Vanilla bourbon porter

[Bullhawk]

I am making a vanilla bourbon porter, the recipe is below, my plans are to infuse bourbon into oak chips or cubes. I was going to use 5 oz. bourbon (Makers Mark) and 2 oz. of medium toasted oak chips or cubes for 10 days before adding to secondary for 7 to 10 days or until it tastes good. This is my first time using oak chips or cubes and bourbon and I missing anything.

Bourbon Vanilla Imperial Porter ::: 1.079/1.017 (6 Gal)
Grain Bill (70% Efficiency assumed)
13 lb.- 2-Row Pale Malt
2.5 lb. - Munich Malt (15 L)
1.5 lb. - Brown Malt
1 lb. - Crystal Malt (120L)
1/2 lb. - Crystal Malt (40L)
1.25 lb. - Chocolate Malt (edited - Thanks Denny)
Extras :
Kentucky Bourbon (Jim Beam, Knob Creek, etc.)
Real, Whole Vanilla Beans (Extract just won't do)
Oak Chips or Cubes
Hop Schedule (37 IBU)
1 oz - Magnum Hops (60 min)
1/2 oz - E.K. Goldings (10 min)
Yeast
White Labs Denny's Favorite 50 (WY1450) or
White Labs California Ale Yeast (WLP001) - 1800 ml starter
Mash/Sparge/Boil
Mash at 153° for 60 min.
Sparge as usual
Cool and ferment at about 68° Add Vanilla Beans after primary - rack 7 to 14 days
Add Bourbon at bottling (1 to 1.75 cups - don't overdo this!)
Infuse Bourbon beforehand with Oak Chips/Cubes if you want.

 

[Denny]

Hey, that's my recipe! http://wiki.homebrewersassociation.org/BourbonVanillaImperialPorter

 

[tjosborne]

Actually have this one in the fermentor. Can't wait.

 

[Bullhawk]

Any advice on what oak chips or cubes to use? My wife isn't a big fan of bourbon so I don't want to over do the bourbon or the oak. By the way the recipe looks great, thanks.

 

[Denny]

Any advice on what oak chips or cubes to use? My wife isn't a big fan of bourbon so I don't want to over do the bourbon or the oak. By the way the recipe looks great, thanks.

I'm not a fan of oak, so I don't use it and can't advice. I'm not a fan of bourbon, either, which is why I say that you want the chocolatey flavor fo the porter, the vanilla and the bourbon to mesh into one complete flavor. If you use enough bourbon that you can identify it, you've used too much.

 

[porterpounder]

Bourbon comes pre-oaked. It's pretty much perfect the way it is. Skip the wood and just dump in some bourbon to taste.

 

[Denny]

Bourbon comes pre-oaked. It's pretty much perfect the way it is. Skip the wood and just dump in some bourbon to taste.

I developed the recipe to mimic an oaked beer when I didn't have time to oak it.

 

[corkybstewart]

That's a very complex grain bill. My porter is one of my specialties, but it's much simpler. For 10 gallons I'll use 20 pounds of 2 row, 1 pound black patent, and 3/4 pounds each of roasted barley and chocolate malt. I don't use any crystal malts at all.
For the vanilla bourbon I cut(per 5 gallons ) 2 or 3 vanilla beans, depending on freshness, and put them in a jar with 1/2 cup of Makers Mark on brewday. By the time the beer is ready to bottle or keg the bourbon is well infused with vanilla. Strain the bourbon directly into the keg or bottling bucket.

 

[Denny]

That's a very complex grain bill. My porter is one of my specialties, but it's much simpler. For 10 gallons I'll use 20 pounds of 2 row, 1 pound black patent, and 3/4 pounds each of roasted barley and chocolate malt. I don't use any crystal malts at all.
For the vanilla bourbon I cut(per 5 gallons ) 2 or 3 vanilla beans, depending on freshness, and put them in a jar with 1/2 cup of Makers Mark on brewday. By the time the beer is ready to bottle or keg the bourbon is well infused with vanilla. Strain the bourbon directly into the keg or bottling bucket.

That recipe has been throug dozens of iterations. I guarantee you that evry malt in there is necessary and justified. It isn't just thrown together. I get kinda tired of people sayingthat recipes need to have a minimum number of malts. No, you just need to make certain that evry malt in there needs to be there. There is no virtue in using minimal malts if it doesn't make the beer you want.

 

[willy_mugobeer]

Denny, I've used your recipe almost a dozen times now...SWMBO loves it! So now, when I want a brew day, I just have to say "honey, I gotta brew tomorrow, we're almost out of the porter." Works every time...so thanks! (Agree - oak not needed.)

 

[Denny]

Denny, I've used your recipe almost a dozen times now...SWMBO loves it! So now, when I want a brew day, I just have to say "honey, I gotta brew tomorrow, we're almost out of the porter." Works every time...so thanks! (Agree - oak not needed.)

 

[tracyk]

Denny's is one of the better porters that I have had!
Gettin ready to brew one this week for the winter!!!!

 

[Denny]

Denny's is one of the better porters that I have had!
Gettin ready to brew one this week for the winter!!!!

Thank you! A lot of test batches went into that beer. Without the bourbon and vanilla it makes a great porter on its own, or as a base for a coffee porter.

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

Thank you! A lot of test batches went into that beer. Without the bourbon and vanilla it makes a great porter on its own, or as a base for a coffee porter.

Used that Brown Malt in a Brown Porter. It was simple a simple bill - some uk 2-row, c45, chocolate, and brown malt, along with fuggles. It was delicious. I need to start adding that into some others.

My LHBS started carrying 1 lb bags because the larger bags were sitting around due to no one using them. My other LHBS said that is by far the least utilized malt and have considered dropping it.

 

[Bullhawk]

Thanks for all the replies, I will be making this beer this weekend as it is written.

 

[SPav]

LHBS did not have Wyeast 1450. Would any of these work as a substitution? US-05, S-04, BE-256 or w-34/70?

 

[triethylborane]

LHBS did not have Wyeast 1450. Would any of these work as a substitution? US-05, S-04, BE-256 or w-34/70?

US-05 will do just fine (its WLP001)

 

[Denny]

LHBS did not have Wyeast 1450. Would any of these work as a substitution? US-05, S-04, BE-256 or w-34/70?

Not really, but I guess 05 would be closest. Maybe 34/70.

 

[Rob2010SS]

Following this thread! Want to be able to find this recipe again. I'm an extract brewer right now and would love to attempt a version of this recipe to have for this winter. Any recommended tweaks for extract version of this recipe?

 

[Denny]

Following this thread! Want to be able to find this recipe again. I'm an extract brewer right now and would love to attempt a version of this recipe to have for this winter. Any recommended tweaks for extract version of this recipe?

For my recipe you need to be able to at least do a partial mash.

 

[Curtsurf]

Hey, that's my recipe! Site Not Found

Hi Denny,
Your Bourbon Vanilla Porter recipe is one of my favorites and I have to tell you about my 1st attempt at brewing it.
I purchased the ingredients from my local home brew shop and the milled grains were placed in a thin plastic bag. I put everything in the car and went home. When I arrived (excited to start my brew day) I accidentally ripped the bag while picking it up. Every bit of grain spilled into the back seat /floors of my car. I used a clean’ish broom and dustpan to salvage most of it. -In spite of my clumsiness, the batch came out terrific. My wife and I affectionately refer to your Bourbon Vanilla as “Backseat Porter”.