Need some help with a bourbon oaked stout

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ghart999

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Hi all. I am doing an imperial stout with oak and bourbon added. My first try.

This will be a 8.5% beer.

I want some solid oak and bourbon flavor and I will be willing to give it 6 months or so to smooth out.

For 5 gallons, how much oak and bourbon would you recommend and for how long?

Also how many IBUs would you recommend for this? I don't want too much sweetness but certainly don't want too much hop bitterness either.

My thoughts were the following:

80 IBUs

I already have medium toast Amercian oak cubes so that's what I will use.

I was thinking about 2 ounces of cubes soaked in Makers Mark for 4 weeks.

Then add the chips and about 8 ounces of Makers for roughly 4-6 weeks. What do you think?

To much? Not enough?

Thanks all.

Gregg
 
IBUs seem fine. The 8 oz of bourbon might be a bit much, but I have never done it before. I have a friend that brewed a bourbon old ale last fall and he used a couple ounces of oak soaked in enough makers mark to cover them and then pitched the oak and bourbon into the beer and let age for about 2 months on the oak. I think it tastes really good, although if you wanted a stronger bourbon flavor you could throw a couple more oz in, but 8 might be too much.

If anyone has experience in putting in that much please feel free to correct me.
 
I use 375ml for 10 gallons. I will be uping the amount. I used 6 oz. med. oak cubes for 2 months and it wasn't long enough. Chips I don't have experience with. I would add to samples to get the correct bourbon taste and then multiply it out for your batch size and add it to the keg/bottle bucket. I don't think the bourbon brand makes any difference. I would get a middle of the road bourbon that you like and add it. I've tried them all and can't really tell the difference. My last was Makers Mark. I kind of liked Early Times the best. Just me, your tastes may be different.
 
Thanks for the comments all. I guess I really need to just put some oak in and keep testing it till I like it. Then do the same with the bourbon.
 

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