Siberian Crude - IRS - 31/12/10

[mixbrewery]

Recipe: Siberian Crude - Imperial Russian Stout

Brewing Date: Friday December 31, 2010
Head Brewer: Mick Harrison

Batch Size (L): 50.00 Wort Size (L): 50.00
Total Grain (Kg): 20.20
Anticipated OG: 1.093 Plato: 22.208
Anticipated EBC: 82.3
Anticipated IBU: 64.4
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Actual OG: 1.076 Plato: 18.425

Grain/Extract/Sugar
78.2 15.80 kg. Pale Malt(2-row) UK 1.038 5
5.9 1.20 kg. Crystal 55L UK 1.034 120
5.0 1.00 kg. Flaked Barley UK 1.030 3
5.0 1.00 kg. Amber Malt UK 1.032 100
4.0 0.80 kg. Chocolate Malt UK 1.034 900
2.0 0.40 kg. Black Malt Belgium 1.030 1182

Hops
70.00 g. Wye Target Pellet 12.00 39.2 90 min.
100.00 g. Fuggle Whole 5.20 23.1 90 min.
60.00 g. Goldings - E.K. Whole 4.20 2.1 0 min.

Extras
2.00 Unit(s)Whirlfoc Tablets Fining 15 Min.(boil)
25 gm Table Salt Other 90 Min.(mash)

Yeast - White Labs WLP004 Irish Stout stepped-up 5 times!!

Missed the OG by a big mark
I can think of two reasons...
1. Over sparged - collected 53lt
2. Mash temp too high due to trying to compensate for the low grain temp - see pics.

Yeast starter was a big bonus with only a 1 hour lag time and has already started bubbling thru the blow-off tube.
If it does a good job on the conversion it might get down to 1.012 and we can grab back some of the lost ABV.

Grain Temperature - Yes 5.4 degC


Grain Bill - just over 20kg!


Trusty assistant crushing the flavour grains - have to make these students work for their beer!


Mashing In - still had plenty of room left in the mash tun!



Pumping out first runnings


Hot Break for the first batch

[pantsmachine]

I normally get around 50% maybe 55% BHE on a good IRS with 1.014 to 1.016 as an FG. 'Normal' expectations don't apply with these big beers which is good as that theory carries right through to the final product! I like your grain mill.

[WishboneBrewery]

Another way is to sparge more and collect a larger volume and boil down to your predicted pre-boil gravity before adding the hops, bit of a pain in the arse but it worked for me. (I have the inside of my copper calibrated so I can check my volume easily)
I'm sure it will be a good one given 6 months or so

[mixbrewery]

Typical rampant fermentation during the first 24 hours
Good job the demijohn airlock was in the sink.
Just hope the brew has sufficient yeast left in suspension to finish the job.

Grain mill is the CORONA one, i've had it ages and its just right for crushing the flavour/colour grains.
After 2kgs your arm is getting a bit tried.

[Andy]

Woah! >50 litres of IRS That's lots of bottling

[Spud395]

Nice looking brew.
Going to stick on an IRS this month for next Christmas

[mixbrewery]

Woah! >50 litres of IRS That's lots of bottling

Hoping to save some for upto 10years !!
Prompted by the success of a Gales POA clone I brewed back in March 1991
The boys at LAB were treated to a taster at our December Extreme Beers nights.
Think I'll keep one bottle to celebrate it's 20th Anniversary.

[bellebouche]

I was struck by the source grain temp - that's chilly! I've yet to brew in the really chilly weather and hadn't considered the impact of this on the strike water temp.

[schlafsack]

The boys at LAB were treated to a taster at our December Extreme Beers nights.

LAB as in the London Amateur Brewers? Are they still meeting? I only ask as the website has not been updated in a couple of months. I was thinking of popping along to say hello one night soon.....

[mixbrewery]

London Amateur Brews ARE still meeting.
Same place - Wenlock Arms - first Monday of each month - next meeting Monday 10th Jan (bank holiday offset)
I'll post in the events section.

[196osh]

Superb pictures.

I think its a better idea to make a load of a giant beer like that if you want to save it for years.