Beer Forum

So, I have modified a recipe that I found somewhere many months ago for a vanilla bourbon porter. But, I didn't take any notes. Take a look at the recipe below, (I have already ordered the ingredients). When should I add the bourbon and vanilla beans? should I cut the vanilla beans in two? what do you guys think?

Vanilla Bourbon Porter
0-B Untitled Style
Author: hopshead

Size: 6.5 gal
Efficiency: 75.32%
Attenuation: 76.0%
Calories: 244.31 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.073 (1.000 - 1.100)
Terminal Gravity: 1.018 (1.000 - 1.100)
Color: 29.28 (0.0 - 50.0)
Alcohol: 7.33% (0.0% - 10.0%)
Bitterness: 42.3 (0.0 - 50.0)

Ingredients:
15.0 lb Standard 2-Row
0.5 lb 2-Row Caramel Malt 80L
0.5 lb 2-Row Caramel Malt 60L
0.5 lb Crystal Malt 120°L
5.0 oz Chocolate Malt
0.5 lb Roasted Barley
0.5 lb Pale Chocolate
1.0 oz Chinook (13.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60.0 min
0.5 oz East Kent Goldings (5.0%) - added during boil, boiled 15.0 min
0.5 oz East Kent Goldings (5.0%) - added during boil, boiled 5.0 min
6.5 ea Vanilla (whole bean) - added dry to primary fermenter
16.0 oz bourbon - added dry to primary fermenter
2.0 ea Fermentis S-04 Safale S-04

Schedule:
Ambient Air: 70.0 °F
Source Water: 68.0 °F
Elevation: 500.0 ft

00:03:00 Mash In - Liquor: 6.68 gal; Strike: 161.86 °F; Target: 152.0 °F
01:03:00 Saccharification Rest - Rest: 30.0 min; Final: 151.3 °F
01:48:00 Sparge - First runnings: 0.0 gal sparge @ 170.0 °F, 3.25 gal collected, 5 min; Second Runings: 8.56 gal sparge @ 168.0 °F, 6.1 gal collected, 7 min; Total Runoff: 9.55 gal

Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.5.2

16.0 oz bourbon - added dry to primary fermenter

+

Dry bourbon?

Seriously, I would not put the vanilla beans in the primary. The CO2 will drive off a lot of the flavor. Those beans are too expensive to waste that goodness.

The proper way (according to me, anyway) to prepare the beans is to split them lengthwise and scrape out the pith and seeds, but save everything. Add it all to the bourbon and let it soak until ready to bottle or keg. Strain out the solids and add the remaining vanilla flavored bourbon to taste to the keg or bottling bucket. Adding the bourbon to the primary will adversely affect fermentation as alcohol is toxic to yeast. At that stage you want the yeast to be as healthy as possible.

Denny Conn puts the beans into secondary and adds the bourbon separately at kegging/bottling. This will work as there is very little CO2 production at this point to drive off the volatiles from the vanilla. We do agree on the use of Jim Beam Black Bourbon.

The other comment I have is on the amount of vanilla beans. 6.5 beans?!?! That is enough for three batches. Probably right if you toss them into primary, but you only need two if you do either the bourbon infusion or into secondary. I have had too many vanilla porters where the vanilla was overdone. That's the way to ruin a perfectly good beer.

My favorite yeast for this beer is Wyeast 1272 American Ale II.

Wayne

bugeater >> that is great advice. I will scale the vanilla beans down to two. Also, I use Jamil's no secondary method. I had planned to add the bourbon and vanilla beans about day # 8 or 9 to the primary and sit till bottling. I am not sure what bourbon I will use yet. Do you think I should not add the bourbon till bottling day?

I have put vanilla beans in the boil, say 5 minutes left, but found no vanilla flavor in the finished beer. Last time, I did as Wayne said, soaked the split beans in the bourbon (with a couple ounces of oak cubes) while the beer was fermenting. At kegging I strained at added the vanilla bourbon.

I'd consider bittering to the slightly lower IBU's (36 IBUs - using 50:50 BU:GU ratio) with a smoother English bittering hop like Target or Challeger. I like Chinook in American Pale Ales and IPA's and the like, but I'm thinking the distinct piney, resinous bitterness of Chinook is gonna clash with the more subtle layers you want fromt the vanilla and the bourbon (though, holy shit, that's a lot of bourbon - though at 10 ml per pint like Denny recommends, it is right on - just seems like a lot ).


My .02

IMO thats a lot of vanilla beans... i would go 1 or 2... scrape out the inside bean and soak it in the bourbon for a while...then depending if you are going to a secondary or not determines the next step... Makers Mark makes a nice bourbon too...

I have totally subscribed to Jamil's no secondary method. Does this beer require a secondary for the bourbon? Or can I wait till fermentation is slow and siphon the bourbon into the primary after a week long soaking of vanilla beans (about 2)?

You can add it directly to the keg (or bottling bucket) if that is your fancy. It's not like it needs contact time before you continue with your process.


Mylo