Nice to hit all the numbers. Thank you for putting that recipe in the brewopedia.
Thanks to Johnplctech for his mashwater software. Could NOT hit the numbers without that.
I am soaking oak spirals in my Bourbon via a vac pack baggie waiting for secondary
transfer…anyhow was a pleasant brew day and the O.G. is spot on ;D
Using some Fresh Mex Vanilla beans from beanilla…can’t wait to add em to the mix…
Very nice. Enjoy! This beer is one of my regulars. Always good. Tip o’ the hat to Mr. Conn.
Hey Dave…is the first time you’ve had the chance to try this recipe?
If so…I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. It’s a winner for sure. I just kicked a keg of this fine beer last weekend. I need to make more.
Yes Ron, it is indeed the BVIP maiden voyage for me. Got high hopes for a good thing. ;D
Glad ya ll like it! The porter by itself makes a great beer alone or as a base for other flavors, too. A friend made a killer coffee porter using the base porter recipe.
+1 I brew a 10-gallon batch to yield 5 of BVIP and 5 of the porter. It’s interesting to try two different yeasts, too. Lat time I used US-05 for the porter and WY1272 for the BVIP. The porter finished a little drier, and the BVIP had a nice rich backbone to support the bourbon and vanilla.
Ok here is a shot of the Bourbon I am gonna use in this beer
BEFORE the Oak spirals which are Med+ American Oak.
And here is the same Bourbon In a vac pack bag with 2 Oak spirals
after 2 weeks notice the amount of tannins infused into the Bourbon as
reflected in the VERY dark Color.
When the time comes to put the Bourbon and Vanilla Beans in Secondary, I will sample the liquid in the
spiral bag and try to guage the level of oak…I may or may not add any of that strong liquid…dunno…
However, It will NOT goto waste.
love this recipe. Do you notice a gradual decrease in the vanilla taste upon aging? I have a few bottles about 10 mos old and there seems to be a slightly more bourbon note than originally noted, the vanilla is very subdued. Do I need more vanilla next time or less bourbon
Yeah, the vanilla is the first thing to fade. I don’t really like aging this beer. I think it’s best maybe 6 weeks-2 months after brewing.
Denny, I know you said you are not big on the Oak. I am including it to try to accentuate
the vanilla that the oak should impart and hope that this aspect of flavor helps the vanilla hang in there…
that was my thought process when I added those spirals…I am ageing it another month and a half-ish
before the big sample day.
Does anyone use a hop bag and leave the vanilla bean in the keg or cask to keep the vanilla flavor and aroma levels up? Unless I"m throwing a party, it is hard to drain a keg in a short period of time.
Question for everyone here–how intense is the vanilla in this recipe? I know it’s tough to quantify, but think of a very oaky American Chardonnay–would the vanilla flavor be more or less intense?
Thanks,
Darren
It’s supposed to be less intense. This is beer, and both the bourbon and the vanilla should be supporting flavors, not the majority of the flavor. If you drink the beer and go “wow, bourbon (or vanilla)!”, then you’ve used too much.
Agreed Denny.
I think this beer is well balanced. The Imperial Porter is the star yet the bourbon and vanilla play a very supportive role in the finish. The vanilla comes through much stronger when the beer is young then fades as the beer ages and begins to oxidize.
Thanks Denny! If I decide to add oak, do you think I should I back off the vanilla? I’m looking for exactly what you’re describing–a background flavor, not a vanilla-flavored beer.
Just a guess, but no, I wouldn’t back off on the vanilla.
Snuck a sample today…OMG great beer I got it right, the bourbon and vanilla
are not detectable by themselves…good meld. I doubt if this keg will be around long.
Kind of heady if you will, buzzy, but not hot, just good flavor meld. Thanks again big D. 
Edit: This beer has been sitting at room temps since this post on the 4th, it is now the
27th and it has only gotten better…great beer for sure…sorry I waited so long to make this…
