NorthernBrewer Bourbon Barrel Porter

[drocu]

I fermented in the mid 60's also. I had nice activity for 4-5 days and then it settled down. I left it in primary for a total of 3 weeks before racking. It came out nice and clean tasting.

I let mine go for 13 days at 65-70 degrees in primary before racking to secondary. It tasted great then which is why I'm in the process of making it again without bourbon/oak.

 

[Philip_T]

How long are you/have you left this in the primary for? I was thinking about transferring it as soon as possible to the oak. Think it should all be settled out and most of the ferm done after a week.

Thoughts?

2 weeks for me as well, but then I 2nded for 2 weeks without the oak/liquor while it was marinating, then added the oak for another 2 weeks in the 2ndary. If anything, I think it came out a little heavy on the oak....in my batch, the oak is way more present than the liquor. So, I guess it depends on how much oak you like in your beer.

 

[glenn514]

My oak is currently "marinating." After reading all the posts on this thread, I decided to only use ONE ounce of oak chips. A bunch of batches ago, I made a Scottish Light Ale that called for oak chips, and I didn't particularly care for the amount of flavor the two ounces gave. I'll add the liquor and oak on Monday, and then we will be gone for two weeks. When we return, both the BBP and a batch of Cream Ale should be ready to bottle.

glenn514

 

[glenn514]

Welp, I poured the oak chips/bourbon into the fermenter...and I must have awakened the yeast! The brew was in primary for a week and a half, and its been in secondary [I needed the primary] for two weeks. When I poured the bourbon and oak into the bottle, all H3]] broke loose! I quickly stuck a blow-off in and put the blow-off bottle in a small bucket. I've got foam and beer coming out like I have never had before. And then I remembered...this is a FIVE gallon Better Bottle, while my primary fermenter is a SIX gallon Better Bottle! Oh, well, at least the batch isn't ruined!

glenn514

 

[smurfwar]

I should have listened. Fermented so hard in the 6.5 glass carboy it blew out the airlock. What a mess. And i was on my way out the door to go of town. At least now i know i will have tons of room in the secondary lol.

 

[craig_reed]

Been in the primary for 2 weeks. I think I am going to transfer it to the oak and bourbon tomorrow since it has really died down, and I want it to have a chance to mellow with the boubon and oak for a long time.

My 2 oz of oak chips have been soaking in 14 oz of Makers Mark since July 22nd! Hopefully creating a smooth, taste of boubon oak instead of two distinct flavors.

I figure I will rack to secondary and let it go at least 3 weeks in there.

How long have you been leaving it in the secondary on the oak/boubon?

 

[Philip_T]

4 weeks in the secondary, with the last 2 weeks of that on the bourbon/oak for me.

 

[BeerWard]

I am planning 4 week in secondary, all on bourbon/oak. Its longer on the oak but I like those flavors, and have time to let it mellow if needed.

 

[craig_reed]

I am planning 4 week in secondary, all on bourbon/oak. Its longer on the oak but I like those flavors, and have time to let it mellow if needed.

That is what I was thinking too, although I might keep it to 3 weeks all on the oak. I am hoping the my 6 weeks of the Maker's marinating with the oak will bring it together as one flavor.

 

[Philip_T]

I caved.

Opened one after 2 weeks in the bottle.

Good news is that it's already carbing up nicely.

Bad news is that it's still way too young. The oak pretty much jumps up and hits you in the face. Back to the cellar young porter. These flavors need some more time to meld and mellow.

Glad I tried one though, it'll be a good measuring tool. If the oak is still this strong after a few more months, I'll be cutting back on the amount used next time.

 

[29thfloor]

I just took a gravity reading on this after just 6 days in the primary and it's at 1.020. I was actually thinking that still seemed high but it sounds like that's where it's supposed to finish out? I don't see a target FG in the kit instructions. Is there something in the promash analysis that lets you figure that out?

Either way I was planning on doing the full 4 weeks in the secondary with the bourbon/oak but now I'm wondering if I should hold off a week or two?

For anyone else doing this kit and trying to get down to 1.020, I used the Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale yeast and made a 1L starter about 36 hours prior to pitching and ended up pitching the whole thing (rather than decanting the wort) because the yeast hadn't settled out by the time I was ready to pitch. I probably could have waited but I've never really delayed pitching and I wasn't sure what the risks might be.

 

[29thfloor]

How much would 16oz of bourbon affect the ABV (if at all) in a 5 gal batch? I mean, obviously it would have some effect but enough to be worth mentioning?

 

[craig_reed]

Just bottled this up last Friday with corn sugar, sample was amazing!

Mine finished at 1.019 and I did 2 weeks primary, 5 weeks secondary then just bottled.

Can't wait for this bad boy to carb up!

 

[bottlebomber]

How much would 16oz of bourbon affect the ABV (if at all) in a 5 gal batch? I mean, obviously it would have some effect but enough to be worth mentioning?

I think it will... it would probably raise the ABV by close to a full percent

 

[OwenH89]

After letting oak chips soak in bourbon, do you add both the oak and the bourbon it has been soaking in or just the oak? The bourbon has become a very dark brown and I wasn't sure if that should go in the fermenter or not.

 

[bottlebomber]

Definitely add the bourbon. It might seem like a bit much at first, but to be honest this beer isn't peaked till its at the 1 year mark. We added an entire 750ml bottle of makers mark whiskey to ours, and it had totally incorporated into the porter flavor wise after about 6 months. It was one of the best beers I've ever had.

 

[Taypo]

Our version of this used 16oz of Weller over 1oz of medium oak and a little vanilla powder, soaked for a week before secondary with the beer. After a 3 week soak, we tasted it at bottling on Saturday and its amazing. The bourbon is a little bit strong, but not so much that its not already drinkable. We primed with brown sugar, so expecting it to take a little while to card up and mellow.

 

[MTB]

Just took a gravity reading of my BBP and it's at 1.018 after 12 days. Planning to move it to a secondary after another week. Should I go ahead and start soaking my oak chips now? Then, I can secondary for 2 weeks with the oak chips that had already been soaking in the bourbon for a week

 

[msinning]

Hey guys, I brewed this porter about 5 weeks ago. I just added the oak and bourbon after two weeks in the secondary and fermentation has started again, that was over a week ago and it shows no sign of slowing. In fact, its getting to the point where I may have to hook up the blow off tube. Has this happened to anyone else and if so, when will the fermentation slow? I was planning on bottling this weekend.

 

[glenn514]

The same thing happened to mine! Unfortunately, my 5 gallon Better Bottle secondary was rather full, so I only had the opportunity to get the bourbon into the beer, and NOT the oak chips. And it foamed like crazy for quite some time...even after I put the blow-off back on!

glenn514

 

[msinning]

Hey Glenn, do you remember how long it took to stop foaming? Im going on about 10 days now.

 

[Philip_T]

Had one of mine after 3 months in the bottle. The rum and oak are still a little too strong at the moment and I can tell it's just not ready yet. In fact, I'm not sure it'll even be ready for Christmas. I think those of you guys who recommend letting it go a year are speaking the truth.

 

[glenn514]

Hey Glenn, do you remember how long it took to stop foaming? Im going on about 10 days now.

Took mine about 24-36 hours. I think the difference in time may be due to the fact that I could NOT get the oak chips into the wort...just too much foam. It did finally settle down, however. I'm sure yours will, too.

glenn514

 

[acuenca]

Mmmm... Just cracked a bottle (used 16oz of woodford reserve for 1.5 weeks in secondary for 2 weeks). Damn, if you like bourbon... and I likes me some bourbon, this is nice but I can really tell it still needs to mellow to let that porter come through. It's a little cold so I thought I'd have some at room temp and it's such a great warmer...Very raisin-y with vanilla notes up front and center. I think this one'll age nicely.

 

[BrewHeads]

Awesome! Def a fan of bourbon. Was thinking about getting this next.

Definitely think I will. Anyone try barrel aging this instead? (using a mini barrel)? Wonder if it gets same or better results.

 

[duckmanco]

Never tried a real barrel but if you have one then by all means go for it, but the original recipe is so damn good, you def. dont have to. I need to rebrew this as it was my first batch of homebrew ever and I still have a few 22oz. bottles left over from last year. Love the stuff.

 

[BrewHeads]

Awesome. That's def my next batch.

 

[kwoodkicker]

So I brewed this BBP Saturday evening, and awoke Sunday morning to a pretty rapid fermentation. It already had about 2"+ of krausen and was having a lot of action in the air lock (roughly 3 bubbles per two seconds). Yesterday I noticed the krausen was less and the air lock activity had diminshed to about one bubble every 10 seconds. Today when i got home from work, all of the krausen had dropped back to the bottom of the carboy and airlock activity is about one bubble per 45 seconds. Is this brew really done ferminting already? I do add one side note that I fermented at about 74 degrees. Anybody have similar experiences, or any input on this?

 

[glenn514]

Kwood...it's probably done with the initial furious fermentation. Activity is still going on in that carboy, however. It's just not as fast and furious! Put an airlock on it and leave it sit for another couple of weeks.

glenn514

 

[glenn514]

I brewed up my batch of BBP specifically to be consumed at my daughter and son-in-law's home during the Christmas season, celebrating not only Jesus' birth but also the birth of my first grandchild.

Well, on Monday my daughter made the BBP have a purpose! She gave birth to a very cute little boy named Boaz Frederick! He was 19" long and weighed 7lb 13oz at birth. My wife and I and all FOUR of our daughters will be together in the Dallas, Texas area on Christmas Day, enjoying one another, the in-laws and our beautiful new addition to the family!

glenn514[now an aged grandfather]

 

[glenn514]

Doh! No, I'm not a "post whore." I just forgot to attach this picture of my grandson to the previous post!

glenn514

 

[TrainSafe]

Congrats. Beer always seems to taste better when it has a purpose.

 

[29thfloor]

Anyone have issues with this being overcarbed in bottles? Is 5oz priming sugar too much for a beer that finishes as 1.020?

Mine has been in the bottle over a month now and it seems way overcarbed. Is there any chance it just needs more time or will this just get worse?

I know sometimes a beer can seem overcarbed before the 3 week bottle conditioning phase is up but it's been over a month so I'm not sure what's going on. It seems to calm down a bit if I chill it down for a couple days but it still seems like way too much CO2.

 

[Sippin37]

Anyone have issues with this being overcarbed in bottles? Is 5oz priming sugar too much for a beer that finishes as 1.020?

Mine has been in the bottle over a month now and it seems way overcarbed. Is there any chance it just needs more time or will this just get worse?

I know sometimes a beer can seem overcarbed before the 3 week bottle conditioning phase is up but it's been over a month so I'm not sure what's going on. It seems to calm down a bit if I chill it down for a couple days but it still seems like way too much CO2.

For my first few batches I was always just throwing in the whole 5 oz. priming sugar packet. Now I carb to the style of the beer. I don't have a link handy (on phone) but you can google carbonating by beer style. I would think for a porter that you would be putting in around 2.5 to 3.5 oz or so for a full 5 gallon batch, but definitely check for yourself. Hope that helps!

 

[29thfloor]

Yeah that does help. Looking at the calculator here:

TastyBrew.com | Homebrewing Calculators | Botting Priming Calculator

I should have only used 3.5oz for this beer.

Still, it seems way overcarbed even for using 5oz. Would it make sense to uncap them and then immediately recap to let out some of the CO2? Or would that let out too much and end up with just flat beer?

 

[29thfloor]

Seriously. Look at this.

 

[dlm3]

I'd leave them alone. Besides risking infection, if the yeast are done fermenting the priming sugar, there wouldn't be any additional CO2 produced after re-capping so it might end up relatively flat. I suppose you could try it with one bottle and see what it's like. I'd probably wait at least a week after re-capping to try it though so the CO2 in solution and in the head space has time to equalize.

 

[martialscientist]

Finally got around to brewing this. This was my first time doing a yeast started and had a little sigh of relief when fermentation began.

 

[glenn514]

Took two cases...24 bottles each...of this brew to Texas for the baptism of my first grandchild. The events didn't occur as I had thought...so I got to bring some of this yummy brew back home! I've got a 12-pack down in the cellar; I'll let it age for a few more weeks. But what we DID drink of the brew while in Texas...oh, I'm liking this beer! And my #3 daughter thinks it's among the best beers she's ever had!

glenn514

 

[msinning]

Bottled this one a little over a week ago. Tried one yesterday, had some pretty decent carb to it already but definitely needs some time for all the flavors to blend together. Very happy with it!!