Denny Conn's Bourbon Vanilla Imperial Porter

How strong is the chocolate at the first pour? I tasted a sample after 2 weeks in the primary and it was sweet and well balanced. I went to keg and took another sample and it tasted like hot chocolate. Overwhelming chocolate flavors.

Kegged mine last week.
It tastes great!

theveganbrewer said:

How strong is the chocolate at the first pour? I tasted a sample after 2 weeks in the primary and it was sweet and well balanced. I went to keg and took another sample and it tasted like hot chocolate. Overwhelming chocolate flavors.

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That's unusual. Did you follow the recipe exactly?

Denny said:

That's unusual. Did you follow the recipe exactly?

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Yes, exactly. The strangest thing is that it was what I considered perfect a week ago and now is all chocolate. Must have been something to do with vanilla beans I guess, I wouldn't expect that flavor change so long after fermentation

theveganbrewer said:

Yes, exactly. The strangest thing is that it was what I considered perfect a week ago and now is all chocolate. Must have been something to do with vanilla beans I guess, I wouldn't expect that flavor change so long after fermentation

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I could see how the vanilla could enhance the perception of chocolate, just like in baking. Have you added the bourbon yet? That may help. And the vanilla fades in a few weeks/months.

I added the bourbon on the way into the keg, so I will post the update once it's carbed and ready.

I kegged 5 gallons of Denny's Bourbon Vanilla Porter the first week of Dec and it had a very distinct chocolate note to it. That sample was before I added the bourbon. Now a month later and fully carbed the chocolate taste has mellowed out and the blend is like I am use to having brewed this recipe 3 other times.

I just popped the lid off of my bucket to take a reading and mine is @ 1.020 after 2.5 weeks down from 1.083. I mashed a little lower(151) so that sounds about right. I hope it does not go lower. I added the beans and bourbon straight into primary. It tastes very rich. I’m looking forward to this one.

Mine is wonderfull!
Won't last long. I'll just have to make it again.

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. I'll definitely be making this one every fall/winter. Thanks Denny! Next I'm on to your Wry Smile.

Looks great....congrats!

One question about the recipe.
What kind of a water profile U have used for this porter?
I have relatively soft water and having problems building water for dark beers (either the RA is too low or the mash ph is too high)

Arska said:

One question about the recipe.
What kind of a water profile U have used for this porter?
I have relatively soft water and having problems building water for dark beers (either the RA is too low or the mash ph is too high)

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I have reasonably soft water, too, and use the Brunwater spreadsheet https://sites.google.com/site/brunwater/ to make water adjustments.

Denny, is there a beer you know that I can buy that might be similar style to this? I haven't ever brewed or drank anything like this before and would like something to compare it to.

theveganbrewer said:

Denny, is there a beer you know that I can buy that might be similar style to this? I haven't ever brewed or drank anything like this before and would like something to compare it to.

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AFAIK, there's nothing comparable. There are other beers out there with bourbon and vanilla, but none of them re much like mine.

Denny, I would like your take on this subject. Over the years, I have read of all of the effort many put into the pitching of their yeast. Besides the accelerated beginning of yeast activity, what are the advantages? In all of my batches over the years, I have simply added the liquid or dry yeast directly from the package without problems. In fact, in most cases there has been dramatic liveliness within 12-18 hours. What say you?

... and BTW, just brewed your masterpiece yesterday. Hit the 1.078 bullseye. Now the hard part...

I say that lag time is not necessarily an indication of the quality of fermentation. I arrived at my decision to make a starter for liquid yeast for every batch based on my experience. Every batch I've made a starter for has turned out better than any batch I haven't. Now, maybe that's because I seldom make a beer under 1.060 OG. If you haven't made a starter before, I urge you to make 2 batches of the same beer, back to back, and use a starter for one but not the other. Then you can decide for yourself just like I did.

Denny said:

I say that lag time is not necessarily an indication of the quality of fermentation. I arrived at my decision to make a starter for liquid yeast for every batch based on my experience. Every batch I've made a starter for has turned out better than any batch I haven't. Now, maybe that's because I seldom make a beer under 1.060 OG. If you haven't made a starter before, I urge you to make 2 batches of the same beer, back to back, and use a starter for one but not the other. Then you can decide for yourself just like I did.

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Fair enough. I have never done such a thing so I am intrigued. IYO, what do you suppose accounts for the difference in flavors? More esters that are generated during flocculation? ... and if so, wouldn't the same esters be present in the starter?

AFAIK, esters are generated early in fermentation not during flocculation. The esters are not necessarily present in the starter. They are formed during the early stages of fermentation. I find the beers I make using a starter to be cleaner, drier, and have much better foam than beers made without a starter. Like I said, try it and decide for yourself.

I agree 100%

Starters are the way to go, especially on bigger beers.

This recipe is awesome, and I wouldn't change a thing.

That being said, it makes an outstanding porter on it's own, without the bourbon or vanilla. And when you get the balance just right it's pretty remarkable just how much it really does taste like a porter aged in a bourbon barrel. It might just even be better . . .

Thanks Denny, and do you still hang out on the northern brewer forum?

Denny said:

AFAIK, there's nothing comparable. There are other beers out there with bourbon and vanilla, but none of them re much like mine.

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This is true. Do you think its because of the copious use of brown malt? Wonderful, delicious brown malt?

(Sorry for the double post, meant to quote this in the first reply, still getting the hang of this)

Yep, still on NB...they sell kits of my recipes so there's a certain amount of loyalty involved! Mainly, though, I hang out at the AHA forum.

Alphonso said:

This is true. Do you think its because of the copious use of brown malt? Wonderful, delicious brown malt?

(Sorry for the double post, meant to quote this in the first reply, still getting the hang of this)

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That may be it. It gives the beer a nice balance and richness.

Denny said:

AFAIK, esters are generated early in fermentation not during flocculation. The esters are not necessarily present in the starter. They are formed during the early stages of fermentation. I find the beers I make using a starter to be cleaner, drier, and have much better foam than beers made without a starter. Like I said, try it and decide for yourself.

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Oh yes, I certainly will be trying it with a starter! It is all a learning process. ...and if there is one thing I have learned, there is certainly more than one way to accomplish a great brew. However, there is only ONE way to RECREATE a great brew... and that is what I was attempting to do here. The only difference was the starter... and fly sparging as opposed to batch. I just enjoy the process.... what can I say!?!

I will be brewing this next week. Unfortunately my mash tun is a 5 gallon igloo. I’ve pushed it to 15lbs of grain before, but this beer is too big, so I guess I will have to split it and make two 9lb mashes. Has anyone out there done this?

I also made a vanilla tincture that I plan on using. I’d like to have better control of the vanilla and plan on using it at the bottling stage.

I’m glad I ran across this post – I was going to used Notti, but changed it to 1056 with a starter.

Thanks for all the tips Denny!

One more question. I just checked my inventory and I have Chocolate Rye, not Malt. Use?

Nemleu said:

One more question. I just checked my inventory and I have Chocolate Rye, not Malt. Use?

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Not unless you want to make a different beer.

Denny said:

Not unless you want to make a different beer.

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Nope, Malt will arrive this week. Thanks for the prompt response.

I have read this thread and another regarding this porter and can not find an answer to the following question.

Since reading over and over on this forum how a secondary is not necessary, I now find myself wondering whether I need to use one in this instance. The only comment I found to support a secondary (besides the creator's instructions) is that someone hypothesized the reason he did not get much of a vanilla flavor is because the beans may have gone down into the trub and consequently unable to have the flavor extracted. Seems plausible, however, Denny.... what do you think?

(8 days and still bubbling, albeit, one every 9 seconds. getting close )

I think that I have no direct experience with adding vanilla to the primary so I can't say! How's that for waffling? I thought about doing it that way on the last batch I made, but I decided that as long as it had always worked by using a secondary that's what I'd keep doing.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it". I get it. So then... Secondary it is! Unless, of course, anyone can verify otherwise.?.?

DrBrewDC said:

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it". I get it. So then... Secondary it is! Unless, of course, anyone can verify otherwise.?.?

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I can only tell you that I’ve had success making tinctures, and I think that gives one better control over the quantity and quality of the additions. I’ve make Vanilla Bourbon Porter before, but never Denny’s. I made a Chocolate Hazelnut Porter adding a tincture of Hazelnut at bottling that turned out great. My latest tincture was for a Smoked Jalapeno Cream Ale, which took third place at the UP State Fair.

After I finish Denny’s brew I would like to start another identical batch adding the beans to the secondary. That’s probably the only way I will learn, and know if there is a difference.

This bad boy has been bubbling away in the primary for 11 days and I am still getting a bubble out of the airlock every 15 seconds. I understand that this larger grain bill and consequential high OG will take longer that those lesser but what are y'all finding on this one?

DrBrewDC said:

This bad boy has been bubbling away in the primary for 11 days and I am still getting a bubble out of the airlock every 15 seconds. I understand that this larger grain bill and consequential high OG will take longer that those lesser but what are y'all finding on this one?

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Fermentation is most likely complete and has been for a few days. What you are probably seeing in the airlock is residual CO2 coming out of solution - offgassing.

Take a gravity reading (or a couple over the course of a few days) with your hydrometer or refractometer to verify that fermentation is complete or still underway.

Get ready for lots of "an airlock is not a good gauge of fermentation activity"

11 days is nothing, really....give it another week or so.

Alphonso said:

Get ready for lots of "an airlock is not a good gauge of fermentation activity"

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Yes... Thank you... Well aware. Curious from those with experience regarding this beer (Denny) of a general guideline since I am still using a hydrometer and would like to take as few readings as possible (waste not, want not) ...and I got it. Thanx, Denny.

I did 4 weeks, all in primary.

Ok, great... so, ashplub.... since you did not mention any problems with the vanilla beans "hiding" in the trub and not making an impact, I must presume it works quite nicely this way?

I switched it up a little. I made an extract using a portion of the liquor and the beans. I added that at 2 weeks in primary (beans and all) and then added more liquor to taste at bottling. I soaked the 2 beans for a few months beforehand.

ashplub said:

I switched it up a little. I made an extract using a portion of the liquor and the beans. I added that at 2 weeks in primary (beans and all) and then added more liquor to taste at bottling. I soaked the 2 beans for a few months beforehand.

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mmmmm

This is sounding really good. I'm headed to Mexico tomorrow with the fam and I'm thinking I should try to find some good beans. Hard to beat Penzy's though.

And I've found that with a good healthy pitch of yeast it's usually done in about 4-5 days, maybe 6. Then it's just a matter of how long you wanna let it condition.

ashplub said:

I switched it up a little. I made an extract using a portion of the liquor and the beans. I added that at 2 weeks in primary (beans and all) and then added more liquor to taste at bottling. I soaked the 2 beans for a few months beforehand.

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"Someone" has been convincing me of the benefits of a "tincture", however, I am too far into this one to allow months of soaking the beans. Therefore, secondary it is.