What temperature was the wort at when you pitched the yeast?
NorthernBrewer Bourbon Barrel Porter
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What temperature was the wort at when you pitched the yeast?
I pitched the yeast at around 80degrees F. Its in my fridge now at around 64degrees F.
I'll just be patient
.
FlipMasterFlash
Well-Known Member
Worth doing, more so than any of my other beers this one has changed over time which has been fun to taste. I brewed it almost a year ago now and it changed most over the first few months, really mellowed and blended in those months. Haven't had one in about 4 months, plan to crack a few this weekend and I'm looking forward to tasting what it is like now.
Up front I though I had made a mistake in using 24 oz of Makers but I really like the beer now and don't think it'd be the same without that extra Makers.
So this got bottled over the weekend. It's pretty heavy on the oak, but I'm hoping that mellows over time. The Zaya Rum is amazing in it....next time I make this I'm going to use the whole bottle. I'm also toying the idea of bumping the ABV next time as I think this beer would benefit by being a little bigger. All in all, I can already tell it's going to be my best batch to date. Great recipe! :rockin:
My oak chips are currently "marinating" in 16 ounces of bourbon whiskey. That will be added to the secondary next Monday, and then it will sit for more than two weeks while we are out of town. Hope to bottle it toward the end of September.
glenn514
glenn514
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Wow! I just tasted a sample from the secondary after 1 week. All I can say that it is amazing. I could bottle and drink this right now. I am going to have a hard time waiting the four weeks for secondary, and the four months conditioning I was planning on.
CompassBrewing
Well-Known Member
I've done the co2 on top of the secondary in the past and hadn't noticed any ill effects. I believe i racked it a bit early too so there would be still be a little activity to help push out the rest of the air
craig_reed
Well-Known Member
Brewed mine up on Saturday and it has been in my ferm chamber at 65 degrees since with a blowoff tube -
No noticeable signs after 12 hours, and then a few hours later, it was bubbling like crazy, foaming up and out of my growler with sanitizer. It is still going pretty steady 3 days later.
How long are you/have you left this in the primary for? I was thinking about transferring it as soon as possible to the oak. Think it should all be settled out and most of the ferm done after a week.
Thoughts?
No noticeable signs after 12 hours, and then a few hours later, it was bubbling like crazy, foaming up and out of my growler with sanitizer. It is still going pretty steady 3 days later.
How long are you/have you left this in the primary for? I was thinking about transferring it as soon as possible to the oak. Think it should all be settled out and most of the ferm done after a week.
Thoughts?
I fermented in the mid 60's also. I had nice activity for 4-5 days and then it settled down. I left it in primary for a total of 3 weeks before racking. It came out nice and clean tasting.
I let mine go for 13 days at 65-70 degrees in primary before racking to secondary. It tasted great then which is why I'm in the process of making it again without bourbon/oak.
2 weeks for me as well, but then I 2nded for 2 weeks without the oak/liquor while it was marinating, then added the oak for another 2 weeks in the 2ndary. If anything, I think it came out a little heavy on the oak....in my batch, the oak is way more present than the liquor. So, I guess it depends on how much oak you like in your beer.
My oak is currently "marinating." After reading all the posts on this thread, I decided to only use ONE ounce of oak chips. A bunch of batches ago, I made a Scottish Light Ale that called for oak chips, and I didn't particularly care for the amount of flavor the two ounces gave. I'll add the liquor and oak on Monday, and then we will be gone for two weeks. When we return, both the BBP and a batch of Cream Ale should be ready to bottle.
glenn514
glenn514
Welp, I poured the oak chips/bourbon into the fermenter...and I must have awakened the yeast! The brew was in primary for a week and a half, and its been in secondary [I needed the primary] for two weeks. When I poured the bourbon and oak into the bottle, all H3]] broke loose! I quickly stuck a blow-off in and put the blow-off bottle in a small bucket. I've got foam and beer coming out like I have never had before. And then I remembered...this is a FIVE gallon Better Bottle, while my primary fermenter is a SIX gallon Better Bottle! Oh, well, at least the batch isn't ruined!
glenn514
glenn514
I should have listened. Fermented so hard in the 6.5 glass carboy it blew out the airlock. What a mess. And i was on my way out the door to go of town. At least now i know i will have tons of room in the secondary lol.
craig_reed
Well-Known Member
Been in the primary for 2 weeks. I think I am going to transfer it to the oak and bourbon tomorrow since it has really died down, and I want it to have a chance to mellow with the boubon and oak for a long time.
My 2 oz of oak chips have been soaking in 14 oz of Makers Mark since July 22nd! Hopefully creating a smooth, taste of boubon oak instead of two distinct flavors.
I figure I will rack to secondary and let it go at least 3 weeks in there.
How long have you been leaving it in the secondary on the oak/boubon?
My 2 oz of oak chips have been soaking in 14 oz of Makers Mark since July 22nd! Hopefully creating a smooth, taste of boubon oak instead of two distinct flavors.
I figure I will rack to secondary and let it go at least 3 weeks in there.
How long have you been leaving it in the secondary on the oak/boubon?
BeerWard
Well-Known Member
I am planning 4 week in secondary, all on bourbon/oak. Its longer on the oak but I like those flavors, and have time to let it mellow if needed.
craig_reed
Well-Known Member
That is what I was thinking too, although I might keep it to 3 weeks all on the oak. I am hoping the my 6 weeks of the Maker's marinating with the oak will bring it together as one flavor.
I caved.
Opened one after 2 weeks in the bottle.
Good news is that it's already carbing up nicely.
Bad news is that it's still way too young. The oak pretty much jumps up and hits you in the face. Back to the cellar young porter. These flavors need some more time to meld and mellow.
Glad I tried one though, it'll be a good measuring tool. If the oak is still this strong after a few more months, I'll be cutting back on the amount used next time.
Opened one after 2 weeks in the bottle.
Good news is that it's already carbing up nicely.
Bad news is that it's still way too young. The oak pretty much jumps up and hits you in the face. Back to the cellar young porter. These flavors need some more time to meld and mellow.
Glad I tried one though, it'll be a good measuring tool. If the oak is still this strong after a few more months, I'll be cutting back on the amount used next time.
29thfloor
Well-Known Member
I just took a gravity reading on this after just 6 days in the primary and it's at 1.020. I was actually thinking that still seemed high but it sounds like that's where it's supposed to finish out? I don't see a target FG in the kit instructions. Is there something in the promash analysis that lets you figure that out?
Either way I was planning on doing the full 4 weeks in the secondary with the bourbon/oak but now I'm wondering if I should hold off a week or two?
For anyone else doing this kit and trying to get down to 1.020, I used the Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale yeast and made a 1L starter about 36 hours prior to pitching and ended up pitching the whole thing (rather than decanting the wort) because the yeast hadn't settled out by the time I was ready to pitch. I probably could have waited but I've never really delayed pitching and I wasn't sure what the risks might be.
Either way I was planning on doing the full 4 weeks in the secondary with the bourbon/oak but now I'm wondering if I should hold off a week or two?
For anyone else doing this kit and trying to get down to 1.020, I used the Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale yeast and made a 1L starter about 36 hours prior to pitching and ended up pitching the whole thing (rather than decanting the wort) because the yeast hadn't settled out by the time I was ready to pitch. I probably could have waited but I've never really delayed pitching and I wasn't sure what the risks might be.
29thfloor
Well-Known Member
How much would 16oz of bourbon affect the ABV (if at all) in a 5 gal batch? I mean, obviously it would have some effect but enough to be worth mentioning?
craig_reed
Well-Known Member
Just bottled this up last Friday with corn sugar, sample was amazing!
Mine finished at 1.019 and I did 2 weeks primary, 5 weeks secondary then just bottled.
Can't wait for this bad boy to carb up!
Mine finished at 1.019 and I did 2 weeks primary, 5 weeks secondary then just bottled.
Can't wait for this bad boy to carb up!
bottlebomber
Well-Known Member
29thfloor said:
I think it will... it would probably raise the ABV by close to a full percent
OwenH89
Member
After letting oak chips soak in bourbon, do you add both the oak and the bourbon it has been soaking in or just the oak? The bourbon has become a very dark brown and I wasn't sure if that should go in the fermenter or not.
bottlebomber
Well-Known Member
Definitely add the bourbon. It might seem like a bit much at first, but to be honest this beer isn't peaked till its at the 1 year mark. We added an entire 750ml bottle of makers mark whiskey to ours, and it had totally incorporated into the porter flavor wise after about 6 months. It was one of the best beers I've ever had.
Our version of this used 16oz of Weller over 1oz of medium oak and a little vanilla powder, soaked for a week before secondary with the beer. After a 3 week soak, we tasted it at bottling on Saturday and its amazing. The bourbon is a little bit strong, but not so much that its not already drinkable. We primed with brown sugar, so expecting it to take a little while to card up and mellow.
MTB
Well-Known Member
Just took a gravity reading of my BBP and it's at 1.018 after 12 days. Planning to move it to a secondary after another week. Should I go ahead and start soaking my oak chips now? Then, I can secondary for 2 weeks with the oak chips that had already been soaking in the bourbon for a week
msinning
Well-Known Member
Hey guys, I brewed this porter about 5 weeks ago. I just added the oak and bourbon after two weeks in the secondary and fermentation has started again, that was over a week ago and it shows no sign of slowing. In fact, its getting to the point where I may have to hook up the blow off tube. Has this happened to anyone else and if so, when will the fermentation slow? I was planning on bottling this weekend.
The same thing happened to mine! Unfortunately, my 5 gallon Better Bottle secondary was rather full, so I only had the opportunity to get the bourbon into the beer, and NOT the oak chips. And it foamed like crazy for quite some time...even after I put the blow-off back on!
glenn514
glenn514
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