This weekend, we brewed a double batch of our porter. All went smooth and both are happily (and violently) fermenting away. We typically split these brews up and keep one as our standard porter and add bourbon and vanilla bean soaked oak to the other. The timing and quality of the oak is critical for this one, as we want the bourbon flavor to be subdued and the oak the be the dominating adjunct flavor, with vanilla coming in second. We let primary fermentation finish before adding the oak mixture until the desired flavor is reached. Then condition for a few month to let everything settle in.
For this batch, we will follow the same regimen for the oaked version. I'll let fermentation wind down and add the mixture in approx. 2 weeks. I'll then rack off the oak and let it cold condition int he keg for a few months, once everything's balanced nicely. I decided to take a different approach to the other half of this bath this time. We've come to like the oaked version more than the original, so instead of keeping half as is, we added a little something special to it. I'll be checking back on this one every so often until I think it's ready. At that time, we'll share.
Next up is our bourbon barrel imperial stout, followed by our Summer Ale an oud bruin and our spring seasonal Irish Red.
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