Vanilla Bourbon Oak Stout Kit

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Other items you'll need not included in kit: Vanilla Bean (2)

Other recommended accessories:

Additional French Oak (medium toast)
Carboy Tube Infuser
1 inch blow tube [4 feet]
6 gallon carboy
Wine/Beer Thief
Tap-a-Draft System (with 4 mini-kegs)

Centuries ago, barrels were the only vessels in which to brew and store beers. Today, brewers use steel and aluminum which is cheaper and easier to work with than wood. In the last few years there has been a re-emergence of oak barrel aged beers and craft breweries everywhere are experimenting with the complex flavors. Oak adds a unique depth to certain beers, extracting the natural flavors of the wood and vanillins.

There are several methods for oaking beers, including barrels, cubes, spirals and chips. Each work differently, as it is the surface area of the wood that determines the time needed to get exactly the taste you're looking for. While large batch brewers and traditionalists may opt for barrels, we wondered, 'Could many of the same great flavors be introduced to more modest extract brewing using oak chips?' We set out to find out.

We decided to launch our monthly beer feature and Imperial recipe series with a Vanilla Bourbon-Oak Stout. The results were nothing short of phenomenal.

First, a few words around the use of oak chips. There are several different varieties you'll find on our shelves. French, American and Hungarian are most popular, so we had some options to consider. French oak is the most highly regarded wood but translates into higher costs than other varieties. It is known for its subtle flavor, bouquet and high tannin content. Hungarian oak has many of the same properties as French oak, but is a bit more intense. It's a very popular substitute for French oak because of its lower cost and fine flavor profile. American oak has the most pronounced aroma and imparts it's flavors flavor fastest, but also mellows very quickly. American Oak can be somewhat difficult to control for these reasons and would require more frequent sampling.

Since we were using only a few ounces of chips for this batch rather than barrels, the cost of the oak wouldn't be significant so we went with French oak.

Next, there was the 'toast' of the oak to consider. Toast refers to the firing that the inside of the barrel receives, similar to the toasting or roasting of malt during kilning. Medium Toast has less tannin but more bouquet, so will impart more aroma than flavor. Medium toast oak has a warm, sweet character with strong vanilla overtones. Medium Plus Toast is darker than medium and has aromas of honey and roasted nuts with a hint of coffee, while heavy Toast brings pronounced caramelized, carbonized, toasty flavors.

Since we were going for smooth vanilla flavors, we chose medium toast. Now that we had our chips we wanted to simulate the taste of casks used to age bourbon. To do this, we bought one of our favorite brands and soaked the chips in a small covered container so that they can soak up the bourbon flavor and sanitize naturally. We did this for about 2 weeks but they can sit for months and continue to develop. We suggest buying more than you need and putting some aside to 'marinate' for your next batch.

On with the brewing...

We start by brewing our big stout in the same way we would any of our beers. Be careful though! We highly recommend using a blow off tube and your largest primary fermenter as this baby was active and foamed like crazy. This is an Imperial stout so it will be rich sugars that the yeast will love.

Once you are ready for the secondary fermenter, rack as usual and wait until you reach final gravity. At this time you may want to bottle a few to taste comparison before oaking. Now you can add the chips in loose, leaving the bourbon behind. You may consider putting them in a bag, but it can be impossible getting them out. While not required, the best tool to have for this is a Carboy Tube Infuser which not only makes additions and removals a breeze, but is sanitary multi-purpose tool that can be used for spices or dry-hopping for later recipes. After you rack for bottling it will be easy to shake them out. It's also at this time that you will add your vanilla beans, split them half length-wise.

Leave in the secondary and sample every day or so after four days until it you have the desired level of oak your looking for. Ours was ready after about 7 days. Bottle or keg as usual. If you haven't tried kegging yet, now is a great time to try. A great way to do this is with the Tap-a-Draft system. With it you can create a creamy nitro-head which works great with this prized brew.