Russian Imp stout. please let me know what you think

Ok im a newbie and normaly jump in with both feet so I put together a recipe.
Let me know what you think have the grain on hand for a one gal test batch but wanted to hear from people who know what they are doing.

14.6 American 2 row pale
2.8 golden naked oats
1.8 caramel/crystal-120
1.0 melanoidin malt
1.0 chocolate malt (us)
0.8 molasses

60min 2.0oz northern brewer
45min 1.25oz fuggles
30min 1.0 northern brewer
5min 0.5oz fuggles
1min 0.25 fuggles


yeast- Wyeast british ale (1098)

90min boil

og 1.114
fg 1.030
IBU 78.5
ABV 11.2

so what you guys think, its a monster i know but you think it would work? would you change any thing? Thanks

I would add some roasted barley (for those classic coffee stout notes) and reduce the golden naked oats. I would also reduce the caramel, and probably split it between a dark and a medium. Other than that it looks alright.

Just make sure your brewing technique is up for such a big beer (starter, aeration, fermentation temperature, patience etc...)

I don't think you need melanoidin malt in a stout of this magnitude. 1LB of chocolate won't quite get you dark enough either.

My only other suggestion would be to skip the flameout hop addition. You don't need a lot of hop aroma in a RIS. You will likely have to age it for a while, so that aroma will be gone anyways.

You should also consider brewing a Mild or other light low hopped beer with the 1098 so you can pitch on the cake. According to the Mr. Malty calculator, this beer needs 398 billion cells. Your options would be:

4 packs with no starter
2 packs with a 4L starter
1 pack with a 9L starter
2 packets of dry yeast (out of the question since using a Wyeast strain)
about 2L of a moderately thin slurry from a previous beer.

Hope your yeast is hungry. They have some work to do.

11% ABV? Geesh. A 2L starter at what gravity would be appropriate for this?

What's your mash temp?

+1 for roasted barley, chocolate malt alone won't give you the desired roastiness.

And maybe you could replace the oats with flaked barley for a creamy head and add some special B for plum/dark cherry notes.

This beast will have to age for a few weeks, even months, before drinking so hop aroma would be useless.

Thanks for the replys so far everyone. Im thinking a mash temp. of 156 or so like i said im knew to it and just trying to make something thats mine but would like a good start. I figer I will need a BIG A$$ starter for this. I will hash over your suggestions and post what I come up with. And as far as brewing technique LOL i have none but am working at it got the drinking thing down preaty good thow

Ok here we go re-calculated with your replys added in.

14.0 Amer. 2 row pale
2.0 goldun naked oat
1.0 roasted barley
1.8 choc malt (us)
1.8 caramel/ crystal 120l
0.8 molasses
0.8 flaked barley

60min 2.0oz northern brew
45min 1.5oz fuggles
30min 0.75oz chinook

90min boil mash at 154deg
OG 1.114 FG 1.030 11.4 abv 70'SRM 81.8 IBU 376 cal per 12oz glass mmmmmm

think i will takw the grain I have for the one gal test batch add 2pnds dry malt extract to it and make it a 5 gal batch for my yeast starter should come in as a mild scottish ale with a 4.0abv

So give it to me i can take it what you think

O ya primary will be held at 68'f the temp of my basement year around

sub-zero said:

O ya primary will be held at 68'f the temp of my basement year around

Click to expand...

A strong fermentation can raise the temperature of a fermenting beer 5-7 degrees. I would go for a wet towel over the fermenter at a minimum, a hot fermentation on a big beer is a recipe for rocket fuel. Good luck brewing, and don’t forget to let us know how it turns out.

You've added roasted barley but also nearly doubled the chocolate malt, too. Personally, I think that's too much. For me, 1lb of each would be fine. Personally, for an RIS, I'd also probably go with a bit less 120L crystal, too.

I'd also shift some of the hops to a 10-20 minute flavor addition. As Ed said above, I don't think you need the aroma addition, but I would up the flavor addition a bit. You won't get much flavor, just bitterness from you 45 minute addition.

Finally, on this big of a brew, I'd mash much lower than 156. No matter what with 22lbs of grain, you're ging to get a high FG. Mashing at 156, your FG could be 1.045 -- you don't want that. I'd mash at 152F.

Ok I have read and I have taken it in. thanks for the advice. This is what I am going to brew for better or wort I was reading in other threds were they are mashing at even lower temps than the 152F you recomend, for big brews. Something like 148F would this improve OG? FG? I also added in 8oz special B, may leav it out in the end but the rest will stay the same.

I have changed up the hop schedule also and went with warrior and outed the fuggles

As far as keeping the temp down for fermentation would placeing the carboy in a water bath work to help with this? Or maybe placeing a fan to blow on it?

Well I guess if it dosent turn out I will give it to my brother to drink hehe


Bullshivit RIS
---------------------
Brewer: Tony Williams
Style: RIS
Batch: 5.00 gal AG

Characteristics
---------------
Recipe Gravity: 1.109 OG
Recipe Bitterness: 72.0 IBU
Recipe Color: 53° SRM
Estimated FG: 1.028
Alcohol by Volume: 10.8%
Alcohol by Weight: 8.3%

Ingredients
-----------
14.0 Amr 2 row pale
2.0 Amr 6 row pale
1.0 Chocolate malt (US)
1.0 Roasted barley
0.12 Caramel/crystal 120L
0.8 flaked barley
0.8 Belgian special B
0.8 Molasses

Hops
---------------
60min 2oz northern brew
20min 1oz northern brew
10min 1oz warrior
dry hop 7days 1oz warrior

yeast
---------------
Wyeast British Ale (1098) with a big starter

Looks much better to my tastes.

A water bath works, especially if you pop a frozen 2 liter soda bottle full of water into the water bath every once in a while.

Happy brewing & let us know how it turns out.

Looks like fun. If you are really wanting that hop aroma, you could dry hop later on in the secondary. Where in Iowa are you?

Hey there Ketchepiller I am in Keokuk on the Ill. Mo. IA. tri state line's. about 3 hr from you I would guess.

here's how i made my RIS and both times were totally killer. i did it extract and AG and both were good. just FYI for ya

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/grandmas-robust-imperial-stout-2853/