My Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale attempt

Williams 728
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Henry22 said:
So I have 4 ounces of medium toast American soaking in about 250 fl oz of makers, won't be using it for another week and a half. Should I add it all or just some and no bourbon? Wish I would have gotten cubes now but oh well.
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I made mine with 2 oz of cubes soaked in Bushmills. I only added the cubes, I think the total contact time was about 4 weeks in secondary, just thrown in the fermentor. By just adding the cubes, you can add small amounts of whiskey late and taste as you go. If you dump it all in and it's too much, you're kinda stuck.
 
helibrewer said:
I made mine with 2 oz of cubes soaked in Bushmills. I only added the cubes, I think the total contact time was about 4 weeks in secondary, just thrown in the fermentor. By just adding the cubes, you can add small amounts of whiskey late and taste as you go. If you dump it all in and it's too much, you're kinda stuck.
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I'll prob use most if not all of the chips and kept the bourbon and add to taste.

Thanks
 
aiptasia said:
I have a scotch wee heavy stewing on about 1 oz. of light toast American oak chips that I soaked in Johnny Walker black label scotch whiskey for a week. I tossed in the oak chips on Tuesday and i'm estimating it'll sit in there about a week to take on the flavors. I'll start tasting it this weekend.
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Damn that sounds really good. I have a wee heavy in the queue and would like to hear how yours turned out with the JW Black. I would never have thought of those two together but I think you are onto something the more I think of the taste profiles.
 
Bottling Question?

How much priming sugar is everyone planning on using to bottle with for the KBBA clone? I typically use the tastybrew.com link below to calculate my priming sugar needs. For the English Pale Ale Category it only recommends 0.5 OZ for a 5 gallon batch. I also checked the American Pale Ale category and it called for 4.5 OZ for a 5 gallon batch. With the KBBA being a hybrid beer I was thinking of splitting the two using around 2.5 - 3 OZ. Any input on this would be appreciated.

http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html
 
Buckeye_Brewer1 said:
Bottling Question?

How much priming sugar is everyone planning on using to bottle with for the KBBA clone? I typically use the tastybrew.com link below to calculate my priming sugar needs. For the English Pale Ale Category it only recommends 0.5 OZ for a 5 gallon batch. I also checked the American Pale Ale category and it called for 4.5 OZ for a 5 gallon batch. With the KBBA being a hybrid beer I was thinking of splitting the two using around 2.5 - 3 OZ. Any input on this would be appreciated.

http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html
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It's a hybrid Irish red, English pale ale so maybe the average of those two. Or even better, email them and ask how many volumes of CO2 they bottle with. I would think they would tell you if they gave out the recipe.
 
Drinking my first tonight. It's still young (7 days) but tastes damn good. I dropped a couple tablespoons of vanilla extract in the bottling bucket at the last minute. I think this one has more body than the original, but as far as I can tell is pretty spot on as far as taste accuracy goes.

I think after a couple more weeks of conditioning this will be one fine brew. Might just be a house regular.
 
Pretty sure final grav came out to 1.011 from an SG of 1.062 which puts it at about 6.8%ABV. Not sure if the added bourbon will add any alcohol, we will see. Unfortunately I wont be drinking this one for at least another month.
 
Emailed Kentucky ale and they use 2.8 volumes of CO2 in the bottle and 2.6 draft. I also asked for and got the light kolsch-style recipe if anyone would like it.
 
Henry / Kaiser,

Did either of you two Charr your oak chips before soaking in the bourbon. I read to and charred mine wrapped in foil in the oven at 450 for 50 min. I figured that would better simulate the bourbon barrel compared to general oak. I'm going to be patient allow this to condition but curious on strategy.
 
Buckeye_Brewer1 said:
Henry / Kaiser,

Did either of you two Charr your oak chips before soaking in the bourbon. I read to and charred mine wrapped in foil in the oven at 450 for 50 min. I figured that would better simulate the bourbon barrel compared to general oak. I'm going to be patient allow this to condition but curious on strategy.
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I did not, although it sounds like a good idea. I'm planning on letting mine condition for a good month or more. I had a couple last weekend at one week bottled, and a couple today at two weeks. The difference is a week is amazing. After six weeks this beer is going to be a favorite, I can tell already.
 
Buckeye_Brewer1 said:
Henry / Kaiser,

Did either of you two Charr your oak chips before soaking in the bourbon. I read to and charred mine wrapped in foil in the oven at 450 for 50 min. I figured that would better simulate the bourbon barrel compared to general oak. I'm going to be patient allow this to condition but curious on strategy.
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I did not either but I have heard charring oak is good since oak barrels are charred. I just racked mine to secondary so Im excited to see what its going to taste like in the coming weeks.

Let me know how the charring affects the flavor profile, I might have to incorporate that next time I brew this.
 
Sorry, new to BeerSmith2...but trying to plug all this in and having a heck of a time getting these ingredients to match the recipe and keep at 1.070 OG. Please tell me what I'm doing wrong. Or is this close enough?

KBBA Clone
Wood Aged Beer
Type: Extract
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 2.82 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
End of Boil Volume 2.60 gal
Final Bottling Volume: 4.60 gal
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage

Ingredients:
9 lbs Light DME (8.0 SRM)
1 lbs White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM)
1.25oz Kent Goldings @ 60 mins
0.50 oz Fuggles @ 5 mins
Wyeast #1098 - British Ale

Est OG = 1.080
Est FG = 1.020
Est ABV = 8.0%
Bitterness = 8.9 IBUs
Est Color = 8.9 SRM

I think I like BeerTarget better for ease of use, but lots of people are using BeerSmith so I'd like to get used to it.
 
Wreck99 said:
Sorry, new to BeerSmith2...but trying to plug all this in and having a heck of a time getting these ingredients to match the recipe and keep at 1.070 OG. Please tell me what I'm doing wrong. Or is this close enough?

KBBA Clone
Wood Aged Beer
Type: Extract
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 2.82 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
End of Boil Volume 2.60 gal
Final Bottling Volume: 4.60 gal
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage

Ingredients:
9 lbs Light DME (8.0 SRM)
1 lbs White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM)
1.25oz Kent Goldings @ 60 mins
0.50 oz Fuggles @ 5 mins
Wyeast #1098 - British Ale

Est OG = 1.080
Est FG = 1.020
Est ABV = 8.0%
Bitterness = 8.9 IBUs
Est Color = 8.9 SRM

I think I like BeerTarget better for ease of use, but lots of people are using BeerSmith so I'd like to get used to it.
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OG seems a bit high unless you wanted a higher ABV. Commercially this beer is about 6.8% I think. The extract recipe is talked about a bunch in the beginning of the thread and I was going to do it before i switched to all grain. I don't use beer smith a whole lot, hope that helps though.
 
Yeah I usually use brewtarget but both give me that higher og basedon the recipe. I put everything in based on the thread. Just wondering what I'm doing wrong.
 
Here she is boys! She's as good as she looks.

KBBA.jpg
 
Finally getting around to brewing this, hopefully this week. Just have to go out to the LHBS and get the ingredients. Been critiquing the recipe based on feedback on this thread (thanks guys) and here's what I came up with for the base ale...


7.5 lbs Briess Golden Light DME -OR- 9 lbs Briess Golden Light LME (Not sure it matters)
1 lb Crystal 40 -OR - Caramel 40 (whatever they have)
1 lb Carapils
1 lb Flaked Wheat

1.25 oz Kent Goldings @ 60 mins
0.50 oz Fuggles @ 5 mins
Wyeast #1098 - British Ale

Est OG = 1.069
Est FG = 1.017
Est ABV = 6.8%
Bitterness = 11.0 IBUs
Est Color = 12.1 SRM

Got this information using BeerSmith.
 
Think I may carb a little less next time I make this. I have about 8 bottles of it left and the latest ones are way over-carbed. It actually has me bloated and it's bubbling much like a soda does.
 
I just had a beer judge taste this beer.. his comment was it is very good....very close but lacking vanilla.
 
I have added a little vanilla but I think I am going to add more. Probably total around an ounce. I also added about 250oz of bourbon, not a whole lot but it needed some more.

The brewer said carb at 2.8 which is quite a lot but I don't want mine to be too carbonated. Maybe the extra sugar is to ensure it carbs probably, does the high alcohol (mine is around 8%) retard the ability of the yeast to carb effectively?
 
Henry22 said:
I have added a little vanilla but I think I am going to add more. Probably total around an ounce. I also added about 250oz of bourbon, not a whole lot but it needed some more.

The brewer said carb at 2.8 which is quite a lot but I don't want mine to be too carbonated. Maybe the extra sugar is to ensure it carbs probably, does the high alcohol (mine is around 8%) retard the ability of the yeast to carb effectively?
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I assume 250 oz of bourbon was a typo. Did you mean 25 oz or 2.5 OZ? I don’t know about the alcohol content inhibiting carbonation but it is a good question.
 
Buckeye_Brewer1 said:
I assume 250 oz of bourbon was a typo. Did you mean 25 oz or 2.5 OZ? I don’t know about the alcohol content inhibiting carbonation but it is a good question.
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I meant mL, haha, different unit altogether. So what is the ideal volume of CO2 to carb at?
 
Just moved mine to secondary this week over Knob Creek soaked oak cubes and a lil vanilla. Can't wait to try this when its all done.
 
Yeah I used woodford reserve, it wasn't cheap but for 50 beers I think its worth it. Im still up in the air about carbing, mine has been sitting in secondary for a while as I build up enough bottles.
 
Henry22 said:
Yeah I used woodford reserve, it wasn't cheap but for 50 beers I think its worth it. Im still up in the air about carbing, mine has been sitting in secondary for a while as I build up enough bottles.
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I think that'll be my problem. I have a couple batches in bottles now, so I gotta start drinkin! I'm not putting this beer on draft, because that'll be dangerous and I want it to last :p
 
Wreck99 said:
I think that'll be my problem. I have a couple batches in bottles now, so I gotta start drinkin! I'm not putting this beer on draft, because that'll be dangerous and I want it to last :p
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I wish I had a keg setup but Im a poor college student. Maybe next year when Im working full time. For now its just bottles.

What volume of CO2 are you going to bottle at?
 
Henry22 said:
I wish I had a keg setup but Im a poor college student. Maybe next year when Im working full time. For now its just bottles.

What volume of CO2 are you going to bottle at?
Click to expand...

Not even entering the keg with this bunch. I'll just do the standard 5 oz priming sugar to the batch and bottle the lot, unless you suggest a different amount? I thought 5 gallon batches were the standard 5oz. I guess it's easier to control the CO2 volume in the keg setup, but I know me and I love this beer retail so if my concoction is anywhere close I'll be pumping the tap like its a gas pump lol. It's safer to store the bottles :p
 
Wreck99 said:
Not even entering the keg with this bunch. I'll just do the standard 5 oz priming sugar to the batch and bottle the lot, unless you suggest a different amount? I thought 5 gallon batches were the standard 5oz. I guess it's easier to control the CO2 volume in the keg setup, but I know me and I love this beer retail so if my concoction is anywhere close I'll be pumping the tap like its a gas pump lol. It's safer to store the bottles :p
Click to expand...

The brewery told me they use 2.8 in bottles but Kaiser carb'd for a general APA which is about 2.5 and said it was too much so I'm not sure how much I should do. I'll probably do around 2.5-2.6 volumes CO2, not sure how many ounces that comes out to but their are calculators online.
 
Pretty cool tool, thanks for sharing. That says for my 5 gallon batch, 2.8 CO2 volume sitting @ 70F is 5.3 oz.

Now I wonder how long it will take to hit that volume in bottles.
 
So I just cracked open my 1st sample of KBBA clone after being in bottles for 3 weeks. OMG its just about perfect spot on to the original. Maybe it'll get better with age but I love it the way it is now too.
 
Wreck99 said:
So I just cracked open my 1st sample of KBBA clone after being in bottles for 3 weeks. OMG its just about perfect spot on to the original. Maybe it'll get better with age but I love it the way it is now too.
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That is great to hear!!! So far I'm not so fortunate. I decided to char my wood chips prior to soaking and ended up leaving them in the secondary for 10 days which I think was too much. I only wanted to keep them in for 5 - 6 days but I got too busy and was not able to bottle when I wanted to. I think my base beer is pretty close to Kentucky ale but I have much more of a wood taste compared to the KBBA. I think wood taste takes a long time to mellow out. Its still a good beer but not as I expected.
 
Wreck9. What type of oak chips did you use and how much? I see you soaked the chips in knob creek, but for how long? Did you put the cubes and more bourbon in? Also, how much vanilla, beans or extract? I'm wanting to brew this as my first beer on the electric system.
 
3 oz of med french toasted oak cubes, soaked in 250ml of knob creek for the duration of primary (3 wks). Then added 150 ml more into secondary, and 150ml more to bottling. Added 1.5oz vanilla bourbon extract (found at wegmans) to secondary and another 1.5oz to bottling. Ill tell ya, after now being bottled for over a month this beer is spot on to the original (it was ready at 3 wks bottle time). All my drinkin buds agree. Not bad for extract brew. Next time ill have to try it AG and see if it tastes any different.
 

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