Beer Forum

I'm doing a robust porter the Saturday before the Superbowl and my wife asked if I could do an oak bourbon porter, so I'm going to make a 10 gal batch and split off 5 gal for the oak bourbon. Never used oak before. I remember from a session that cubes were better than chips so have cubes on the way. Also plan to soak the cubes in the bourbon.

Question is how much oak and for how long? I know it's to taste and will be testing but need a good baseline. Will put it in late in the primary (usually let the porter sit in primary for around 3 weeks, no secondary) or in the keg.

Suggestions?

I did a similar brew lately but with an old ale. See this thread for recipe details.

http://thebrewingnetwork.com/forum/vie ... ght=#62469

Anyway, I plan on racking to a secondary this weekend and adding my oak cubes that have been soaking in rum and whiskey (1 cup of each) for the last week or so. I think that I will start with about 2oz. and the check on it in about a week and see how it's coming along, if it needs more oak I'll add some.

I thought going with 1.5 oz for a week before the first test, I don't want to over oak it because this beer won't be aging with my wife around. I tried explaining it would be 4 weeks after I rack off, hoping I actually get 2 weeks. When it comes to a beer she likes, she can be almost as bad as Justin and Shat when it comes to aging.

Adam - Stupid question, but are you adding 2 oz of the rum/whiskey mix or 2 oz or the oak cube?

Sheen wrote:Adam - Stupid question, but are you adding 2 oz of the rum/whiskey mix or 2 oz or the oak cube?

2 dry wt. oz. of the oak cubes and the 1 cup of rum/whiskey. It's a split batch one get rum one gets whiskey.

I did 1 oz. of chips (JD Bourbon smoking chips) in 5 gallons, for a week. I think it was just right. They have more surface area than cubes - so 2 oz of cubes is probably right.

The JD chips are made from the old bourbon barrels - so they give a tiny bit of bourbon smokey char flavor, also. Finally - I did soak them in shot of bourbon for a few days. I would like little more bourbon flavor - so I might try 1 cup of bourbon like Badrock suggests.

My advise is start small. You can always add more.



Mylo

I've brewed NB's Bourbon Barrel Porter a couple times.

That recipe calls for 2oz of french oak cubes and 16 oz (2 cups) of Maker's Mark, both in the secondary - for a 5gal recipe. I soaked the cubes in the bourbon for a day first.

I don't think adding anything to the primary will work. The CO2 will scrub out most of your flavors.

Even at 16oz the bourbon flavors were very subtle. Next time I'm going with a less expensive bourbon.

numsquat wrote:I'm doing a robust porter the Saturday before the Superbowl and my wife asked if I could do an oak bourbon porter, so I'm going to make a 10 gal batch and split off 5 gal for the oak bourbon. Never used oak before. I remember from a session that cubes were better than chips so have cubes on the way. Also plan to soak the cubes in the bourbon.

Question is how much oak and for how long? I know it's to taste and will be testing but need a good baseline. Will put it in late in the primary (usually let the porter sit in primary for around 3 weeks, no secondary) or in the keg.

Suggestions?

I just kegged a Whiskey Barrel Stout. While the beer was in primary, I soaked 4 oz of oak chips in 8 ounces of Jack Daniel's. When I transferred the beer to secondary, I added the chips and drank the whiskey. It gives a subtle whiskey flavor in the finish and isn't overpowering.