Bourbon County Brand Stout (clone)

Just a heads up, the recipes sub-forum is for recipes brewed that came out well as opposed to discussion of recipes not yet brewed. Sending this to the regular forum, feel free to repost final info after you have packaged and tasted the beer.

Cheers!

 

I recently did the "boil past your target volume and top with water" method for a Hair of the Dog Adam clone. Aparently that is the technique used at the brewery. I went from 7 to 3.5 gal in 3.5 hours and topped up to 4.5 gal, hitting my target OG. Seems like a good method for those with a 8 gal kettle like me, I will probably use this method on the BCBS clone for my next brew.

 

Looking forward to trying to brew this recipe around Christmas time since I will have quite a bit of vacation...I'd like to make sure that I am understanding the process here...basically collect up to 7.5 gallons (first runnings) and commence to boil for 4 hours and top up as needed? I have an electrical system that I normally set to about 60% duty cycle for my 5 gallon size batches. I am using a 15.5 gallon keggle to boil in.It seems to me that I would need to collect all my volume to boil off to a little over 5 gallons throughout the 4 hours...please correct me if I am wrong. Thanks in advanced!

 

I ended up brewing this in June.

I used my standard 40 qt mash tun plus regular old cooler I had for the excess of grain. After draining the mash tun, I sent the first runnings from the cooler through the mash tun, then sparged with an additional 2 gal.

Too much pre-boil volume for my kettle so I boiled an extra gallon down in a smaller pot until it all fit in my kettle. Boiled 8 gallons for 3 hr 45 min down to 4.75 gal of 1.133 wort (expected 1.129 at 57% efficiency).

Now its down to 1.030 at a nice 13.9%, some sitting on american oak cubes and some sitting on french oak cubes. I am thinking about adding apple brandy and vanilla beans to this one (because ABVMZ was so good), and kegging it so I don't have to worry about bottle conditioning such a strong beer. Very excited!

 

Sounds awesome dude!! Please keep me informed. I'm really excited about brewing this recipe in late December. Planned on following everything as mentioned and tossing in 4-6 vanilla beans and aging in a Balcones Barrel for several months. Would love to be drinking this beer next year around this time

 

I just learned about alternate ABV formula, which is apparently more accurate for higher gravity beers. An OG of 1.129 down to 1.030 would actually be 15.1%. Anyone familiar with this? http://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/06/16/alcohol-by-volume-calculator-updated/

 

I actually just learned of this recently as well. Really shocked it was published in 2011.

I made a Coffee Maple Syrup RIS recently I thought was 11.3% but to my surprise it is actually closer to 13.75% due to the formula. I've also heard Vikeman saying the alternate formula is more accurate in all beers, but especially in Big beers.

 

I generally use the alternate ABV calculator for beers >10% but have no idea if it's right or wrong.

I brewed a version of BCBS using the recipe from the video series they published last year. I split the wort between (2) kettles and boiled for 3-hrs prior to consolidating in (1) kettle to start the 60' additions. Effectively, a 7-hr boil. SG 1.145 and finished at 1.048. I think BCBS FG is ~1.042 so I'm not really worried. Using the high gravity ABC calculator puts me in around 15.5% before bourbon/rye additions. I brewed this back in SEPT and kegged the end of OCT. Split batch; half getting oak and bourbon, the other half getting vanilla and rye whiskey.

 

Brewed this in June 2016. I used my mash tun plus a regular old cooler with a grain bag to fit all the grain. I think I did a 3 hr boil and ended up with 4 gal. 2 months in primary, 8 months on 0.25 oz/gal medium toast American oak cubes (boiled 3 min) in secondary. 4 months of keg conditioning with 8 oz Elijah Craig.

This beer turned out better than I ever expected. Not quite the full bourbon barrel taste and feel, but closer than I've ever gotten as homebrewer. I will definitely be using this recipe and oaking technique again.