Beer & Wine Hobby has a 70 dollar (!!!) bourbon cask vanilla bean stout kit. The most recent newsletter from Modern Homebrewing Emporium has instructions that I can put together on their website for $55. The vanilla beans are another 10 clams from JR Mushrooms and Specialties, but I want to do a vanilla bourbon infusion, too, so I need those beans! I will skip the bourbon soaked oak chips
Here is the plan (modified to suit my tastes and available hops):
– 1 lb crystal malt (90L)
– 1 lb Maris otter malt, since it sounds interesting
– 1/4 lb chocolate malt
– 1/4 lb black patent malt
– 1/8 lb roasted barley
– 6 lbs dark malt extract (dry)
– 1 oz Northern Brewer hops (kettle)
– 1 oz Chinook (aroma)
– White Labs WLP004
Ferment in primary for a week, then rack to secondary on top of four vanilla beans.
Rack to secondary? Uh oh, my brand new carboy is already full of barleywine! On the recommendation of the LiveJournal Homebrewing community, that will be sitting for a few months on some medium toast French oak chips.
CHEAPSKATE TIP: A paper bag from the supermarket is just as good for a 5-gallon carboy cover as it is for a book cover! Just cut a hole in the bottom of the bag for the fermentation lock to poke through.