Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer Bourbon Vanilla Porter (AG)

[davidr2340]

I Just ordered everything to make this! Can't wait!

I'll be bottling for the first time on this one! Giving a case of it away to friends that got married recently! Hopefully it turns out...

 

[Sshamash]

Maybe bad crush?

I think you are right. Sorry I doubted you. Just brewed the another batch of grains I got the at the same time as the previous one and the OG was again significantly lower than target.

Looks like I gotta get my own grain mill...


~Saul

 

[wegz15]

I like having my own mill. you can participate in group buys and get malts for around $.60 a pound.

 

[booherbg]

Just bottled. smells amazing like vanilla and bourbon (used 4oz/4oz, heavy vanilla light makers). tasted like a bit of dark coffee with a hint of bouron (vanilla mostly just in the smell). i kept getting whiffs while bottling and it was all i could do from just pouring the rest of the fermenter straight into my mouth. haha.

i even got 5 bottles out from the lower volume that most people don't mess with, just so i didn't waste it. they'll settle out and be my taste testers.

 

[mobly99]

I brewed up my third batch of this beer last weekend, still in the primary. Bought a whiskey barrel from farmhouse and plan to do an oaked version this time.

 

[ericebel04]

I just brewed a similar beer today, and I'm a bit worried...

Used 6 lbs light malt extract
2 lbs of amber liquid malt extract

Steeped these specialty grains for 30 min in 160 degree water...
1 lb chocolate malt
1lb Chrystal 60 L
.5 dark crystal malt (bairds malt)

1 oz williamette
1oz fuggle

I probably should have used more malt and perhaps a different hop (since the two are almost the same and are pretty much finishing hops)...

But my OG is 1.036!!! What did I do?! What can I do to fix this?!?!?

Also, I am soaking 3 vanilla beans in 12 oz of makers mark... But can hardly smell any vanilla. (I cut them up and everything). Will this result in hardly any vanilla flavor? Should I wait longer for the smell? I plan on using them in the secondary. Or should I get some oak chips too?

Orrrr am I totally screwed anyway because of such a low gravity reading? Im awaiting a response before pitching yeast.

 

[Hanso]

How much water did you use?

 

[ericebel04]

5 gallons

 

[jigidyjim]

5 gallons

If your batch was 5 gallons your OG can't be that low with that recipe. You probably just got a bad reading. Did you measure after you topped off? If so, you probably got an unmixed sample.

 

[ericebel04]

Yeah I know, but I took measurements twice and got the same results. The first time was right after I shook the whole fermenter to aerate.

I called my buddy and he told me to add some sugar. So I dissolved 2.5 lbs of sugar in a lil water, and dumped it in. (I already pitched the yeast the night before at about 8pm, then added sugar at 11am.)

I just took the gravity reading at 5pm, and its been bumped up to 1.080! And fermentation is going steady too. Smells delicious!

 

[jigidyjim]

Yeah I know, but I took measurements twice and got the same results. The first time was right after I shook the whole fermenter to aerate.

I called my buddy and he told me to add some sugar. So I dissolved 2.5 lbs of sugar in a lil water, and dumped it in. (I already pitched the yeast the night before at about 8pm, then added sugar at 11am.)

I just took the gravity reading at 5pm, and its been bumped up to 1.080! And fermentation is going steady too. Smells delicious!

There's no way you can be at 1.036 after 8lbs of extract in a 5g batch. You were around 1.057. When you added the sugar you added around .022, which is confirmed by your 1.080 measurement. So your numbers are as expected now...

 

[ericebel04]

Hmm, I wonder why I got that then... Maybe you're right, maybe it wasn't mixed up enough. Weird. I shook it pretty well...

Thanks for your calculations, I appreciate it!

 

[Hanso]

Hmm, I wonder why I got that then... Maybe you're right, maybe it wasn't mixed up enough. Weird. I shook it pretty well...

Thanks for your calculations, I appreciate it!

If you took the reading with really hot wort it will read much lower. I believe most hydrometers are calibrated to 60 deg F. Not sure if that was your issue or not...

 

[ldbf]

I bottled this in late July, and posted earlier that there was almost no carbonation at all.

Popped one open last night (just when I was losing hope) to a nicely carbonated beer. Very strong bourbon taste, but it is working!

 

[idigg]

I can't go through this whole thread, seriously... Should I use .5lb Chocolate or 1.25lb?

TIA,
Justin

 

[AGadvocate]

Just racked onto vanilla beans today. Mine finished out at 1.014, I hope that's not too low. I just wanna confirm the amount of bourbon to add. Is 10 oz for 5 gallons going to have a strong presence in the final product? Any feed back on how much you guys added?

 

[booherbg]

Just racked onto vanilla beans today. Mine finished out at 1.014, I hope that's not too low. I just wanna confirm the amount of bourbon to add. Is 10 oz for 5 gallons going to have a strong presence in the final product? Any feed back on how much you guys added?

I used 4oz for my batch because I went heavy on vanilla. I think the recommended amount was like 15oz or so right? So yours should be right in the middle.

Mine has a light bourbon smell and a light end-kick of bourbon when i sampled at bottling. Nothing crazy, just a bit of a light touch. I think you will be fine!

 

[KurtisCummings]

Okay guys, I have been searching this thread for awhile now.

I want to make a partial mash of this recipe, I have found a couple recipes, but i have also read tales of poor head retention.

Can someone throw me a bone here and write up what they have made successfully?

It would be nice to actually consolidate the recipes onto one reply..maybe I'll take the time and do that this week. In the mean time, I need to order my supplies from NB to brew this weekend. Help pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?

 

[KurtisCummings]

Found this Partial Mash from Denny himself on another thread:


Bourbon Vanilla Imperial Porter partial mash

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 13.25
Anticipated OG: 1.087 Plato: 20.83
Anticipated SRM: 46.1
Anticipated IBU: 31.6
Brewhouse Efficiency: 73 %
Wort Boil Time: 70 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 1.50 Gallons Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 6.75 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.064 SG 15.72 Plato


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
37.7 5.00 lbs. Light Dry Malt Extract 1.046 7
18.9 2.50 lbs. Munich Malt (Durst) Germany 1.037 10
11.3 1.50 lbs. Brown Malt Great Britain 1.032 70
9.4 1.25 lbs. Chocolate Malt America 1.029 350
7.5 1.00 lbs. Crystal 120L America 1.033 120
7.5 1.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
3.8 0.50 lbs. Cane Sugar 1.047 0
3.8 0.50 lbs. Crystal 40L America 1.034 40

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.65 oz. Magnum-Domestic Whole 15.00 29.0 60 min.
0.40 oz. Goldings - E.K. Whole 6.00 2.6 10 min.


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.50 Unit(s)Whirlfloc Fining 5 Min.(boil)


Yeast
-----

WY1450, WY1056, or DCL Yeast US-56 Fermentis American Ale


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Name:

Total Grain Lbs: 7.75
Total Water Qts: 12.00 - Before Additional Infusions
Total Water Gal: 3.00 - Before Additional Infusions

Tun Thermal Mass: 0.13
Grain Temp: 65.00 F


Step Rest Start Stop Heat Infuse Infuse Infuse
Step Name Time Time Temp Temp Type Temp Amount Ratio
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sacc 0 60 155 155 Infuse 170 12.00 1.55


Total Water Qts: 12.00 - After Additional Infusions
Total Water Gal: 3.00 - After Additional Infusions
Total Mash Volume Gal: 3.62 - After Additional Infusions

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.
All infusion amounts are in Quarts.
All infusion ratios are Quarts/Lbs.

When fermentation is complete, split 2 vanilla beans lengthwise. Scrape all the seeds and "gunk" from them and add it to the fermenter. Chop the beans into 2-3 in. long pieces and add them, too. Leave in secondary 10-14 days, then taste. You want the vanilla to be a bit on the strong side since it will fade. If the vanilla flavor is adequate, rack to bottling bucket or keg and add approximately 375 ml. of Jim Beam Black bourbon. You don't need to use an expensive bourbon, and you don't want to add a lot. The beer shouldn't scream "BOURBON!" at you. You should have an integrated flavor of the chocolatey porter, vanilla, and bourbon. This beer does not benefit from extended aging. I prefer it within a few months of brewing. The FG should be in the mid-high 20s, so don't worry about trying to get it lower.
__________________
Life begins at 60....1.060, that is!

 

[jigidyjim]

I can't go through this whole thread, seriously... Should I use .5lb Chocolate or 1.25lb?

TIA,
Justin

I used .5 in a partial mash, and it was great.

Other people use 1.25... do what sounds better to you.

 

[idigg]

Anyone interested in using the new New Holland beer barrel bourbon in this porter? http://newhollandbrew.com/beerbarrelbourbon

justin

 

[KurtisCummings]

I brewed the recipe I posted above on Sunday 30 Sept 2012 and I got a OG of 1.083. I had to add some water to bring my total volume up to 5 gal... I think after boil I had like 4 gallons.

Anyways, this brew tasted amazing, so I can't wait to see what comes of it.

I didn't do a starter, just a smack pack of the Denny's Fav from Wyeast - I am slightly worried if I should have used two smack packs since I didn't use a starter fermentation is going really well right now as I post this though

Will post an update later.

 

[Wolfbayne]

Random question and sharing of thoughts....

How long would you let this sit in a bourbon barrel instead of adding the actual 10ounces in the secondary? I would figure the actual pull of oak and bourbon from the barrel would be an added benefit?

Any thoughts?.....

 

[lewisbrett]

Just racked onto vanilla beans today. Mine finished out at 1.014, I hope that's not too low. I just wanna confirm the amount of bourbon to add. Is 10 oz for 5 gallons going to have a strong presence in the final product? Any feed back on how much you guys added?

You probably bottled already but I used 10 oz and it came out very well balanced.

 

[KurtisCummings]

What kind of bourbon did everyone choose? I am using Jim Beam. I am sitting at 11.5 brix (1.046 SG) after 15 days in primary. I started at 20 Brix (1.083 SG).

That puts me around 8% ABV. I assume after soaking the chips in Beam for a week, and then adding a few mL to the 5 gal batch before bottling will raise my ABV to where I want it.

Opinions?

 

[KurtisCummings]

Typo im sitting at 11.5 brix - 1.022 SG

 

[wowbeeryum]

I brewed this up a little over 2 weeks ago, using the partial mash recipe in this thread, and had an OG of 1.087. After 2 weeks in primary I took a hydro sample (this was on Saturday) and was only down to 1.036. Initial fermentation temps were about 70 degrees with ambient about 65. By this point it had cooled to about 65. I used wyeast 1450 and made a 1L starter. I went ahead and moved the fermenter to a slightly warmer room, about 68 degrees. I'm under the impression I might eek out a few more points, but I'm unlikely to get into the 1.020s. Is that correct? Is there anything else I can do? I'll take another sample tonight but I would think I've stalled. Thoughts? The beer itself tasted surprisingly good.

 

[KurtisCummings]

I doubt you will get any lower. I only used 1 Wyeast smack pack to get my above mentioned numbers. Your brewhouse efficiency must have been lower or your measurements were off slightly. I wouldn't worry about it, the extra bourbon will bring the ABV up some for ya.

 

[wowbeeryum]

My efficiency was fine, since I got 1.087 to begin with. Measured again last night and still holding at 1.036. I went ahead and gently swirled the fermenter, to see if rousing the yeast has any effect. I'm hoping I can squeak out a few more points and bring the sweetness down slightly.

 

[supermoth]

Does anyone have advice on how to bottle prime this beer if it finishes at 1.03? Mine has been stuck at 1.03 for a week, even after ramping the temperature up from 63 to 72 over the course of the last week. I'm worried that if I prime normally I'll end up over carbonated or with bombs.