Russian Imperial Stout Recipe ? Comments welcome

[DC]

Hi all, I am looking to brew a Russian Imperial Stout recipe for my next brew and after a search on Jims & THBF and the internet I have come up with the recipe below for a 10L batch. Just wanted to do a small batch to use up the 30 odd budweiser and other assorted 300ml bottles I have collected/scrounged for my RIS I am wanting to use some of the hops I currently have from left over from previous brews without having to buy more. Can anyone point out any obvious flaws in this recipe or confilcts in taste hops wise etc? or any other advice / criticisim

Russian Imperial Stout Recipe (10L Brew length)

4000g Golden Promise
400g Crystal malt (120L)
150g Chocolate malt
100g Roasted barley
500g Dark brown sugar

30g Challenger Hops 60 min boil
30g Hallertau Hersbrucker Hops 15 min boil

Scottish ale yeast (Wyeast 1728) or S-04


Cheers DC

[barney]

I wouldn't use either of those yeasts In an IS. You will have plenty backbone as it is with that maltbill.

You need a high attenuating yeast. US-05 dry side or something 85% minimum wet, per haps wlp099?

[DC]

Hi all, Just had another thought regarding the mashing of this RIS, normally I batch sparge when brewing but with this being a small batch would it make any difference if I added the total amount of water required to the mash at the beginning of the mash instead of splitting it as calculated below using Alemans batch sparge calculator and sparging as usual



Cheers DC

[barney]

It will make a hell of a difference, your efficiency will be about 55%- 60%

[crafty john]

It will make a hell of a difference, your efficiency will be about 55%- 60%

+1

[DC]

Thanks for that guys ! Normal sparge it is then ! I think i might go for S-05 yeast for this one !


Cheers DC

[barney]

Your efficiency will still be on the low side. While you have such a low volume of wort, If it's possible, with your set up, collect the wort and heat it up to 75-78°C and run it over the mash bed again.

That might get you somewhere near normal/higher efficiency.

[DC]

Hi Barney, I could heat the wort in my hlt between sparges and pour it back into my mashtun and let it settle for 10 mins and run it off again prior to heating 2nd sparge water and then do the same after the 2nd sparge ! Would that improve it any?

Cheers DC

[weiht]

Too little roast and I'll avoid US05 with that much sugar. The scottish ale yeast wld be better as its clean, leaves behind a malty finish and should attenuate well with that much sugar. You should want some body and not thin out the beer too much, other just brew a regular stout that 6ish% abv. Again, thats too much sugar LOL.

How high is ur IBU, it shld be at least 60-70.

Lastly, more roasted malt is needed somewhere between a minimum of 8% to an upper end of 12%. The 5% in ur recipe will not be sufficient considering that the beer will age and mellow out for 1 yr.