Vanilla Bourbon Oaked Winter Strong Ale

Well, here it is. Planning this for Sunday morning. Give me your thoughts. My biggest concern is getting the IBU's right. I have very little guidance from BJCP here.

Vanilla Bourbon Oaked Winter Ale

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
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21-B Spice/Herb/Vegetable, Christmas/Winter Specialty

Min OG: 1.030 Max OG: 1.100
Min IBU: 2 Max IBU: 100
Min Clr: 2 Max Clr: 25 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
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Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 11.75
Anticipated OG: 1.075 Plato: 18.28
Anticipated SRM: 22.3
Anticipated IBU: 39.1
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 5.88 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.064 SG 15.68 Plato

Formulas Used
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Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
42.6 5.00 lbs. Generic LME - Weizen Generic 1.035 7
25.5 3.00 lbs. Generic LME - Extra Light Generic 1.035 7
17.0 2.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
4.3 0.50 lbs. Biscuit Malt Great Britain 1.035 35
4.3 0.50 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt 1.033 2
2.1 0.25 lbs. Chocolate Malt America 1.029 350
2.1 0.25 lbs. Coffee Malt America 1.030 350
2.1 0.25 lbs. Melanoidin Malt 1.033 35

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 6.50 28.4 60 min.
0.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Whole 6.00 10.7 45 min.


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.00 Cup(s) Bourbon Other 21 Days(fermenter)
2.00 Unit(s)Vanilla Beans Spice 7 Days(fermenter)
2.50 Oz Oak Cubes - American, House To Other 7 Days(fermenter)


Yeast
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Wyeast N/A Rogue Pacman Ale


Notes
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Steep vanilla beans in bourbon during primary fermentation. Add bourbon and oak cubes to secondary.

Bump. I need feedback...please!

Soak the oak cubes in water and/or bourbon, and then steam then to sanitize before adding them.

You can skip the soaking, but then you get a very strong oak flavor that takes weeks/months to mellow.

I'm not much of a hop head, and since you're using vanilla, seems to me like too much bitterness would clash with that. It is a pretty big beer, but if it were my beer, I'd probably only use 1/2oz Northern Brewer. This is from an avowed MaltHead. The Christmas Ale I brewed last month came in right around 20 IBUs, which was perfect IMO.

cweston said:

Soak the oak cubes in water and/or bourbon, and then steam then to sanitize before adding them.

You can skip the soaking, but then you get a very strong oak flavor that takes weeks/months to mellow.

Click to expand...

• Any thoughts on how much oak to use? AHS's product page said to use 2.5oz per 5 gallons of wine, but for beer...?
• Shouldn't soaking them in bourbon take care of the sanitizing?
• What about soaking them in the bourbon that's going to go into the beer itself, along with the vanilla?

Torchiest said:

I'm not much of a hop head, and since you're using vanilla, seems to me like too much bitterness would clash with that. It is a pretty big beer, but if it were my beer, I'd probably only use 1/2oz Northern Brewer. This is from an avowed MaltHead. The Christmas Ale I brewed last month came in right around 20 IBUs, which was perfect IMO.

Click to expand...

What was your OG?

Thanks for posting your recipe idea! I've recently had Winters Bourbon cask ale, and was wanting to make something like it next. This appears to be right on the money.

I'm curious as to how you plan on using the vanilla beans. Are you going to steep them in the bourbon for the entire 7 days, and then just add the bourbon? Or will you add the beans as well?

I'm also curious to hear about the quantity of oak to use. I'll be keeping watch for some guru to throw their ideas in the ring

Evan! said:

What was your OG?

Click to expand...

OG 1.050 FG 1.010

Torchiest said:

OG 1.050 FG 1.010

Click to expand...

Okay, so, if your OG was 1.050 and your IBU was 20, then if my OG is 1.075, wouldn't it follow that my IBU should be around 30? At least, given how yours is pretty nicely balanced, as you said.

pain++ said:

Thanks for posting your recipe idea! I've recently had Winters Bourbon cask ale, and was wanting to make something like it next. This appears to be right on the money.

I'm curious as to how you plan on using the vanilla beans. Are you going to steep them in the bourbon for the entire 7 days, and then just add the bourbon? Or will you add the beans as well?

I'm also curious to hear about the quantity of oak to use. I'll be keeping watch for some guru to throw their ideas in the ring

Click to expand...

Gonna soak them in bourbon for 7+ days---they're alcohol soluble, so it'll leach the flavor from them. I'll remove them from the bourbon before adding it to the secondary, though.

As I noted above, AHS's prod page for the oak cubes said to use 2.5 ounce for 5 gallons of wine, but I'm not sure about beer...

Evan! said:

• Any thoughts on how much oak to use? AHS's product page said to use 2.5oz per 5 gallons of wine, but for beer...?
• Shouldn't soaking them in bourbon take care of the sanitizing?
• What about soaking them in the bourbon that's going to go into the beer itself, along with the vanilla?

Click to expand...

2.5 oz seems like alot. I can't say exactly how much I used for the IPA that I oaked a few months ago, but I know it was less that that. And I was pretty happy with the oakiness of the result. (I also soaked them in bourbon.)

Yes, the bourbon soak probably takes care of sanitizing. I steamed just to be sure.

You're plan sounds fine, except maybe that I'd use less oak. Then again, whenever I use any kind of "extra" like oak, I'm always going for a subtle flavor element that won't overwhelm the regular beer flavors.

Thanks for the detail on the vanilla evan. I'm looking forward to trying this one this weekend, likely with only 1-1.5oz of oak chips. Thanks again!

Evan! said:

Okay, so, if your OG was 1.050 and your IBU was 20, then if my OG is 1.075, wouldn't it follow that my IBU should be around 30? At least, given how yours is pretty nicely balanced, as you said.

Click to expand...

Exactly. So maybe 3/4oz of Northern Brewer. With the EKG, that should get you pretty close to 30.

Quick question on the vanilla: how many beans are you steeping, and how are you preparing them? I was going to cut open the pod and steep the beans themselves, does this make sense? Sorry, never used vanilla before, and don't want to overpower the beer with it.

Thanks in advance,
Matt

Since they beans are so expensive ($5+ each), I just have one so far. I cut it open lengthwise and scraped out the seeds inside, then put the seeds and the pod into 2 cups of Kentucky bourbon. That's gonna steep for a week while primary fermentation is happening.

It's been a day and a half, and so far, the bourbon has overtaken the vanilla almost entirely. I'm thinking of adding some vanilla extract to the bourbon if it doesn't get any better in a few days.

Sounds good to me. I bought 2 beans <storebought fresh, $14 :O > Pricy!

I guess I was concerned that two would be too much, as they're very aromatic, but if you're saying that the solution is still highly bourbon, I'll chuck 'em both in there after I seed/scrape them. Thanks again for helping out a vanilla noobie

PS: What kind of bourbon are you using? I was thinking of going with something nice like Elmer T Lee, but figured that good ol' Elijah Craig would probably do the job, as it's not going to come through too much flavor wise

Elijah is fine. Heck, just about any 'decent' bourbon is ok, as you said the nuance won't come through in 5 gallons of beer.

Quick update: vanilla and oak have been steeping for a day now, and man they smell nice! Powerful strong from the bourbon, but that will obviously be diluted.

Can't wait for February!

dantodd said:

Elijah is fine. Heck, just about any 'decent' bourbon is ok, as you said the nuance won't come through in 5 gallons of beer.

Click to expand...

Besides, Elijah Craig is darn good bourbon, IMHO. I don't know how a person could do any better for the money. (Of course there are better bourbons out there, but not in that price range.)

cweston said:

Besides, Elijah Craig is darn good bourbon, IMHO. I don't know how a person could do any better for the money.

Click to expand...

I wholeheartedly agree. Back in VA, stuff was $30 a handle.....beautiful thing.

Fer drinkin', my choice is Evan William Single Barrel. My namesake, but that's not the only reason. It's damned good vintage-dated stuff.

Fer adjunctin', I'm using Evan Williams, but not the single barrel.

Hey, Pain, how much bourbon are you using? I have 2 cups. My vanilla bean has been steeping for 3 days now, but the bourbon masks it. I've been adding small amounts of extract to make up for that, but just a few drops at a time. I just got my oak cubes in the mail yesterday. I put an ounce of them into the bourbon, and it definitely smells...woody.

Hey Evan,

I'm using just shy of 2 cups <dratted bottle of Elijah was emptier than I thought!> The 2 beans have been steeping for just a day now, they smelled rather bourbon-esque this AM, but still with strong vanilla odors. I'll check them when I head home, and post back to let you know.

I used the same method you did, scraping out the seeds and adding both the seeds and the pod to the bourbon, along with my oak chips. I'd imagine that the extraction process is going to take a few days to really settle in, so I wouldn't be too concerned about your lack of vanilla. I plan to taste the mix before putting it in, as I figure that the taste may be much different from the aroma, since the bourbon is so powerful.

Happy brewing!

Matt

Just an update:

Checked my mix this morning, the aromas seem to be evening out. The bourbon is less overwhelming than it was before. We'll see how it progresses, I hope the vanilla doesn't do a massive takeover.

Matt