I love Bourbon and a Great Beer

[tim2akat2]

I don't like the BMC beers most are too watered down and frankly just Horse ****. I do drink Samuel Adams, Anchor Steam, and some IPA. Now there is a beer in Kentucky called Bourbon Barrel Ale the beer is made then put in a used Bourbon Barrel and allowed to age a few weeks then bottled. It's good but I am thinking there is better but I am new to making beer. I don't really drink stouts so the Bourbon Vanilla Stout doesn't really appeal to me. I can most likely get my hands on some barrel stave's and end caps (I am originally from Bardstown and have family who work for the distilleries) Does anyone have a starting point for me a good beer that would work well with some added bourbon soaked charred oak? Thanks Tim2

 

[KidNicaris]

I'd go with an English Brown or an Alt

 

[cigarmitch]

I have had great success in adding wood to rye ales. They have taken the characteristics of each wood very nicely!

 

[Revvy]

I've got a brown ale that can be brewed as everything from a simple extract batch to all grain. I've bourbon oaked it, added smoked malt and done all sort of things with it.

Old Bog Road Brown Ale

Many of us on here have used these in beers quite often. I've used the same bag for years, a little goes a long way. And it's like 8 bucks for a big resealable bag.

Lately I've been steaming them in a small collander for 20 minutes, and then I soak them in a mason jar full of more jack for a week or two, then dump them bourbon and all into the secondary. And at 7 bucks for a huge bag, you get a lot of uses of them.

I got that trick from biermuncher.

I've also been dry toasting them lately. I use one of my cast iron pans, get it hot, and then drop them in the pan and move them around for 5-15 minutes or so. They will darken, and toast up really nice. I've just been going by nose more than anything.

I do that, then steam and then soak in jack.

How to sanitize really is determined by when you want to use them. If you know on brew day you want to oak it in secondary, and are palnning to secondary it after two weeks or a month, then soaking them in a mason jar with jack for 2-4 weeks is perfect. The booze should kill all the critters off.

If I suddenly wake up and decide that I might want to oak some beer I wasn't planning on before. Then I steam them, and while they are hot and the pores are open I drop them in a jar of jack and let them sit for an hour or two to absorb, then drop the whole shebang in.

Another friend of mine goes to his favorite bbq joint that sells their smoking wood by the bag.

 

[mikeysab]

I did a cider on scotch soaked oak chips. Amazing. Gonna try bourbon next time

 

[Revvy]

I did a cider on scotch soaked oak chips. Amazing. Gonna try bourbon next time

Interesting!

 

[bottlebomber]

Interesting!

Yes indeed. I've got almost 30 gallons of cider currently, I might have to try this with a couple gallons.

 

[surferdrew]

I've got a great recipe for a spiced bourbon dark ale that I love. I'm away from my computer but it's a Belgian quad with vanilla beans soaked in Woodford Reserve bourbon and my family's special spice blend. If you're interested, I'll post it when I get home.

 

[Quadrupled]

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale recipe by another HBT member.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/my-kentucky-bourbon-barrel-ale-attempt-281790/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/kentucky-bourbon-barrel-ale-259623/index2.html

 

[tim2akat2]

Thanks Everyone I didn't think of doing a secondary add I figured an add to the boil. Surerdrew I love Woodford Reserve as for adding Vanilla I would have to think on that awhile. Revvy I didn't think of maybe buying some Jim Beam Oak chip and toasting them then a bourbon soak would really make the oak and Bourbon flavors come out. Thanks for the quick replys everyone and for the recipies.