# Kentucky Bourbon barrel Ale



## Pumpkinman

I was in Kentucky for a seminar this past week, we went out for dinner and I asked what local beer they had on tap...they replied "Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale"....hmmmm....sounded interesting enough, so I ordered one...WOW! What an amazing beer!
After asking a bazillion questions about it, the bartender came to our table and explained that he was one of th original brewers...SWEEEET!, he went on to give me the recipe after talking with him about homebrewing for 20 mins r so!
So here I am, almost done cooling the wort for this amazing brew...lol...I think I'm getting into brewing, I even check my brix with a refractomenter....LOL...I need help...LMAO!
Is it wrong to have 7 different varieties of beer bottled and on hand? It's time to start kegging!


----------



## Wade E

I used to have 4 kegs on tap at all times! Kegging is surely the way to go all the way!


----------



## skyrat

So are you giving up on the Melomels and wines now???  

FYI. Son TY got some mead the other day and seemed to like it a lot. Now he is interested in trying to make so I told him to pick your brain at the next meet. Maybe a good topic for all.

BTW. We need to figure out what we will plan to present. I have a good breakdown on sugar additions and Brix / SG adjustments to hand out. Talk soon....


----------



## Boatboy24

That reminds me, I have a bourbon dubbel that needs to be made...


----------



## ibglowin

Recipe please!


----------



## bigdrums2

Yes, share what you have learned!


----------



## deboard

That is quite a good beer, but it's pretty high octane as well! They sell them in 4 packs here in KY. Of course, kentuckians generally think anything will have to be better if you age it in a bourbon barrel. There are a few bourbon barrel red wines made here that are pretty great too.


----------



## Pumpkinman

Nah, I'll never give up making wine and melomel! 
I've been having a lot of fun making all sorts of beer...lol..
Not only am I making the bourbon barrel ale, I've made a kick *** Imperial Irish ale, a Shock Top Clone, and a bunch more!

The bourbon barrel ale was fairly expensive at wally world in Richmond Kentucky, $11 for a 4 pack.

Tim, it'll be a pleasure to help your son, let me know when you'll have time for a call to go over the next meeting.

I'll post the recipe from my main computer, too hard from my phone...lol

Wade I wish I had the room for a kegorator!


----------



## Pumpkinman

As promised, this is the recipe:

All Grain
IBU 22.2

6 lbs Maris otter
5 lbs Dingemans Pale Ale
1 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L
1 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L
1 lb Carapils (Briess)
1 lb Pale Wheat (Dingemans)
2.5 tsp yeast nutrient
2 lbs Honey - Wildflower (10 min boil)
1 oz Goldings, East Kent 60 min boil
0.50 oz Fuggles 10 min boil
0.50 Goldings, East Kent 10 min boil
Wyeast Labs Iriash Ale 1084
2 oz untoasted oak chips
2 oz medium toast oak chip
2 medium toast oak staves
3/4 bottle (750 ml) Makers Mark Kentucky Bourbon - this is to taste)

Single Infusion Batch sparge
Mash in with 18.75 qt at 168°, 45 mins at 156°
Batch sparge in two steps , 0.61 gal, and 3.49 gal at 168°

Boil for 60 mins, adding hops at 60 and 10 mins
You can add 4 oz malto dextrin and 2 tsp gypsum for body and mouth feel.

Soak oak in bourbon for a week before adding to primary. I've added the full 750 ml of Makers Mark (used most for soaking) to the brew, it tastes amazing!
the ABV will be in the 7-8% range.


----------



## jswordy

There are three craft brewers in Huntsville, Ala., making bourbon barrel beers. They use the recycled used barrels from Jim Beam and also I think from Jack Daniels. It is hard to believe some of these recipes are actually a beer when tasted. Two thumbs up!


----------



## Pumpkinman

After realizing just how good this brew turned out, I purchased a used 5 gallon corn whiskey barrel fairly cheap, $89.00 I believe. 
I have bourbon currently in the barrel to give it an extra kick, after this batch is finished fermenting and clearing, I am going to age it for a few weeks in the barrel, I plan on following it with a dark guiness type brew, and in between brews, I will keep the Kentucky bourbon in it.


----------



## Pumpkinman

I wanted to update this thread - I started another batch of Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale a few months back, realizing that the oak and Bourbon (whiskey) would be more more prominent in the barrel, I made a malty amber beer that could stand up to these bigger flavors. 

I rinsed the barrel with a strong meta solution, and rinsed a few more times, then went through the normal oak barrel re-hydrating process.
I added the beer after it had been racked off the yeast/sediment and cleared for 2 weeks.
For whatever reason, I totally forgot about the beer in the barrel for over a month, by the time I realized that I needed to get the beer out of the barrel, and find an empty carboy (I had made 7 five gallon batches in preparation for a party that we were hosting, carboys were scarce..lol), over 6 weeks had gone by...I tasted the beer, I was almost shocked by just how strong the oak and the whiskey flavors were...dammit!....

I decided that this was going to get tossed, I was so disgusted that I put the airlock back on and walked away....for 2 more weeks...lol...I wanted to taste the beer just one more time before I dumped it, and to my surprise, it had mellowed a little, not so "hot".

I decided to bottle the beer, I figured that I would let it bottle age for 6 months or so before I tried it again, instead of priming with corn sugar, I used honey, I knew that it would take longer to carbonate, perfect for the aging process, and the mild sweetness of the honey would mask some of the oak and whisky as well.

I took a few bottles with me to a friends house last night, along with 10 other IPA's, APA's Lagers and Hop Bombs from various micro breweries for a evening of great food, great friends, and taste testing....I almost didn't open it, but man I am glad that I did...WOW!!!!! This beer is absolutely amazing!
A real nice amber color, great aroma, malty enough to stand up to the whisky and oak, the whisky and oak are just where they need to be, nothing over powering, the honey added real nice body and mouth feel! 

This isn't a beer that you would guzzle after mowing the lawn in the summer heat, it is a great sipping wine, there were a few brews that stood out over the course of the evening, but this stole the show!

As with wine, there is no comparison between oaking a beer with chips or staves, and barrel aging.

I've taken a current batch of beer that is clearing, and marked it for barrel aging, this will become a permanent part of my rotation!


----------



## jswordy

Tom, I just learned like 10 things about beer from your last post. 

There's a premium distillery real close to me for the barrels, too.


----------



## Pumpkinman

Sweet! You will love beer aged in bourbon barrels!


----------



## jswordy

Pumpkinman said:


> Sweet! You will love beer aged in bourbon barrels!



Yes, there are one or two craft breweries who do this in my area. IIRC, two craft brewers got together and did a run that they aged for like 3 months in used bourbon barrels. It was high ABV. I have never brewed beer, but I am likely going to start. I'll be far from all-grain, though. Meanwhile I read about it all the time, trying to pick up tidbits here and there. Then one day, BAM, I'm gonna do it! 

How much honey per bottle do you use to prime?


----------



## Boatboy24

jswordy said:


> How much honey per bottle do you use to prime?



I've done several 1 gallon batches from Brooklyn Brew Shop, or recipes from their book. Seems to be that about 3TBS per gallon is what they have you use.


----------



## Pumpkinman

Jim,
I used 1/2 cup per 5 gallons, it takes a little bit for honey to carbonate the beer, you could use 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup Honey.


----------



## Duster

I must agree and recommend Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale to any beer connoisseur. I don't think I will ever make it because every time I try to copy a beer recipe I end up disappointed. I did try this for the first time about three weeks ago and even made a trip to southern Indiana last weekend and had to find a restaurant that served it. 
I wish they sold it around here, there are some shops that will order it for me by the keg but I'm not set up with a Kegerator, ... yet christmas is just around the corner


----------



## seth8530

I tried some of the comericial version of this beer not too long ago. I might have to give the "original recipe" a try.. Might be fun


----------



## Pumpkinman

Seth, you won't be disappointed, word of caution: The first batch that you put through the bourbon/whisky barrel will knock your socks off, almost tastes like you are doing carbonated shots of whiskey...LOL, the second and third batch were much more tame.


----------



## seth8530

Heh very nice, BTW what kind of original and FG should be expected from this? Also, what kind of volume? Might be a bit before my brother and I can get a batch of this cooking since I have the fall wine to deal with first.... And then a special cider ... Considering he is the one who is in charge of beer making operations lol.


----------

