Planning: Fruity Imperial Belgian Stout (FIBS?)

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Polyphaeon

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Planning a Belgian Imperial Stout. I recently had a very awesome, almost cherry flavoured stout at a homebrew meeting and want to do something similar. The plan is to put this in a "wine barrel": 2 oz of oak chips soaked in a homemade blackberry wine. I'd probably just dump the ~1/2 liter of wine in too! I want it to be sweet and fruity, and rich and roasty - it is for thanksgiving (if it survives). I will be going by the LHBS this week so I am looking for feedback! Thanks a bunch.

OG 1.09
FG 1.02
Size 5.25 Gallons
ABV 9.2%
IBU 30
SRM 32

18# pils
0.5# aromatic malt
0.5# crystal 120L
0.5# Roasted Barley
0.25# Biscuit malt
0.25# carafa
0.25# black patent

1.5oz Goldings 60min
1oz Goldings 30min
0.5oz Goldings 5min
 
You have a good stout recipe, even though pils is strange as a base, but I don't see much fruit unless you're really gunning for the wine to bring it up.

I would expect some special B and a hot ferment to produce some fruit esters with the right belgian strain but that's also going to dry you out. You might have to rack off the yeast and add fruit juice. Unless the sweetness is more of an impression you get from it than residual sugar.

I would go with WLP500 or wait until next month and try it with WLP540.
 
Would you just go with 2-row? Most belgians stouts that I looked up had pils as a base but I am thinking thatm considering the rest of the grain bill, it might not have a huge impact either way? What is your take?
I was going to just leave it in my south facing kitchen for July which should get it up into ester range.
Oh! I see I didn't put down a yeast. I was thinking either Wyeast Belgian Trappist High Gravity (3787) or Belgian Abbey II.
Adding some special B is a great idea.
 
Two row would make more sense to me but it you're right in saying that pils is more authentic to belgians.

According to mrmalty 3787 is the westmalle strain which is WLP530. White Labs say that this strain is the least fruity when comparing WLP500 (Chimay), 530 (Westmalle) and 540 which I think is Orval. 540 is Abbey II in wyeast nomenclature. So in order of fruitiness it would be 500 > 540 > 530 or in Wyeast 1214 > Abbey II > 3787. Any will get you where you're going.
 
White Labs say that this strain is the least fruity when comparing WLP500 (Chimay), 530 (Westmalle) and 540 which I think is Orval.

510 is orval, 540 is rochefort. 1762 is the 'same' as 540 and year-round, so no need to wait if you want t0 try that one

I agree westmalle is least fruity, but it can get fruity and works very well in stouts. I'd throw in some dark candi and special B to help with that fruit character. while belgians do well in heat, be sure to still start it in the 60s with a beer this big
 
RonPopeil, cool break down, thanks! I might have to check out the 1214. I've used the Abbey II many times and quite like it.
Don't think I've used special B before. This grain bill is already quite complex, should I drop something or just add 1/4 or a 1/2 pound? I hate to be that guy at the LHBS...
As for temps yes... I should really get my ferm chamber going. dcp27, would you say 60 for 2 days then up to 70 sounds reasonable?
 
if you're going to use special B then cross off the C120. i feel like the black patent could be a bit much. it's going to be ashy. i would consider chocolate malt, another carafa or even just plain old roasted barley. now that i'm sitting here with a beer and i'm reading your recipe my concern is the black patent adding too much of a sharp bitterness and ash like flavor. you might want something a little more subdued.
 
Okay based on your recommendations I have revised the recipe to be the following, dropping both the black patent and the 120L. Keeping the pils but reducing bc of candi. Thanks for the input!

OG 1.09
FG 1.02
Size 5.25 Gallons
ABV 9%
IBU 30
SRM 32

Wyeast: Belgian Abbey II

16# pils
1# Candi Sugar Dark
0.5# aromatic malt
0.5# Special B
0.5# Roasted Barley
0.25# Biscuit malt
0.25# carafa

1.5oz Goldings 60min
1oz Goldings 30min
0.5oz Goldings 5min

0.5L blackberry wine soaked oak chips
0.5L blackberry wine reduction

2 days at 60, 2 weeks at 70, 1 week in "wine barrel". 4 months secondary.

edit: typo
 
Looks good. If there were anything to change from here it would be going bigger on specialty malts. I would brew this and see where you're at. Since you're after a specific result you may not want it to be super rich on the dark malts.
 
If all goes as planned brew day will be tomorrow. Few small mods. I made the Candi sugar myself - it is amber. Got the ferm chamber going now too so I will do 2 days at 60 and then the rest at 70. 1.5L starter is stirring away will cold crash it and decant before pitching.

16# pils
1# Candi Sugar Amber
0.5# aromatic malt
0.5# Special B
0.5# Roasted Barley
0.5# Biscuit malt
0.25# carafa

1.5oz Goldings 60min
1oz Goldings 30min
0.5oz Goldings 5min

1L blackberry wine reduction
 
Brewed it yesterday. Went well, although ended a little low OG=1.085. I will blame my candi sugar and being ~.025-.5 gallons over on volume. Serious fermentation now 9 hours in.
 
Well here is the first update: Fail on the temp conversion/memory. It has been at 70f from day one and I guess I will leave it there. As you might expect it has been pretty vigorous what I didnt expect is my whole brew room smells like bananas. So that is exciting.
 

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