Imperial Stout question

I have an Oatmeal Stout recipe that rocks (has won ribbons/medals in a few competitions). I would like to do an Imperial Stout. Will boosting the base malt up to get the higher gravity suffice, or should I make other adjustments as well?

Thanks...

Hi, I moved this from the recipe database (which is for tried-and-true recipes you want to share) to the Recipe and Ingredients subforum, which is for questions like this. Hopefully you'll get some responses.

I think you would want to adjust the whole recipe - increase base malt, chocolate malt, roast malts, crystal malts; adjust hops to add bitterness to balance the extra malt and gravity; adjust mash temps upwards a little, perhaps.

Pappers_ said:

Hi, I moved this from the recipe database (which is for tried-and-true recipes you want to share) to the Recipe and Ingredients subforum, which is for questions like this. Hopefully you'll get some responses.

I think you would want to adjust the whole recipe - increase base malt, chocolate malt, roast malts, crystal malts; adjust hops to add bitterness to balance the extra malt and gravity; adjust mash temps upwards a little, perhaps.

Click to expand...

I would disagree with upping your mash temp. Imperials are usually big enough that they tend to have plenty of body on their own, even when you mash low. I usually mash mine around 149-150, and have plenty of body to spare.

For how to change your recipe, I would post your oatmeal recipe, and we can go from there.

6 lb Marris-Otter
8 oz Chocolate
8 oz Black
8 oz Crystal 120L
8 oz roasted barley
8 oz Victory
2.5 lb rolled oats *
8 oz Flaked Barley *
8 oz Molasses (5 mins before flameout)
4 oz Lactose
8 oz Rice Hulls

1 oz UK Kent Golding (6.30%) 60 Min (17.4 IBU)
1 oz Willamette (5.20%) 30 Min (11 IBU)

White Labs WLP013 London Ale Yeast

* toast 1 lb of flaked grains for 15 mins @ 250F

Mash at 154

OG: 1.062
FG: 1.018
ABV: 5.8 %

The lactose might seem a bit odd, but it rounds the harsh edges off of the black patent malt, plus adds to the mouthfeel.

My plan was to bump the Marris-Otter to 14 lb, the Molasses to 1 lb, and the IBUs from 28 to 66 (to balance out the additional dextrins from the base malt).

I've tried the imperial version of the recipe once (without the lactose), but it got infected. Before that, though, it seemed thin and lacking, but that might have been process error.