I. One month or more before brew day prepare in a 1 pint mason jar makers mark Bourbon or whatever you like and 4 oz. of oak cubes. I also put in 3 Benilla vanilla beans cut up. Soak with oak one month or until they sink.
II. Four days before brew day make a huge starter using Wyeast1728. Use stirplate for best results. Follow favorite software recco.
III. There will be two mashes for this 6.25 gallon batch. The first mash is for kettle carmelaztion only/boil down. As opposed to taking just the first runnings this recipe is using a small separate mash/wort for boildown. Lot of work but delightful. End result will be one quart of caramelized wort.
Recipe:
I do this mash the day before main brew day. Set aside in the refrig.
A. Mash: ph5.4
5 lbs.,simpsons golden promise 2-Row
1/2 oz UK choc 250L
1/2 oz Roasted Barley
1/2 oz east kent goldings
1.50 gal/H2O at 156-58 for one hour.
Sparge for 20 minutes to get 6 qts and reserve balance for main boil. I mashed in a 5 gallon cooler in a bag.
Note: The gravity will be way higher than above recipe, due to the first mash with unfermentable dextrins and long chain sugars. Looking for sweetness/flavors. Hence, the final gravity will also be higher. Check gravity 2-3 times towards the end of primary.
IV. Main mash see receipe above. Mash 1.35 gal/lb at 152F., for two hrs. Add water to maintain heat or recirculate-HERMS/RIMS, Stirring occassionaly, then, Sparge.
V. Combine 1st/2nd mash in boil pot.
VI. Boil for 2 hours further caramelization.
I continue adding reserved wort to the boil over the 2 hours. Sitting in the chair sipping with my hand on the propane valve.
VII. Cool wort to 50F and transfer to fermenter. Put fermenter in an environment of 40-53F ambient. I use a 18 cubic foot chest freezer and a digital controller. Ferment cool/long.
VIII. Take gravity reading
IX. Blast with pure O2 for 1 minute.
X. Add Yeast Wyeast 1728 starter and shake.
XI. 4 hours blast with O2 for one minute
XII 8 hours blast with O2 for one minute
XIII. 12 hours blast with O2 for 30 sec. Yes I actually, get up for this.
VX. Primary fermentation for 3-4 weeks, your call.
XV.Day 7: Take gravity reading
Carefully stir or walk the yeast. Poly stir paddle small end. Be gentle as not to induce oxygen or splash. Get those yeast back to work.
Day 14:Take gravity reading before stirring.
Repeat procedure-walk yeast
Sanitation: Let you stir paddle live in a bucket of star-san next to the fermenter.
Let it now settle for one more week.
Day 21 take gravity reading.
Total of 21 days in fermenter
XVI.Day 21 transfere to secondary. Add oak cubes/two fresh vanilla beans only (not the oaked bourbon).(Save oaked bourbon for secondary if you want to add to it.) Taste after one week and continue to until desired flavor is achieved, then remove oak/beans. Leave in secondary for 3 weeks or desired length at 50-55F. Update: I dropped the temp the last week to 45 ambient: fermenter prob around 49-50.
XVII.Day 42 Bottling bucket. Taste for Bourbon/vanilla. This is for the few who like bourbon/vanilla. I add 12oz. of makers mark and 1/4 cup of (Pure Macormick vanilla 40% ABV) to bottling bucket. If you like more oak/bourbon add some of the bourbon that the oak soaked in. This brew is not for the weak of heart and impatient. Allow to bottle condition for quite some time. This is one hell of a delicious bourbon/vanilla scotch ale for a sipper, cooled to 50F, and drunk in what my wife calls my diva glass. Cheers Good brewing!
Update: Just tasted the first bottle 11/3/14. Still needs to go longer for best flavor. But, no kidding imo it is better than backwoods bastard. I just bought a case for $84 and compared the two. Mine is better hands down. I tweaked the recipe for what I think will be even better next spring when I make it again. (CHANGES)1.I will leave the oak cubes longer;2. Add 1 tbs more vanilla to secondary,and eliminate beans. 3. Increase hop rate-too sweet. 4. Added hops to kettle prep/caramelization batch. 5. Eliminated choc malt 450L and replaced with choc 250L.5. Increased roasted malt.6. Now cooling wort to 48-50F prior to racking to fermenter. Four wks secondary at 45 ambient. Also this ale needs 6 mos plus to age. Worth the wait!
UDATE 2:
Making this recipe this weekend. Adding 1/2 oz of magnum hops at 60 minutes. Beer was not quite bitter enough to match backwoods bastard. Also adding 1/2 cp more of makers mark bourbon.
