Simulated Bourbon Barrel Aging w/ Maple

[joegbeer]

I've brewed 4 BBA stouts that started as the Founders KBS recipe. As part of the process I soak oak chips and bourbon in a mason jar for a week or two. When transferring from primary for secondary conditioning I add all of the bourbon/oak mixture.

For my next BBA batch, I want to try and approximate Founders CBS, which is supposed to be the same beer (KBS) aged in bourbon barrels that were used to hold maple syrup. How should I go about integrating the maple?

1) Should I add a few ounces of maple to the mason jar with the oak/bourbon mix?
2) Do the oak/bourbon mix the same way, but just straight up add a few ounces of maple to the secondary conditioner?

Does it matter whether the maple interacts with the oak? I'm leaning towards option #2. I think option #1, because of the viscosity of maple, will reduce the amount of oak flavor infusion into the bourbon.

 

[joegbeer]

Any suggestions on how to add the maple flavoring to a KBS style stout?

I've read a bunch of articles and threads about using maple. In most cases, they are talking about adding a metric ton of maple near the end of the boil to capture some maple flavor. That's a fine technique and all, but I don't think that is how CBS is made. I'm assuming (which probably means I'm wrong), that all of the maple flavor in CBS is coming from secondary conditioning in maple bourbon barrels.

The problem with my option #2 above, is that adding a small amount of maple is going to spur additional fermentation. I really don't want bottle bombs from over carbonation.

 

[anteater8]

I do a lot of oak & bourbon in my imperial stouts, and I recently made an oaked bourbon maple coffee vanilla stout that I was very happy with. Here is my general process:

For the oak & bourbon...

• Use 0.25 to 0.35 oz/gal medium toast american oak cubes, boil them for a couple minutes first (this removes the harsher tannins, similarly to what soaking in bourbon will do)
• Rack beer onto oak in secondary and age as long as you can bear to wait (6+ months will get you more complex vanilla and coconut flavors)
• Add bourbon to taste at packaging (this gives you more control over each variable)

For the maple...

• If you are bottling, I would not add maple syrup any time after the first few days of primrary fermentation (bottle bombs). I would recommend flameout.
• In general, you don't get a lot of flavor from maple syrup so you want to consider some 'natural flavoring'
• I prefer the actual ingredient for just about everything else, but this maple flavoring is great. Just use it sparingly and add to taste at packaging: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001M0Z4S/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[joegbeer]

For the maple...

• I prefer the actual ingredient for just about everything else, but this maple flavoring is great. Just use it sparingly and add to taste at packaging: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001M0Z4S/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Thanks for the feedback.

I'm fairly certain I don't want to add maple during flameout because I don't think that is how CBS is being made. I don't see how I can add enough maple in simulated barrel aging where the maple flavor remains and I'm not risking bottle bombs. So I think I'm stuck with options for adding some light maple flavor to the beer at bottling/kegging time. The only real option I can think of (like you mention) is using an extract. Very interested in seeing if a maple extract compliments and enhances the chocolate flavors in KBS as much as I taste in CBS.

Thanks for the maple extract recommendation. Assuming 5 gallon batch, how much of that extract did you add for your maple coffee vanilla stout?

 

[anteater8]

Thanks for the feedback.

I'm fairly certain I don't want to add maple during flameout because I don't think that is how CBS is being made. I don't see how I can add enough maple in simulated barrel aging where the maple flavor remains and I'm not risking bottle bombs. So I think I'm stuck with options for adding some light maple flavor to the beer at bottling/kegging time. The only real option I can think of (like you mention) is using an extract. Very interested in seeing if a maple extract compliments and enhances the chocolate flavors in KBS as much as I taste in CBS.

Thanks for the maple extract recommendation. Assuming 5 gallon batch, how much of that extract did you add for your maple coffee vanilla stout?

I get the hesitation to deviate from how CBS is made, but unless you have a bourbon barrel that previously held maple syrup you'll have to some sort of concession.

I used 0.25 tsp/gal of that maple extract in mine, but start with less and add to taste. I also used 1.4 lb maple syrup at flameout since I didn't want to rely solely on extract so its tough to say how much flavor was contributed by each.

 

[orionol73]

You are correct that Founders uses the same beer for both KBS and CBS. The stout is aged in freshly emptied bourbon barrels to make KBS and for CBS the stout is aged in fresh bourbon barrels that were then used to age maple syrup prior to beer being added.

As far as process, you might try this. *I have not done this but have contemplated a CBS type beer myself.*
Add your bourbon to the oak cubes and move that concoction into or out of the fridge once a day to simulate weather changes and encourage the bourbon to work its way into the wood. After a few weeks pour off the bourbon and either save to add back to the beer or drink etc. Now add your maple syrup and continue the same process to get the syrup into the oak as well. After a few weeks with the syrup you can pull that off and either use it for breakfast (probably quite tasty!) or add it to the tail end of your primary fermentation. Now, add your oak cubes to the beer and age until taste is right.


On a side note, you can buy this syrup and they also do a hot sauce that goes into the barrels following the syrup which is divine! I have also had a batch of All Day IPA that was aged in these hot sauce barrels that was like drinking hot sauce
https://blisgourmet.com/

 

[joegbeer]

Add your bourbon to the oak cubes and move that concoction into or out of the fridge once a day to simulate weather changes and encourage the bourbon to work its way into the wood. After a few weeks pour off the bourbon and either save to add back to the beer or drink etc. Now add your maple syrup and continue the same process to get the syrup into the oak as well. After a few weeks with the syrup you can pull that off and either use it for breakfast (probably quite tasty!) or add it to the tail end of your primary fermentation. Now, add your oak cubes to the beer and age until taste is right.

I already move the mason jar with oak chips and bourbon in and out of the fridge once a day for a week. But your suggestion I think is an improved version of my option #1. I was trying to expedite the process by doing both at the same time. Your suggestion really replicates the Founders process. Don't know why I didn't consider that.

I'm still in the process of adjusting (slowly increasing) the amount of oak chips (in grams) that I'm using when I secondary a batch. Original recipe suggest 7g, last batch I used 10g. It really is a small amount. All of it easily fits in the palm of your hand. My only concern is that really only a small amount of maple is going into the secondary. But hell, it's the closest way to do what they are doing.

I have a KBS clone aging now. When I bottle it, I think i'm going to add a bit of the maple extract to a few bottles just to see the flavor. Next KBS clone I brew this year, I think I'm going to try this approach with the oak chips. Bourbon first, maple second.

Thanks again.