BeerBorg

I just realized that January 2010 I brewed my 1st batch of beer with a gifted MB kit. I also just realized my last batch was batch number 150. It was two weeks ago and I brewed up a big Imperial Stout, it was a special batch to begin with but after realizing these things I decided to make it a very special batch. I just dry hopped an ounce of Willamette, 1 oz Of Bourbon barrel wood chips and 1 Vanilla Bean. Going to let these additions sit and test when the flavors are good before I bottle it up in bombers and make some labels. Bottle it up and forget about it. Not something I do often, but I just found it really cool how it all just came together timing wise. Looking forward to it already, and thought it would be a great way to celebrate.

Congrats on your anniversary! Drink up!

Very cool!
I rum oaked a stout last year until it was too oak-y. I shared some after 7 months in the bottle and people love it.

John Sand wrote:Very cool!
I rum oaked a stout last year until it was too oak-y. I shared some after 7 months in the bottle and people love it.

Do you recall how much you used or how long you let it oak? I almost chose Cognac oak chips because they would be something different. The brew shop had Rum, Gin, Brandy, Cognac and Bourbon. I used oak once before years and years ago but I went about it way wrong. I'm going to be very careful this time around.

Congratulations on 10 years-a'brewin.

I've rested 1 oz lightly roasted bourbon-soaked chips / 5G for a week before bottling.
Some oak-y flavor.
Better too little than too much.

Just bottled a Ballantine-like IPA having rested on home-toasted chips from a fresh-cut white oak IMBY.
Won't know till early April how that'll turn out.

I pulled up this thread because I remember posting about it. I drank a few of these over these past several months and I have to say the one I drank Saturday night at a family party was the best one yet. Almost a year of aging and this beer was really, really nice. It was very drinkable, even early on but the aging time just really brought it all together. I did write down the recipe and brew day notes, but I didn't follow up with the best tasting notes in my little book, being that it wasn't something I was drinking very often. I bottled up a full case of 12 bombers of this and I have 3 left. One bottle is going to a good friend for Christmas and one bottle will probably be drank on New Years Eve, the last one I am going to save for another year...or more.

I am glad I posted about the dry hop addition and the Oak Chips, because that is the part I needed the notes on. I don't really think there's much I would change about this, it could be a little more "Imperial" like, but I like it where it's at because it's so very drinkable. Instead of changing any of the recipe, I think I will just knock down the batch size by a 1/2 gal to help intensify the beer just a little more and make up for the loss in efficiency I had with this one. I am thinking of brewing it again next month, maybe it will be my tradition of brewing this beer every January. I also have a Barleywine on the brain, which winter time makes a nice time to brew these for the following Holiday and Winter season.

Cool. I still have some rum barrel stout, it's still good. I oaked last year's Christmas beer, but haven't tasted it yet.

HerbMeowing wrote:Just bottled a Ballantine-like IPA having rested on home-toasted chips from a fresh-cut white oak IMBY.
Won't know till early April how that'll turn out.

Turned out quite nicely.
Previous batches of this IPA never quite lived up to expectations.
Oak provided the missing link.

For those interested in home oak-toasting ...

Haven't visited the Borg in a while, but came here tonight, and just saw this thread. It's a very timely thread for me, because today was my 10-year brewing anniversary, and I brewed a batch today to "celebrate" the occasion.
10 years ago, 1/5/2011, it was a Mr. Beer West Coast Pale Ale on the stovetop. I cracked the first one open on Super Sunday in February. It was....well, it was beer.
Today, 1/5/2021, it was an all-grain (BIAB) Rye Pale Ale. Batch #107.
So, I just wanted to drop in and say 'hey' and also say thanks to all of you that have been on the Borg (and the MB Forum before that) since I first got bitten by the brewing bug, 10 years ago today!

Congrats on your anniversary! Glad you're still with us.

I kicked this yrs batch up a bit, last night I added Whisky Oak Chips, Cocao Nibs and some flavored coffee to the fermenter. Going to give that a few days and taste over the weekend, bottle this up then or shortly into next week.

For anyone looking to try Oak or replicate the Barrel Aged flavor, I highly, highly recommend these Oak Chips from Brewer's Best. They have a few different ones but I was very pleased with the character from adding these. It's so easy to overdo, but these seem to be just right.