. Worked just fine.

glenn514

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I dumped my mason jar in today

I ordered this last weekend and brewed yesterday. I had one hiccup tho.... I was bringing my water temp up a little before I put my grain bag in. I went to clean a couple of utensils and the water boiled! I turned the burner off and let it sit until the temp fell back to 150. I put it back on flame(I'm a turkey burner brewing kinda guy) and put grain bag in. About 5 mins in my water temp went up to about 185 so I turned off burner and let it sit for the remaining 20 mins. Temp fell back to about 164 by the time I started adding the DME. (I'd have to check my notes to see when it fell to 170 or under). Proceeded with normal directions and everything else went great. Will this time(about 8 mins or so with no flame) above the 170 have a horrible effect on the beer? I know it can release tannins and other offs from the grains but it was only a short time and it had no heat keeping it there. My OG sample was 1.060 and tasted very good! 7 hours into fermentation I had minimal airlock activity. 14 hours in and I have very nice steady activity.

Any help or thoughts on the grain bag situation would be great!

bukguy said:

Any help or thoughts on the grain bag situation would be great!

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I doubt you will notice anything, it will be fine.

This is crazy I just ordered this kit to try for the first time. I was at work reading my NB catalog and decided it would be a good beer for the cold winter days. Then I see it on the first page of the extract forum...Sweet! I can't wait, a question though.....

Does the bourbon up the abv at all? Does it give the smooth slight warm feeling going down the hatch that I love on the cold days?

What have been your guys' abv?

I am actually thinking of using this bourbon instead of makers mark, I got this eagle rare for my birthday and I really like it. However, I've never tasted makers mark so ill have to sample it first before I make my decision (not much of a bourbon geek).

Dylan42 said:

I am actually thinking of using this bourbon instead of makers mark, I got this eagle rare for my birthday and I really like it. However, I've never tasted makers mark so ill have to sample it first before I make my decision (not much of a bourbon geek).

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I used "Jefferson's" Kentucky bourbon. It's less oaky than MM. Since we are adding oak to the bourbon, I didn't want to overdo it.

Bottled it today. Entire basement reeked of this brew. Glorious! Now just to wait 4 months for it to gel....

Brewed this on 10.27.12; I've been opening a 12oz bottle once a month since June 2013, and the bourbon is still a little strong for me but I think I know why. I only used 2.8 oz of corn sugar and I find the carbonation lacking. Personally, I would have preferred a little more bite as it's relatively flat at the moment. It almost reminds me of a cask-conditioned Red Seal Ale I had at North Coast Brewing once. The difference is the CC Red Seal blew me away with all the flavors I'd never tasted in kegged/bottled Red Seal, while mine seems off-balance. I would use something closer to 3.5 oz if I could do it again.

I have always been underwhelmed with the carbonation levels of all my brews, minus an Irish Red kit from MoreBeer (my 2nd brew ever!). I have never kegged, and generally use 22oz bottles and a few recycled 12oz if I fill up 2 cases. I have always found that the 12oz bottles tend to be flatter than the 22's; can anyone concur with that or explain why (it could be coincidence or my imagination)?

In the past I have followed the recommended amounts in the recipes, or added more in the case of the Patersbier I brewed. That particular beer had an inconsistent carb between bottles, but I didn't take good notes on it and I suspect it had to do with how I added the priming sugar to the wort.

This was easily one of the more exciting kits I've ever made! I added the bourbon in two additions, one week apart.

I tried one last night.... even though I promised myself to wait until Thanksgiving. Carb was perfect... think i used 4 oz of corn sugar. Great porter but I felt like it needed more bourbon and a little. more nose. Virtually no nose on my brew while cold. I used the 16 oz the kit recommend too and barely any hint of booze in there..... maybe it wasn't mixed up enough.... time will tell as my batch is only a few months old.

I just added the bourbon, oak, n vanilla bean this weekend. The oak was sitting in 8 oz of bourbon for 1 month. The vanilla bean in another jar for about 2 weeks. After placing the oak and bean in my secondary, I remeasured the bourbon and had to add another 2.5oz of fresh spirt to make the full 16oz.

One thing I found was after 10 days in the primary and about a week in the secondary, my fermentation came back to life for about 4 more days. I waited another 3 or so to let the krausen settle before adding the bourbon.

I brewed up a batch of Bourbon Barrel Porter just about two years ago, to help celebrate Christmas 2011 and the baptism of my first grandchild. I drank one of the two remaining bottles about a week ago...and it was awesome! Since my daughter and son-in-law are expecting their second child in October, I will brew up another batch today to celebrate Thanksgiving 2013 and the baptism of my second grandchild. Bourbon Barrel Porter has become one of my all-time favorites!

glenn514

I'm not a huge bourbon fan and I think that 16oz is not enough Makers Mark for a 5 gal batch. Unless the flavor really stands out with age, as mine is still a bit young.... but I figured if anything the bourbon flavor would mellow over time.... already pretty mellow after 3 months