Brewing Notes for above all-grain recipe:
Measured OG = 1.062
Measured FG = 1.010
ABV = 6.8%
BeerSmith calculated efficiency 70.7%
Existing Water Profile (Irvine, CA tap water), ppm: Calcium 27, Magnesium 5, Sodium 58, Sulfate 45, Chloride 19, Bicarbonate 185
50% RO water dilution
Mash 1.31 qt/lb at 154F
Mash Water Additions: 1.1 g Epsom Salt, 1.1 g Calcium Chloride, 1.1x2=2.2 g Chalk
Sparge Water Additions (6 gallons): 1.5 g Epsom Salt, 1.5 g Calcium Chloride, 4.1 mL lactic acid (88%)
Finished Water Profile, ppm: Calcium 58, Magnesium 9, Sodium 33, Sulfate 49, Chloride 43, Bicarbonate 181, SO4/Cl Ratio 1.12
Estimated Mash pH (room T) = 5.3. Measured room T pH = 5.49 after 30 minutes mash, 5.40 in runoff prior to sparge.
Collected 6.7 gallons wort, but with 70 min boil and 71 oz in boil kettle not transferred to conical fermentor, probably transferred only 5.1 gallons to fermentor. Dumped ~1 qt trub prior to secondary fermentation and left 34 oz in fermentor after kegging. Therefore kegged about 4.7 gallons. Next time will collect more wort.
Used 1.5 liters of liquid yeast starter and bubbled oxygen through wort for 45 seconds prior to pitching.
After 11 days dumped trubbed and added 3 prepared Madagascar vanilla beans that had soaked in 1-2 oz of Maker's 46 bourbon (man did that combo smell good). SG was 1.012 when beans/bourbon were added.
Transferred to keg 5 days after adding vanilla beans/bourbon (16 days total from start of primary fermentation). As noted above, FG was 1.010 - considerably lower than BeerSmith predicted (not sure why).
TASTING NOTES: 5 days after kegging (force carbonated at 30 psi for 3 days), this beer tasted very good. I suspect it will mellow out a bit after another week or two. The vanilla flavor counterbalances the stout really well, although the next time I make this I'll probably use 2 vanilla beans rather than 3. I think the vanilla flavor is a bit too strong. So far everyone who has tried the beer likes it a lot, and although maybe my friends are easy to please, this is definitely a recipe I'll repeat many times.