Which to start?

[Requiemm]

HEy gang, I only have room at the moment for 1 5 gallon kit and 1 1 gallon. Can you help me pick which to start?

5 Gallon Kits:
Northern Brewer's Spiced Winter Ale
or
Northern Brewer's Festivus Miracle

1 Gallon Kits:
Northern Brewer's Smashing Pumpkin Ale
or
Norther Brewer's Bourbon Barrell Porter

Help!

 

[Homercidal]

Personally, I think I'd want the Bourbon Barrel Porter before any of the others. So I vote 5 gallons of that.

But that's not an option, so I vote for the Festivus for 5 gallons and the BBP in the 1 gallon size.

 

[Requiemm]

Personally, I think I'd want the Bourbon Barrel Porter before any of the others. So I vote 5 gallons of that.

But that's not an option, so I vote for the Festivus for 5 gallons and the BBP in the 1 gallon size.

Yeah, based on the reviews I'm thinking I made a mistake in not getting the full 5 gallon BBP kit. Your suggestion is in line with my thinking, so I'm going to go that way.

Have you made BBP before? Trying to decide how long I should soak the chips for.

 

[Homercidal]

I've done a couple of stouts before. I didn't have a problem soaking the chips for a couple of weeks. I think it's best to get recommendations on how much bourbon to use and how much oak, then sample the beer after a week or two and judge the oak. You would bottle before the oak gets too strong. It will mellow out a little over time.

Dang. I'm starting to get a craving for a bourbon stout now!

 

[unionrdr]

I soak 2-3ozs of chips in a couple jiggers of bourbon in an airtight container in the fridge during primary fermentation. Then pour it through a hopsock in a radiator funnel into secondary to catch the chips. Tie the bag of chips closed & dump it in for a week or so.