Bourbon County Stout clone attempt

[iijakii]

Leave it in primary and dont touch it for a couple weeks and then see where it's at.

 

[roncruiser]

I know this is an old thread, but I just brewed an all grain batch (31# of grain!!!) on Sunday. The thing fermented like a BEAST for 2 days, and has now just about completely stopped. I had an OG reading of 1.125. I just checked and I have 1.040.

Here is the question. Should I re yeast it when I put it on the secondary? Because it seems like the yeasts may be all dead with the high alcohol.

Or should I leave it alone?

Which recipe on this thread did you end up using?

Thanks...

 

[formula2fast]

I just had the same issue with my bcbs clone two months ago. My OG was 1.137 and it stalled at 1.040. I pitched a starter of wlp high gravity yeast into the secondary and it only took it down to 1.037. At bottling it tasted like bcbs blended with bcbs coffee. I would try it, but don't worry if it doesn't take it much lower.

 

[toadfuller]

I used Dragon99's recipe on page two of this thread.

 

[chichum]

I have brewed this 4 times. My OG each time was either 1.137 or 1.139 and my SG was always around 1.038-1.040 - I wouldn't touch it. I'd let it sit in the primary for at least 4 weeks and then in the secondary for 6-8 months. It still brings the beer around 12-14% depending. Don't move it quite yet and I've also added yeast after with very little results.

 

[toadfuller]

Thanks for your feedback. I am hesitant to leave any beer on the yeastbed for 4 weeks, but I will leave it in the primary for two weeks and then rack to the secondary with the oak and bourbon for at least a month. Thanks for the assistance!

 

[wobrien]

I am hesitant to leave any beer on the yeastbed for 4 weeks...

Why? For a beer this big, I would definitely leave it 3-4 weeks in primary. It hit final gravity quickly, but there's still work to be done, cleaning up their mess, so to speak.

1.040 sounds like where you want to be for a final gravity too. That's where my hunahpu clone ended and it seems like those big stouts have a high final gravity, lending to that thick mouthfeel.

Sounds like you are on the right track for sure.

 

[holy]

I brewed one a week ago most like the page 2 version. OG was ~1.160 when it finishes I'll update with FG.

Looking for input on adding bourbon soaked oak. I have 2 containers of 2 oz medium french oak chips soaking in Makers 46. Looks and smells good. How much did you add and when did you add to the fermented beer? Did you add oak in a bag or strain when done? What worked best for you?

 

[holy]

BTW, wort tasted like smoky molasses

 

[formula2fast]

I used an oak spiral, and left it in for 3 weeks. I tasted it along the way and pulled it out when it tasted like BC. I have not tasted it yet as it is still bottle conditioning, but I probably should have left it in another week. I was just afraid of over-oaking as I have done in the past. If you are using cubes, you can age for much longer. The spirals go faster.

 

[jammin]

here is a grav sample i pulled from a 2013 bottle -

 

[holy]

Thanks, 1.040 is what I am going for

 

[holy]

About ready for bourbon addition. opinions on How much bourbon to you add for a 5g batch? Im thinking 8-12oz

 

[RedlegEd]

About ready for bourbon addition. opinions on How much bourbon to you add for a 5g batch? Im thinking 8-12oz

Depending on the bourbon you are using, and the flavor you're after, that might be a little light. I've done two 3.5g batches, one with Willett and one with Maker's Mark. I soaked about 2 oz of medium toast American Oak in 10-12 oz for more than two weeks while beer was in primary, then threw the whole mess into secondary and let it rest for another 4-6 weeks. I racked off the oak into a bottling bucket and let it bottle condition for another month or two. The Maker's Mark came out very smooth, but a little too oak-y for my taste, and the Willett has a sweeter, more bourbon-y taste with less oak. Both are very good, just a little different because of the bourbon used.

 

[holy]

Thanks, I have tested a few shot glasses full at different bourbon ratios and like the higher level of bourbon a bit better. have soaked 4oz medium toast chips over two months. I liked a blend of soaked and non soaked makers at a 50/50 ratio the best. A 1:25 ratio of bourbon to beer seemed to be good but that also seemed high to me.

 

[kcmobrewer]

Holy, how is this beer shaping up? Tasted it recently?

 

[syd138]

I'm thinking of brewing this up in a couple of weeks. I've noticed however that a lot of people are ending up at a FG of 1.040. Isn't that a little too high? Should it be closer to 1.030?

 

[jammin]

I'm thinking of brewing this up in a couple of weeks. I've noticed however that a lot of people are ending up at a FG of 1.040. Isn't that a little too high? Should it be closer to 1.030?

I posted a gravity sample from an actual bottle above which shows a TG of about 1.041.

 

[roncruiser]

Yeah, seems 1.04 would leave it a little too sweet. What does the real BCBS measure?

 

[jammin]

Yeah, seems 1.04 would leave it a little too sweet. What does the real BCBS measure?

Ill say it again..... The sample I posted above IS FROM A REAL BOTTLE OF BCBS!

The real thing finishes about at 1.04 folks.

 

[roncruiser]

Ill say it again..... The sample I posted above IS FROM A REAL BOTTLE OF BCBS!

The real thing finishes about at 1.04 folks.

One more time.

 

[holy]

I'm drinking it occasionally and have shared it with many friends who know bourbon county. We think the flavor is spot on, but my FG of 1.060 is too sweet. I definitely recommend leaving it to finish at 1.04 or slightly higher. Mine may not be exactly Bourbon County, but I find it delicious and I am proud of the results.View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1444097497.176432.jpg

 

[kcmobrewer]

Glad you're enjoying it.

Dang 1060? Which recipe did you use and what was your mash temp, yeast, etc?

 

[holy]

Over boiled. Thanks to an inferior refractometer I did not have the correct specific gravity reading until after I had cooled the wort. I have eliminated these issues for future batches. But,

I still love this beer!!

 

[roncruiser]

Yeah, seems 1.04 would leave it a little too sweet. What does the real BCBS measure?

I should've scrolled up a little from this post. Oops.

 

[kcmobrewer]

There's a clone recipe for this in BYO this month for anyone interested.

 

[roncruiser]

There's a clone recipe for this in BYO this month for anyone interested.

Post it for those whose subscription has expired

 

[mbbransc]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1445479089.023812.jpg

 

[roncruiser]

View attachment 311027

Oh man. Thank you!

Munich Malt 10L: Weyermann® Munich Malt Type 2 (https://bsgcraftbrewing.com/weyermann-munich-dk-type2-25kg)
Roasted Barley Malt 450L: Weyermann® CARAFA® Type 2 (https://bsgcraftbrewing.com/weyermann-carafa-2-25-kg)

 

[kcmobrewer]

Obviously pretty similar to the posted recipe. Seems y'all are on the right track. Especially regarding the FG