Bourbon Cask Vanilla Bean Stout! status: ON TAP/cold conditioning

vanilla bourbon cask stout

Best Guess Base Style: 13-D Foreign Extra Stout (otherwise a specialty/wood aged beer cat 21,22,23? BJCP)

Size: 6.0 gal
Calories: 226.13 per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.068 (1.056 - 1.075)

Ingredients:

13.0 lbs Maris Otter Pale
.75 lbs Roasted Barley
.5 lbs Chocolate Malt
0.5 lbs Crystal Malt 120°L
10 oz Crystal 45
2 oz Pale Chocolate Malt
1.5 oz Target (10.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
1 ea Fermentis US-05 Safale US-05
2 ea Vanilla (whole bean)
2.0 oz Bourbon wood chunks
3.0 oz Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon

Martin "doughing in" with handmade mash paddle (Chad Heinz)

Notes: Brew Date: March 26th with assistant brewer Martin Medynski.  Strike 15.5# grist in 20 quarts water @ 166F = Mash @ 152F.  Actual OG was 1.079 @ 5 US Gal.  (Did not add water during boil... figured a stronger more robust beer is a good thing!)  

April 4th gravity 1.016 with yeast still in suspension but almost complete. Est alc/vol = 8.3%. 

April 9th Yeast dormant and clearing. Almost ready to age and add more flavor! (See below)

Apr 20th racked into sec. with oak, beans etc.

Progress: Purchased 4 Roses "Single Barrel" Kentucky Bourbon $58.00 retail 100 proof.  This bourbon is based on a single barrel release from 10 test recipes.  One is chosen as the annual "single barrel".  The bottle is numbered as per which warehouse and location within it was aged. (RS | 80-IT).  I looked online and found great reviews and comparison against other american bourbon whiskies.  http://whiskey.findthebest.com/d/c/American/Bourbon : lists 4 roses single barrel #10 out of 130 other american bourbon and rye whiskies with a score of 91/100.  (Jack Daniel's no.7 scored a 45 in last place)

Tyler and I enjoy the "Beer and Shot" 

When I recently visited San Francisco we stopped by a modernized "saloon" for what is locally popular for happy hour "Beer and a shot" for about 5 bucks.  We were served a half pint of local Anchor Steam beer and an unknown variety of Four Roses, the first I'd heard of it, which proved to be an excellent bourbon that I thoroughly enjoyed alone (neat) and alongside the steam beer.  I intend to pair this whiskey with a goblet of stout once it hits the tap;)

2oz oak chunks, 2 Vanilla Beans in 3 oz Four Roses

Now for the fun part!  There are many ways to flavor infuse this beer.  I happen to have chunks of used barrel from a bourbon distillery (unknown), charred and soaked from a single run of bourbon.  These chunks are often popular with home distillers aging their spirits.  Even though the flavors will be aggressive in this beer I think I will start small and add more later if required by taste.  I want the beer to be supported by the bourbon, wood, and vanilla not overwhelmed.  In Jamil's book Brewing Classes Styles, he recommends starting with 1-2 oz of oak.  I will soak 2 oz of chunks in approx 3 oz of Four Roses along with two vanilla beens split open lengthwise for a few days until I rack and blend together.  My brother used a similar protocol in a Brewhouse Kit "stout" with 2 vanilla beans and about 2 oz? oak with 1/2 bottle of Glenfiddich added straight into the keg.  He soaked the oak for maybe 2 days prior.  The beer was gone within a few days so I am unsure how much flavor really blended in.  2 beans was subtle but I intend to age longer than he did and my beers flavor is more aggressive.

May 27th Update:  After about 5 weeks now aging on the vanilla and bourbon chunks I have finally racked into a keg.  I guess the beer is ready to go but will continue to cold age at 2 C as the keg sits.  Since the beer is so bold, dark, and high in alcohol I don't think it will go quick.  Nor will I bring to a party which should improve its longevity!