Denny Conn's Bourbon Vanilla Imperial Porter
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Denny. I am thinking about making this recipe in the near future and was wondering what your thoughts are on adding the dark malts late during mashout or vorlauf. Have you tried this method, or do you add chalk or bicarbonate to keep your mash pH ideal?
The best I've ever found are from hawaiianvanilla.com
Nemleu
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My brew day was yesterday and everything went well. Unfortunately my OG came in at 1.070, very poor efficiency. Nice activity in the airlock within 2 hours, and I have a blow off ready if needed.
I hope it turns out okay........
I hope it turns out okay........
kingconsulting
Member
I'm thinking about making the partial mash Denny posted of this. I'm somewhat new and have done probably 5 beers. The last two partial.
My question is I love porter and bourbon. Now thinking that last year I tried a Widmer Brrrbon. Had way too much bourbon flavor. Like too rich tasting to me. Swore I would never try a beer like that again but this one sounds soooo good!
Anybody had both to compare? From what I read I'm thinking this is more balanced and I might like it a lot.
Thanks,
Robert
My question is I love porter and bourbon. Now thinking that last year I tried a Widmer Brrrbon. Had way too much bourbon flavor. Like too rich tasting to me. Swore I would never try a beer like that again but this one sounds soooo good!
Anybody had both to compare? From what I read I'm thinking this is more balanced and I might like it a lot.
Thanks,
Robert
I use either chalk or pickling lime to adjust the pH. I've never tried the late addition.
I'm going to be making this recipe over the weekend. Has anyone used wlp001 with success ? My lhbs does not have 1450 nor 1056 an I would have to wait another week to get those from northern brewer.
Ok so I did brew this over the weekend and it turned out great !!! probably one of the smoothest brew days I have ever had actually which really made this beer a pleasure to brew. the only downside side was milling 17.75 lbs by hand ( my drill broke ). My question is this I followed Denny's recipe not brewmasters warehouse which seemed incorrect. I see in Denny's post that he calculate 73% eff is this brewhouse or mash ? my system runs about a 83-85% mash eff and my OG was 1.075. I did modify minorly by increasing the batch size to 5.5 gallons. I did a pre boil volume of 9 gallons ( I have alot of losses ) and post of 7 gallons. My brewhouse eff is kinda low at 70% as I don't tilt my pot etc to get that last drop out and leave most of the trub behind. Bottom line am I in the ball park with my OG at 1.075 ? Thanks for the input.
Just tried the hydro sample as I just racked the beer onto the vanilla beans. This tasted so darn awesome it's unbelievable !!!! strong coffee and chocolate taste and thick roasty chocolate nose. I can't wait till this is done, this is a great great recipe.
phoenixs4r
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Fired up the kettle for this one today. Undershot my OG so I boiled a little extra, so I ended up a little high! 1.092. Tastes like chocolate milk. Loving it.
GRRRRRRRR!!! Perhaps someone can tell me what I have done wrong.... again. Seems the last few times I have made a high gravity beer, I get little to no carbonation in the bottles. It has been two weeks since I bottled this porter and although there is a slight release of CO2 when I remove the cap, the beer is completely flat.
I can only come up with three ideas.... I didn't use enough priming sugar (although I did question everyone on here, used the program that determined how much to use and did just that), I have not waited long enough (wishful but doubtful) or the yeast that I substituted for American Ale yeast (because they were out... oh, and btw... I do not recall what it was) would not handle the high alcohol content.?.?
Any thoughts?
I can only come up with three ideas.... I didn't use enough priming sugar (although I did question everyone on here, used the program that determined how much to use and did just that), I have not waited long enough (wishful but doubtful) or the yeast that I substituted for American Ale yeast (because they were out... oh, and btw... I do not recall what it was) would not handle the high alcohol content.?.?
Any thoughts?
kosmokramer
Well-Known Member
GRRRRRRRR!!! Perhaps someone can tell me what I have done wrong.... again. Seems the last few times I have made a high gravity beer, I get little to no carbonation in the bottles. It has been two weeks since I bottled this porter and although there is a slight release of CO2 when I remove the cap, the beer is completely flat.
I can only come up with three ideas.... I didn't use enough priming sugar (although I did question everyone on here, used the program that determined how much to use and did just that), I have not waited long enough (wishful but doubtful) or the yeast that I substituted for American Ale yeast (because they were out... oh, and btw... I do not recall what it was) would not handle the high alcohol content.?.?
Any thoughts?
I would suggest the last of the 3. If you are only having problems with high grav beers you yeast is probably crapped out. Maybe adding some energizer to the bottling bucket would help or fresh yeast. Easiest way would be to carb in a keg and bottle off that however. I will be carbing a 23% beer in a couple weeks, no way to do that in a bottle..lol
Thank you for your reply. So then this was going to be my next question... Is it possible to /has anyone ever tired to open individual bottles, carefully pour them into a keg and have success with maintaining all of the beer's attributes?
phoenixs4r
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High gravity beers simply take longer to carbonate. 2 weeks isn't enough for a normal gravity beer. If your getting co2 the yeast are fine.
Agreed. Nearly any yeast should be able to handle a beer of that gravity.
So then, would you find it reasonable that after 2 weeks it would only have the slightest "sss" upon opening the cap and not a hint of carbonation in the beer?
It's certainly not unreasonable. I wouldn't freak out for at least another 2 weeks. What temp are the bottles at? How much priming sugar did you use?
Yes. Leave them for another week or two at least, then leave them in a fridge for ANOTHER week or two.
Cold conditioning will do wonders getting that CO2 into solution.
Also, why drink high gravity beers that have only been bottled for two weeks? Leave them for a month or two, longer if you can.
The bottles have been in the low 60's. Someone on another thread just suggested I bring them up out of the basement and let them sit at 70 or a bit above for another week or two.
Cold conditioning will do wonders getting that CO2 into solution.
Also, why drink high gravity beers that have only been bottled for two weeks? Leave them for a month or two, longer if you can.
Well... that would have to do with my impatience to sample that which has been raved about by everyone. Truth told, this beer is so good, although saddened that it was not carbonated, I would consume every last drop with a smile on my face.
..... not in one sitting of course. I do not have my notes with me, however, it was whatever the priming calculator at tasty brew suggested.
phoenixs4r
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Edit: stupid phone....
phoenixs4r
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So, as previously mentioned I boiled a little longer and little more vigourously than normal, luckily I always over sparge and aim for a 6.5 gallon into fermenter for this reason. I ended up with about....6ish, little less, and I didn't leave a drop behind this time. I wasn't able to pitch till morning, and thought it rather odd that there was this much sediment in the carboy.
Thoughts? Normal? (preferable answer, just sayin')
Thoughts? Normal? (preferable answer, just sayin')
I wouldn't use that. It seems to always be too low.
So how much sucrose do you recommend for this recipe?
My standard is to use 1 oz. (by weight) per gal. of beer. Then adjust slightly for higher or lower carbonation.
This recipe sounds really good to me and I plan on brewing it later on this year. The only thing I have been wondering is how important is the yeast selection for this? I have been on a kick of using English yeasts, especially in my malt driven beers becasue I find 1056 to be very bland/boring. Any chance that something like WLP007 will still produce a beer close enough to what you have created (I know it wont be the same but I am so bored of American Ale yeast).
DO NOT use an English yeast for this or any of my recipes. The recipes are carefully crafted through repeated brewing trials and the idea is for the other ingredients to stand out. The yeast should support the other ingredients and not contribute a character of its own.
I had more than normal sediment / trub for this batch as well but I still ended up with 5 gallons into my keg, that looks like a bit much if that is all solid that looks to be about 3 gallons of sediment.
phoenixs4r
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Aschecte said:
I know right? Lol wtf.
Nemleu
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Since I only have a 5 gallon mash tun a double mash made it a long brew day for me. When bottling I noticed a small leak so I slightly tightened the spigot and all hell broke loose. Afterwards I found that my spigot was cracked. With my wifes help I managed to bottle 48 bottles. My efficiency ended up at 62%, OG was 1.070, FG 1.019. Needless to say I thought a dark cloud was hanging over the beer. It didnt make it to Imperial. Now, 3-weeks after bottling I have to tell you this is one of the best beer Ive ever brewed. I think in another month this beer will be awesome.
Thanks for sharing Denny!
Thanks for sharing Denny!
Yeah, I really prefer it in the first couple months.
Denny - just wanted to jump on the bandwagon.. We love this beer, and so does everyone who has it. This BVP is a staple with us..
We made a few tweaks with the intent of letting it age, and it respondd proudly! I have a corny that is 8 months old, at least. We kind went crazy though and used 5 madagascar vanilla beans, and 2X the liquor suggested,; we used some 18 year old wisers blended whiskey. Let me tell you guys - after 2 weeks it tasted like "imitation vanilla and had a hot-liquored up taste" but after 3 months is starts to mature. At 6 months it is the absolute most delightful beer one could imagine. It is a culinary delight. It makes me smile from ear to ear. I don't think you could get away with that much liquor with Makers or Jim, but Wiser's 18 yr blend is up for the challenge.
We missed the chance to enter into a recent contest due to my keg carbonation not being right when we went to bottle.. It is tricky that way.. Seems to be a fine line between flat and over-carbed.
Thanks for your contribution to the hobby, and for sharing a fantastic recipe!
Jeff & Pat
We made a few tweaks with the intent of letting it age, and it respondd proudly! I have a corny that is 8 months old, at least. We kind went crazy though and used 5 madagascar vanilla beans, and 2X the liquor suggested,; we used some 18 year old wisers blended whiskey. Let me tell you guys - after 2 weeks it tasted like "imitation vanilla and had a hot-liquored up taste" but after 3 months is starts to mature. At 6 months it is the absolute most delightful beer one could imagine. It is a culinary delight. It makes me smile from ear to ear. I don't think you could get away with that much liquor with Makers or Jim, but Wiser's 18 yr blend is up for the challenge.
We missed the chance to enter into a recent contest due to my keg carbonation not being right when we went to bottle.. It is tricky that way.. Seems to be a fine line between flat and over-carbed.
Thanks for your contribution to the hobby, and for sharing a fantastic recipe!
Jeff & Pat
Darn, you people are making me blush!
SnidelyWhiplash
Well-Known Member
Can anyone tell me how similar this base (without bourbon) is to the breckenridge vanilla porter? or if they have a similar (but weaker) grain bill? this seems like a lot of chocolate for a vanilla porter, but from the comments IIT it sounds like it blends well with the other flavors.
maybe I'll just brew this myself to tell.
also Denny, how does the flavor change that makes this best in the first few months? losing vanilla? I was thinking of starting with 10gal before I read that.
maybe I'll just brew this myself to tell.
also Denny, how does the flavor change that makes this best in the first few months? losing vanilla? I was thinking of starting with 10gal before I read that.
Yeah, the vanilla flavor fades after a few months. It's still there, but the balance changes.
SnidelyWhiplash said:
I just brewed this and Kegged it about 2-3 weeks ago. It is nothing like Breckinridge the mix is totally different. The dominant flavor is chocolate followed by a background flavor of bourbon and a touch of vanilla. Breckinridge is much more vanilla dominant.
Aschecte said:
There is no comparison between the two. Breckinridge tastes "manufactured" and almost medicinal compared to the bvp. The vanilla in one is still strong - went back and looked and this has been in the keg for 13 months!
