Bourbon Porter

[HomeBrewMarket]

The microbrewery here made a Bourbon Porter in the Summer of '06 which was literally the best Porter I have ever drank in my entire beer-drinking life. It had a high alcohol content and the bourbon was not overpowering at all.

But they decided not to make it anymore. They wouldn't tell me why even when I tried to encourage them to take it to a competition, it was sure to win some awards! Alas - their loss. But I want to try to brew that for myself, see if I can do it. (Note: I've no experience YET in homebrewing yet I am working on it.)

Have anyone of you tried such a Porter? Or seen the recipe? (The microbrewery wouldn't share - I have no idea if they used real bourbon or an extract. I think it was real.) I know eventually I'll get around to experimenting it but who knows, maybe one of you guys who knows what it'll take can share before god forbid something happens! :-D

Megan

[BMOOR]

making bourbon porter

Here is the trick(or at least the best way to do it). Make the best porter in the world. Repeat that 10 more times(if you are using a 5 gallon recipe) Pick up a used Bourbon barrel. There are plenty in the state of Tennessee. This will cost you $50-$200, but if you know the right people, you can get one for free. Make sure it is freshley emptied. Fill it up with those 11 batches of homebrew and wait for 3 months to two years(depending on your patience). You've done it!
However, you probably have a lot more steps in getting to home barrel aging. Good luck in your endeavor.

[rlangley]

I have a question for you in regards to the home brewer - what if you bought the french oak or american oak wook chips - soaked them in your favorite bourbon for about two months and then added the flavored chips in secondary for aging. I know it is not precisely the same thing, but do you think that would work for the flavor that you desire?

I have a friend that ages an imperial stout on french oak wood chips for about four months and he gets this interesting vanilla character in it that really comes through nicely. I'm not sure if soaking the chips in bourbon would have the same effect but it would be worth trying for a homebrewer at least.

[beertje46]

Bourbon is only bourbon if aged in charred, not raw, oak barrels. I don't think you'd get near the complexity from bourbon-soaked oak chips as you would from aging in a freshly dumped barrel. IMHO, you'd get the same result by dosing the beer with bourbon as you would with soaked chips.

On another related subject; I have access to freshly dumped bourbon barrels for $35.00 each, FOB Louisville, KY if anyone is interested. I usually pick-up once a month for our bourbon barel stout.

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/918/1709/640/Jeff_Res_Stout_label_rev5.jpg

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/918/1709/640/JeffRes_Bottle_2.jpg

PM me with an e-mail address if interested.

[Charles S.]

Jack Daniels sells their barrels in chipped form. In the charcoal deparment at home depot or lowes.

[rlangley]

Thanks Charles, that's a good idea. I was going to brew a smoked porter - the bourbon aged wood chips sounds like a nice addition for flavor.

[drewseslu]

I like to toast my oak chips in the oven until they get a nice char. Then soak them for a few months on the bourbon, whiskey or other spirit of your choice then add the booze and wood to the brew.
I like about 3oz by weight of the combination per 5 gallons or so, some may say more or less than that.
For the record, I used the bourbon oak in a 7.2% smoked porter which came out fantasic.

[Don B Webb]

Soaked wood chips

I just brewed a 5 gallon batch of Scotch Ale which I tossed 4 oz of American oak cubes soaked in The Macallan "Forties" Single Malt Scotch in the keg. It's been sitting on the oak for two months and it tastes amazing!

[hopuser]

bourbon barrels

Wonder what it cost to ship barrels to Washington? what do they weigh and are they full size barrels 62 gallons?
Hopuser

[beauxman]

Contact Ted Farmer at Heads Up Brewing, he has a line on barrels, just got a shipment a few months ago and might have one or two left....maybe, I got one from him for my brewery. He offered to secure them for Washington brewers who wanted to make barrel aged beers. About 110 bucks or so if I recall.