Vanilla Porter recipe help.

For a second batch? I'd recommend a basic porter. i.e. get your base recipe down before adding maple. And vanilla. And bourbon.

 

For a maple porter, you're probably adding maple syrup (grade B) to the boil or to the fermenter. For a 'vanilla bourbon' porter, you're probably adding vanilla (either beans to the fermenter or vanilla extract at bottling time) and bourbon (either added to the fermenter or at bottling time, or to the fermenter via wood that has been soaked in it). Or make a vanilla extract with bourbon as the solvent. There are many ways to go about this, but not (IMO) for a second batch.

 

I love the results I have gotten with my flavor/spice additions recently. But, there is no reason to be adding every ingredient from the kitchen before you have a recipe down for the base style. Get a solid beer down then experiment with additions. You need to get a feel for your beer to see how the spices/flavors will meld with the beer and enhance it, rather than toss it all together and hope for the best.

 

From someone who made a maple chocolate porter I think that the vanilla would get hidden in the maple. In mine I used 1 quart late in the boil and then primed the bottles with 1 cup of grade B in the bottling bucket. Many of the bottles were over carbonated as I didn't mix it well the bottling bucket, but I would still not use nearly as much to bottle. I realy enjoyed this beer but was kinda pricy with how expensive maple syrup can be.

I've done a vanilla porter before where I put three vanilla beans in the secondary and let them soak for 30 days. Vanilla was very slight, hence why I think that the vanilla would get hidden by the maple. You may get better vanilla flavor from soaking them in bourbon but I haven't tried that method so I wouldn't know.

I can send you the recipe for the Maple Chocolate Porter if you'd like or you can find it in Brooklyn BrewShop Beer Making Book

 

This works amazingly from my experience. I get a ton of vanilla flavor that lasts for a relatively long time (over 3 months on my most recent Vanilla Irish Dry Stout).

 

I'm going to have to try this! Any other spices/adjuncts you've used in bourbon?