MrSparkleQ
Member
You can barrel age anything, it doesn't matter where you start.
My Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale attempt
- Thread starter OHIOSTEVE
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
You can barrel age anything, it doesn't matter where you start.
Buckeye_Brewer1
Well-Known Member
I had meant to say the Amber LME which is about 9.99 for the 3.15 lbs carton. Also i was considering using Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale because it is suited for high gravity ales. I also plan on using to starter since the OG should be in the 1.066 to 1.070 range. Overall an expensive brew but it turns out it will be well worth it.
Going to do this AG after all using the BIAB method. Is it ok if I dont sparge at all and start off with my preboil volume? Should I use US or UK fuggles? Thinking UK since Kent Goldings are UK as well. And is flaked wheat ok?
Thanks. Priced it out and its $38.00 on NB w/o shipping. Not too bad.
Thanks. Priced it out and its $38.00 on NB w/o shipping. Not too bad.
I really enjoyed the original KBBA too. But I'm new to homebrewing, so after some experience I'll definately have to give this a try.
MrSparkleQ
Member
That works, I have never done BIAB, but I've heard of others getting better efficiencies than I do with it. You will need more than your preboil volume due to grain absorption. There should be some information out there on how much you can expect. I used all UK hops/yeast etc. I am not sure about flaked wheat, it will probably work, but I just used malted wheat.
Any wheat will do?
MrSparkleQ
Member
Check out this thread. If you are mashing it looks like either will work, but flaked wheat may get a lower conversion than malted and have a slightly different taste.
I will be kegging mine on Thursday or Friday. I am going to be naturally carbonating in the keg and adding oak. I will put it in a hop bag and pull it out when it tastes right. Sounds like some "research" of the original is in my near future.
If you can get your hands on it its quite tasty. I got my parents to bring me down some KBBA and Kentucky Light when they came to visit.
Priced this out on brewmasterswarehouse.com where you can build the recipe and order the exact amount of ingredients you need (minus hops, those are still 1oz packets) and it came out about $8 cheaper than NB. It came out to $38 shipped which is pretty damn good for this recipe. I saved and shared it on there if anyone wants to take a look, its under wood-age beers (its a english pale ale, irish red ale hybrid so I put it there). I used white wheat, wasn't sure if that was good or pale wheat would be better.
http://www.brewmasterswarehouse.com/recipe/e3ba337e/
http://www.brewmasterswarehouse.com/recipe/e3ba337e/
MrSparkleQ
Member
Yea, I had my wife pick up 6 4-packs a couple years back when she went down that way. I have had to ration them so they last.
I kegged my batch this morning. It finished at 5.2P (about 1.020), so hopefully it isn't too sweet as that is a little higher FG than expecting. It is still 6.6 ABV with 70% attenuation. I decided that I am going to force carb this one and add the oak in the next couple days.
I was thinking that maybe the reason Ohiosteve's KBBA clone came out more bourbon is because he used a bourbon barrel stave chopped up and soaked in bourbon. Thats like 2x the bourbon flavor. Im curious for yall to report back about how yours taste.
I just ordered the ingredients off of brewmasterswarehouse and it was like $31 which isnt bad at all for everything. Im going to soak my oak chips in bourbon and see how that works out unless yall report back that it still has a lot of bourbon flavor.
I just ordered the ingredients off of brewmasterswarehouse and it was like $31 which isnt bad at all for everything. Im going to soak my oak chips in bourbon and see how that works out unless yall report back that it still has a lot of bourbon flavor.
DoubleAught
Well-Known Member
I will be adding my oak chips this coming weekend after 3 weeks in the primary.
Brewing mine this weekend. Still thinking that Ohiosteves is overly bourbony because of the bourbon barrel stave and then the soaking. I am going to soak my chips and only add them. If more bourbon flavor is needed, Ill add it for botttling.
Let me know how everyones goes.
Let me know how everyones goes.
DoubleAught
Well-Known Member
I'm oaking for 7 days, then adding 675 ml of Makers Mark during bottling. This has worked well for porters, not sure how it will on the lighter body of the ale..we shall see.
Any thoughts on adding vanilla beans/extract? Read in another thread of a KBBA clone that there wasnt enough vanilla flavor. They werent using the recipe Ohiosteve posted and since thats directly from the brewer, Im hesitant to follow their advice.
Henry22 said:
Im on batch 5 of a similar recipe posted in another KBBA thread. Every time I get a little closer. Ive come to the conclusion that until I get a barrel that the beer will not be exact. On my last couple batches I have added the oak for 3 weeks and then the rest of the bourbon to taste. My current oaking process is to soak the oak and 1 Madagascar vanilla bean and repeat above statement. Batch 2 got infected and had to drink it quickly before the sourness took over too much. Which was no problem with a few bros help. I added some more bourben and even slightly soured it was well recieved. So I bake then char the American white oak since then.
IMO the grain bill is not nearly as important as the oaking process. I hopping to have a once used 5 or 15 gal barrel next time I brew it. Cheers and good luck.
DoubleAught
Well-Known Member
I've never thought about the vanilla taste, but now that you mention it I realize that I have tasted vanilla in it. Perhaps a little extract might do the trick, however no clue on the amount.
How did it turn out? Thinking about making this one soon...extract version.
DoubleAught
Well-Known Member
Not sure yet, bottling in 6 days, oaked it 4 days ago. Looking promising though!
Decided to mess around with Brewtarget as suggested earlier in this post. I punched in the ingredients and here's what I got. I based it from what I'm familiar with thus far with extract kits. How's it look?
KBBA Clone - Wood-Aged Beer (68F)
Batch Size 5.000 gal / Boil Size 3.000 gal
Boil Time 60.000 min / Efficiency 70%
OG 1.088
FG 1.023
ABV 8.5%
Bitterness 6.9 IBU (Tinseth)
Color 10.0 srm (Morey)
Calories (per 12 oz.) 293
Fermentables
9lb Briess DME - Golden Light (95% 4.0 srm)
1lb Briess - 2 Row Caramel 40 (77% 40.0 srm)
1lb Briess - 2 Row Carapils Malt (75% 1.5 srm)
1lb White Wheat Malt (86% 3.0 srm)
Hops
1.0 oz Kent Goldings 5.5% (Boil 60.000 min)
0.5 oz Fuggles 4.5% (Boil 5.000 min)
Misc
4 oz Bourbon-soaked Oak Cubes (Secondary)
3 cup Bourbon (Bottling)
3 oz Vanilla Extract (Bottling)
Yeast
Wyeast - British Ale (1098)
KBBA Clone - Wood-Aged Beer (68F)
Batch Size 5.000 gal / Boil Size 3.000 gal
Boil Time 60.000 min / Efficiency 70%
OG 1.088
FG 1.023
ABV 8.5%
Bitterness 6.9 IBU (Tinseth)
Color 10.0 srm (Morey)
Calories (per 12 oz.) 293
Fermentables
9lb Briess DME - Golden Light (95% 4.0 srm)
1lb Briess - 2 Row Caramel 40 (77% 40.0 srm)
1lb Briess - 2 Row Carapils Malt (75% 1.5 srm)
1lb White Wheat Malt (86% 3.0 srm)
Hops
1.0 oz Kent Goldings 5.5% (Boil 60.000 min)
0.5 oz Fuggles 4.5% (Boil 5.000 min)
Misc
4 oz Bourbon-soaked Oak Cubes (Secondary)
3 cup Bourbon (Bottling)
3 oz Vanilla Extract (Bottling)
Yeast
Wyeast - British Ale (1098)
Northernbrewer has it coming in at $52.85. About what I expected based on previous posts. Not going to order anything until you guys look it over, make sure I didn't fudge it up somehow 
justindunham
New Member
I'm interested in trying this recipe but with the added bourbon at the end I was worried about bottle carbonation not working. Are my concerns valid?
JD
JD
justindunham said:
I think it might just take longer to carb. Higher grav beers tend to take longer both to ferment and carb. Give it the necessary time and it will be fine.
Brewed this last night, mash @ 150 for 90 mins to increase efficiency, sparged in my bottling bucket and poured the wort back through the grains while they were sitting overtop my kettle, also squeezed the bag. Mashed out @ 170 for 10 mins, then a normal 60 min boil.
Got an OG of 1.062 which is a little low but I got 73% efficiency with a 5.5 gallon post boil. Not too bad, hopefully the bourbon will up the alcohol a little.
Cooled it down, pitched my yeast starter and put on a blow off tube. I'm hoping for some bubbling activity today.
MrSparkleQ
Member
are the hops and cubes right? I thought it was 1.5 oz at 60 mins? And I was just planning on 1 oz of cubes. The OG looks a little high as well, I was around 1.070.
I was just going by brewtarget, that's the calculations it came up with. I can change it to 1.5oz @ 60mins...probably a typo on my part. Everything else look cool?
Since I'm only familiar with extract kits, I was going to try this one as such. Just trying to confirm the ingredients before I purchased.
Wreck99 said:
I would think you should keep the hop amounts the same. 1.25 oz of kent goldings @60 and .5 oz of fuggles @5. Just convert the 2-row to lme or dme and the rest are specialty grains. If you have beer smith get it to convert it for you or I can do it when I get home.
Unfortunately no I don't have BeerSmith. I've been using BrewTarget. If you could convert it, that would be awesome. Thank you! I just want to get the recipe right.
I just remembered I actually did this when I was going to do extract. You convert the main grain by .75 for LME I believe but anyways, starting on page 3 of this thread there is a discussion involving the extract recipe.
MrSparkleQ
Member
Went to the liquor store last night and while I was browsing I noticed that they have the Alltech Brewery Beers there!!!! They were sold out of the bourbon barrel, but I still have a stash of them. $10.50 for a 4-pack in Wisconsin, much easier than driving to Kentucky!
aiptasia
Well-Known Member
I have a scotch wee heavy stewing on about 1 oz. of light toast American oak chips that I soaked in Johnny Walker black label scotch whiskey for a week. I tossed in the oak chips on Tuesday and i'm estimating it'll sit in there about a week to take on the flavors. I'll start tasting it this weekend.
Thats the same price as in kentucky. At least it isnt more expensive. Definitely one of the more expensive beers I buy but I think its worth it.
For anybody interested. A little lesson on Oaking your beer. Posted by another member.
http://morebeer.com/content/using_oak_in_beer
http://morebeer.com/content/using_oak_in_beer
So I have 4 ounces of medium toast American soaking in about 250 fl oz of makers, won't be using it for another week and a half. Should I add it all or just some and no bourbon? Wish I would have gotten cubes now but oh well.
DoubleAught
Well-Known Member
Wow, 4 pack here is like 12 something...me thinks me getting screw-ed
