Help with bourbon chips!

Hey guys,

so, for my third batch of beer I decided to do an imperial stout. I got the recipe out of EXTREM BREWING by Sam from Dogfish. I also decided I wanted to add some bourbon soaked oak chips to the secondary fermenter. I soaked the chips in almost 200ml of jameson for two weeks, and poured all of it (including the residual jameson at the bottom of the chips) into the secondary fermenter and racked into it. the recipe says to let it age in secondary for another 4 weeks (its been two weeks in secondary at this point).

However, I have been reading a bit tonight and am now wondering if I may have added too much jameson? there wasnt very much added that wasnt already absorbed into the oak chips, however I just thought I would hear what you guys had to say..... it is supposed to finish at 11%, and I wanted this to be a big, tear your face off stout, but I also didnt want it to be undrinkable.

Not sure about the quantity. What kind of Oak chips did you use with the Jameson?

(Also Jameson is Irish Whiskey, not Bourbon Whiskey)

Problem #1, Jameson ≠ Bourbon...

Interested in the results of an Irish whiskey stout. Bourbon stouts are a favorite, good creativity. I'm sure it was intentional...

I hear that chips will almost soak it up bone dry so you probably have a little too much. How big is your batch? If its a 5 gal, it won't make a massive difference to the abv. 200ml would contain 8 UK alcohol units, spread over 5 gallons (38 pints) that's 0.2 units per pint, and considering you're looking at probably 5+ units a pint, its a very small boost!

Thanks guys! and yea, I knew Jameson wasn't a bourbon whisky, but the batch is for my friends birthday, and he loves jameson and stouts........and i figured I'd give it a go. They were French Oak chips with a medium toast

I did 1 oz of medium toast oak chips soaked in 4 oz (118 ml) bourbon into a 2.5 gal batch, so about the same proportion as you. I racked it onto the chips in April, bottled after about 5 months (Sept. 16), and tasted one the other night. It is nice and smooth, the bourbon is not overwhelming, ABV is around 9%. I did add a bit of yeast at bottling time, as I was worried there wouldn't be enough left in suspension after the long secondary. It has carbed up nicely.

mikeho said:

I did 1 oz of medium toast oak chips soaked in 4 oz (118 ml) bourbon into a 2.5 gal batch, so about the same proportion as you. I racked it onto the chips in April, bottled after about 5 months (Sept. 16), and tasted one the other night. It is nice and smooth, the bourbon is not overwhelming, ABV is around 9%. I did add a bit of yeast at bottling time, as I was worried there wouldn't be enough left in suspension after the long secondary. It has carbed up nicely.

Click to expand...

We've got 1oz of light toasted oak chips sitting in 16oz of Weller right now for a 5 gallon batch of vanilla stout. I dont think we're going to secondary for nearly that long, though. Trying to have it ready for Christmas/New Years.