Russian Imperial Stout

[adm]

I'm thinking of brewing a Russian Imperial Stout for Christmas. I'm looking to do it in the next week or so and leave it either kegged or bottled to mature for the next three to four months......which will be a lot longer than any of my beers have made it so far!

Anyway - here's my first thoughts at a recipe - it's a bit of a belt and braces job with black malt and roasted barley, but it seems to be right on the style guidelines according to Beer Tools Pro. Does anyone have any advice on brewing this type of beer? I want it to be a big strong beer, but without being too cloying or sweet.

Will I be OK leaving this to mature for that long in a corny - or should it be bottled ? Also, I'm thinking of using the White Labs Irish yeast.......they say that these vials don't need a starter and can be pitched directly, but would you make a larger starter for a strongish beer like this ?


Crazy Ivan
13-F Russian Imperial Stout




Original Gravity: 1.089 (1.075 - 1.095)
|===================#============|
Terminal Gravity: 1.022 (1.018 - 1.030)
|=============#==================|
Color: 71.0 (30.0 - 40.0)
|=================#==============|
Alcohol: 8.83% (8.0% - 12.0%)
|===========#====================|
Bitterness: 66.04 (50.0 - 90.0)
|==============#=================|

Ingredients:
6.0 kg Maris Otter Pale Ale Malt
0.25 kg Roasted Barley
0.5 kg Black Malt
0.5 kg Barley Flaked
0.5 kg Crystal Malt
100 g East Kent Goldings (5.0%) - added during boil, boiled 90 min
0.0 ea White Labs WLP004 Irish Stout

[maxashton]

It should be fine maturing in corny keg. Just remember to purge the keg with CO2 before you fill it.

[adm]

I'll definitely purge it with CO2 - I'll probably force carb for a week or two, then disconnect the gas and leave the corny to sit in a corner fo the garage until I'm ready to drink it.

[maxashton]

Fair dues mate, should be fine!

[mysterio]

I would consider perhaps using a more attenuative yeast for such a big beer, like US-05 (WLP001/Wyeast1056), just so it finishes a little dryer. If you're ok with the sweeter finish, which is perfectly fine for this style because it's more of an after dinner/desert type beer, then Irish ale is fine. You might want to bump up the IBUs to compensate. Definately make a big starter if you're using the liquid yeast - critical for getting proper attenuation.

What grade of crystal are you planning on using?

Another thing which might be fun to mess around with in this beer is oak chips, if you use them sparingly you can get some subtle vanilla-type flavours. Then you could call it an oak-aged russian imperial stout which sounds really cool!

No problems aging it in a keg, just remember to tuck it away somewhere where you will forget about it.

[maxashton]

No problems aging it in a keg, just remember to tuck it away somewhere where you will forget about it.

Truth. I love big beers, and i think the temptation would be horrible.

[adm]

I would consider perhaps using a more attenuative yeast for such a big beer, like US-05 (WLP001/Wyeast1056), just so it finishes a little dryer. If you're ok with the sweeter finish, which is perfectly fine for this style because it's more of an after dinner/desert type beer, then Irish ale is fine. You might want to bump up the IBUs to compensate. Definately make a big starter if you're using the liquid yeast - critical for getting proper attenuation.

What grade of crystal are you planning on using?

Another thing which might be fun to mess around with in this beer is oak chips, if you use them sparingly you can get some subtle vanilla-type flavours. Then you could call it an oak-aged russian imperial stout which sounds really cool!

No problems aging it in a keg, just remember to tuck it away somewhere where you will forget about it.

Pants. I've already ordered the Irish yeast from H&G - so maybe I will bump up the hops a bit to compensate. I've got all kinds of hops around, so might throw in another 50g of something.....maybe Northdowns or Amarillo. Alternatively - I could do a hybrid yeast and build a starter using the White Labs Irish and a packet of US-05.....or are hybrid yeasts a "no-no"?

As for the Crystal - I'm not sure.....it's whatever Paul at BarleyBottom sends!

I was thinking about maybe increasing the Roasted Barley on this to 0.5Kg as well.

On the oak chips......how about some oak chips from whisky barrels? That might give a really nice subtle taste too. I have a few bits of old oak from whiskey barrels down in the woodshed somewhere if I can find them.

I'm looking forward to this one.......

[mysterio]

The Irish yeast will be great in it, but just remember to pitch a big enough starter so you get the full amount of attenuation from it. You could mix the yeasts if you wanted but I would probably go with one or the other so you can repeat your results. Remember your IBUs will drop significantly during maturation.

Whisky oak would be great, I suspect - just remember to sanitise. I tried a decent whisky aged imperial stout a few months ago, this one: http://www.brewdog.com/paradox.php

I think a full half kilo of roasted barley would be fine, although my preference would be to switch the black malt for an equal amount of chocolate malt.

[adm]

Good point.....how the bloody hell does one sanitise oak chips or bits of wood? Hadn't thought of that....

Surely if you boil them for long enough to sanitise them, it will get rid of most of the flavour, and any other sanitiser will leave foul flavours.

On the other hand......when you dry hop in secondary, the hops aren't sanitised are they. Presumably the C02 and alcohol environment kills any nasties? I think I'll just try and chip some up and bung it in the secondary.

How was the whisky aged stout by the way ?

I have both black and chocolate malts at home - and was kind of torn with which to use anyway.....maybe half each of both! I've got too many different grains and hops lying around now and want to use them all....haven't ever used any black malt yet though (although Beer Tools says there is bugger all difference to the colour between using black and choco)

[mysterio]

Boil them in a little water then pour the whole lot, water and all into the beer. Be sparing with them, easier to add oak than take it away!

Hops are naturally bacteriostatic - the hop acids kill gram-positive bacteria, and so don't need sanitising.

The whisky stout was good, although it was a ridiculous price in Sainsbury's - £4 for a 330ml bottle Not worth the money, but tasty nonetheless.

[adm]

Thanks!

Actually - that link to Brew Dog was great. I like their attitude and have just ordered a mixed case to see whether I like their beer......

Kind of reminds me of the US Flying Dog brewery:

http://www.flyingdogales.com/default.asp

(I called my brewery the Bad Dog Brewery - maybe I have some kind canine fetish.....)

[WeeJoey]

Hi adm, I did notice this in the CAMRA "Brew your own Real Ale at Home" guide with the recipe for IRS. as follows: Note, The great old grandad of British beers. Barrel the beer after fermentation and mature for a year or more. Then bottle and mature for at least a further year. Reputedly at its best after three years! page 145.

[adm]

Hi adm, I did notice this in the CAMRA "Brew your own Real Ale at Home" guide with the recipe for IRS. as follows: Note, The great old grandad of British beers. Barrel the beer after fermentation and mature for a year or more. Then bottle and mature for at least a further year. Reputedly at its best after three years! page 145.

Pshaw! Can't be doing with that. I want to drink it myself not have my kids inherit the bloody stuff...... It's going to get just under 4 months to mature......not a minute more!

[mysterio]

Pshaw! Can't be doing with that. I want to drink it myself not have my kids inherit the bloody stuff...... It's going to get just under 4 months to mature......not a minute more!

Here here!

I'm sure it will be a good beer after 4 - 6 months, might be worth bottling a few and tucking them away and trying them in a year or two's time.

I've never managed to age a beer past the 6 week mark personally, it's on the to-do list

[Barley Water]

If I were you, I would for sure bottle the stuff. If you leave it in a keg and you are anything like me, you will start stealing samples way before you get to Christmas. You will justify this by telling yourself that you are just doing quality control but when the holidays come around, you will find you have serious shrinkage. You might lie to yourself at that point and blame it on some sort of evaporation or whatever, but at the end of the day, you will not have all that much beer left. For some reason, I do much better with bottles, perhaps it's because I know what a pain it is to fill them in the first place. The other reason to bottle is that you might try to keep a couple for a year or two and do some vertical tasting. Of course, I advise folks to do that but I have not ever suceeded in actually doing it myself (although I currently have some Saison that is almost a year old).