Anthony_Lopez
Well-Known Member
I'm looking for a recipe for a good imperial stout to age for the next few years. I don't think I will have access to an oak barrel, so this will have to be done in a corney keg or bottles. Any suggestions?
Aging an Imperial Stout
- Thread starter Anthony_Lopez
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Haputanlas
Well-Known Member
I don't want to give you a recipe yet since I haven't perfected my own, but I will suggest a few things for Oak Aging.
Obviously you have a few choices for oaking. I highly recommend the following article:
http://morebeer.com/content/using_oak_in_beer
This has helped me a lot and my Oak beers are awesome!
My suggestion would be to use Oak chips in the primary for a day or two (As soon as you pitch) and use Oak cubes in the secondary/aging vessel.
Be sure to sample a lot to make sure that you aren't overdoing the oak.
JZ also recommends making a large batch for something like this so that you can keep sampling without running out.
Obviously you have a few choices for oaking. I highly recommend the following article:
http://morebeer.com/content/using_oak_in_beer
This has helped me a lot and my Oak beers are awesome!
My suggestion would be to use Oak chips in the primary for a day or two (As soon as you pitch) and use Oak cubes in the secondary/aging vessel.
Be sure to sample a lot to make sure that you aren't overdoing the oak.
JZ also recommends making a large batch for something like this so that you can keep sampling without running out.
johnnyc
Well-Known Member
I did the tricentennial stout out of a BYO and its been aging about 1 1/2 years. Took about a year to hit its prime but its very good now. Tricentennial= 100 SRM, 100 IBU, 1.100 OG. I added oak chips to a separate gallon of it and I haven't tried one of those yet. I bottle conditioned it all w/ 3 oz of sugar and that took a few months to carb up. I'll dig up the recipe if you're interested.
OP
OP
Anthony_Lopez
Well-Known Member
Any clue when that stout was in BYO? I probably have it. I was thinking about maybe a 10 gallon batch, and doing 5 gallons on oak and 5 gallons regular. It will all get aged for at least 1 year.
According to this page:
http://***********/stories/beer-styles/article/indices/11-beer-styles/2004-2009-recipe-index
It's the Dec. 09 Issue. More specifically, pages 20-21. Lol, I am bored at work and googling this for lack of better things to do. I can pinpoint exactly where it is, yet I have not found the actual recipe.
Edit: AHHHHH!!! Found it!
Mike Riddle's Tricentennial Stout
5 gallons, all grain
OG=1.100 (23.8*P)
FG=1.037 (9.2*P)
IBU=100 SRM=100 ABV=8.5%
Ingredients
14lb Crisp British pal ale malt 3*L or similar
2.25lb Great Western chocolate malt 475*L or similar
2.25lb Great Western roasted barley 575*L or similar
1.88lb Great Western wheat malt 2*L or similar
0.75lb Great Western crystal malt 120*L or similar
13.97 AAU Northern Brewer hops (2.15oz at 6.5%AA) 60 min
10.73 AAU Northern Brewer hops (1.65oz at 6.5%AA) 30 min
5.46 AAU Northern Brewer hops (0.84oz at 6.5%AA) 15 min
8.25 AAU Kent Goldings hops (1.65oz at 5% AA) 15 min
12.5 AAU Kent Goldings hops (2.50oz at 5% AA) 3 min
8.25 AAU Kent Goldings hops (1.65oz at 5% AA) Dry Hop
White Labs WLP004 (Irish Ale) or Wyeast 1084 (Irish Ale) yeast
Step by Step
Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash thickness that will enable your system to achieve the necessary pre-boil volume and gravity. Hold the mash at 149*F until enzymatic conversion is complete. Infuse the mash with near boiling water while stirring or with a recirculating mash system raise the temperature to mash out at 168*F. Sparge slowly with 170*F water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 6.5 gallons and the gravity is 1.078 (18.8*P). If your system loses efficiency on big beers, start with an additional 4-5 lbs of base malt or make sure you have a couple of pounds or more of malt extract on hand to make up any deficiency in efficiency.
The total wort boil time is 90 minutes. Add the bittering hops with 60 minutes remaining in the boil. Add the other hop additions according to the schedule. Add Irish moss or other kettle finings with 15 minutes left in the boil. Chill the wort to 70*F and aerate thoroughly. The proper pitch rate is 17 grams of properly re-hydrated dry yeast or about 4 packages of liquid yeast, or 1 package of liquid yeast in a 6.3 liter starter.
Ferment at 70*F until the yeast drops clear. Allow the lees to settle and the brew to mature without pressure for another 2 days after fermentation appears finished. Transfer to secondary and add dry hops. Allow it to finish fermenting until completely settled, about seven additional days. Rack to a keg and force carbonate or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar, and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 2 to 2.5 volumes. Once carbonated, store the beer in a cool, dark place and allow to age. The beer will improve over time and should mature one to three years before drinking.
http://***********/stories/beer-styles/article/indices/11-beer-styles/2004-2009-recipe-index
It's the Dec. 09 Issue. More specifically, pages 20-21. Lol, I am bored at work and googling this for lack of better things to do. I can pinpoint exactly where it is, yet I have not found the actual recipe.
Edit: AHHHHH!!! Found it!
Mike Riddle's Tricentennial Stout
5 gallons, all grain
OG=1.100 (23.8*P)
FG=1.037 (9.2*P)
IBU=100 SRM=100 ABV=8.5%
Ingredients
14lb Crisp British pal ale malt 3*L or similar
2.25lb Great Western chocolate malt 475*L or similar
2.25lb Great Western roasted barley 575*L or similar
1.88lb Great Western wheat malt 2*L or similar
0.75lb Great Western crystal malt 120*L or similar
13.97 AAU Northern Brewer hops (2.15oz at 6.5%AA) 60 min
10.73 AAU Northern Brewer hops (1.65oz at 6.5%AA) 30 min
5.46 AAU Northern Brewer hops (0.84oz at 6.5%AA) 15 min
8.25 AAU Kent Goldings hops (1.65oz at 5% AA) 15 min
12.5 AAU Kent Goldings hops (2.50oz at 5% AA) 3 min
8.25 AAU Kent Goldings hops (1.65oz at 5% AA) Dry Hop
White Labs WLP004 (Irish Ale) or Wyeast 1084 (Irish Ale) yeast
Step by Step
Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash thickness that will enable your system to achieve the necessary pre-boil volume and gravity. Hold the mash at 149*F until enzymatic conversion is complete. Infuse the mash with near boiling water while stirring or with a recirculating mash system raise the temperature to mash out at 168*F. Sparge slowly with 170*F water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 6.5 gallons and the gravity is 1.078 (18.8*P). If your system loses efficiency on big beers, start with an additional 4-5 lbs of base malt or make sure you have a couple of pounds or more of malt extract on hand to make up any deficiency in efficiency.
The total wort boil time is 90 minutes. Add the bittering hops with 60 minutes remaining in the boil. Add the other hop additions according to the schedule. Add Irish moss or other kettle finings with 15 minutes left in the boil. Chill the wort to 70*F and aerate thoroughly. The proper pitch rate is 17 grams of properly re-hydrated dry yeast or about 4 packages of liquid yeast, or 1 package of liquid yeast in a 6.3 liter starter.
Ferment at 70*F until the yeast drops clear. Allow the lees to settle and the brew to mature without pressure for another 2 days after fermentation appears finished. Transfer to secondary and add dry hops. Allow it to finish fermenting until completely settled, about seven additional days. Rack to a keg and force carbonate or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar, and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 2 to 2.5 volumes. Once carbonated, store the beer in a cool, dark place and allow to age. The beer will improve over time and should mature one to three years before drinking.
johnnyc
Well-Known Member
Thank you sir! I had actually dug up the article before I saw you had already copied it down. Good beer!
