AG Imperial Stout

[joelr]

OK,

I've only done 3 extract kits, but im planning on going AG. I've been tryingto think up my own IS recipe for my first brew. Probably not a good choice for a first AG im guessing. But hey what will it hurt. Ive been reading quite a bit now for the last few weeks. Just trying to get an idea on what an IS style consists of. Like OG, FG, different flavors, etc. etc. Ill post my recipe and hopefully you can all give me some good feedback. Ive seen recipes ranging from 60-120 min boil times. All sorts of different yeasts being pitched. And being pitched at the same time and different times. Ive gotten plenty of great info from HBT and love looking over this site for as much help as possible. Ill ask more questions as I think of them. So heres the recipe:


OG 1.095

FG 1.024

IBU 45

ABV 9.0%

SRM 55

14 lbs - 2 row
2 lbs - Flaked Oats (hopefully to smooth out the mouithfeel a little... I think)
1 lbs - Crystal 60L
1 lbs - Raosted Barley
1 lbs - Carafa

1oz Chinook - 60 min
1oz Galena - 60 min

Thinking of pitching Ringwood Ale yeast
And thinking of pitching London Ale also

Not sure what kind of boil time I should use. I've heard efficiency of about 60% should be assumed in an Imperial Stout. I went on ProMash but Im not sure what evaporation rate to go by. I've heard 1.25 gal per hour. And if my efficiency is assumed to be around 60%. Then Ill have alot more sparge water so Ill have alot more wort to boil off hence a longer boil time. Sorry for throwing all this random stuff out but I wanna make sure I do this right. Should I batch sparge or fly sparge? Anyways Ill stop with the questions and hopefully anyone checking this thread out can answer a few of these questions and when all is said and done they hopefully all be answered. Guess thats it for now. I know Im forgeting alot that I wanted to say but thats fine.

 

[joelr]

OK,

I've only done 3 extract kits, but im planning on going AG. I've been tryingto think up my own IS recipe for my first brew. Probably not a good choice for a first AG im guessing. But hey what will it hurt. Ive been reading quite a bit now for the last few weeks. Just trying to get an idea on what an IS style consists of. Like OG, FG, different flavors, etc. etc. Ill post my recipe and hopefully you can all give me some good feedback. Ive seen recipes ranging from 60-120 min boil times. All sorts of different yeasts being pitched. And being pitched at the same time and different times. Ive gotten plenty of great info from HBT and love looking over this site for as much help as possible. Ill ask more questions as I think of them. So heres the recipe:


OG 1.095

FG 1.024

IBU 45

ABV 9.0%

SRM 55

14 lbs - 2 row
2 lbs - Flaked Oats (hopefully to smooth out the mouithfeel a little... I think)
1 lbs - Crystal 60L
1 lbs - Raosted Barley
1 lbs - Carafa

1oz Chinook - 60 min
1oz Galena - 60 min

Thinking of pitching Ringwood Ale yeast
And thinking of pitching London Ale also

Not sure what kind of boil time I should use. I've heard efficiency of about 60% should be assumed in an Imperial Stout. I went on ProMash but Im not sure what evaporation rate to go by. I've heard 1.25 gal per hour. And if my efficiency is assumed to be around 60%. Then Ill have alot more sparge water so Ill have alot more wort to boil off hence a longer boil time. Sorry for throwing all this random stuff out but I wanna make sure I do this right. Should I batch sparge or fly sparge? Anyways Ill stop with the questions and hopefully anyone checking this thread out can answer a few of these questions and when all is said and done they hopefully all be answered. Guess thats it for now. I know Im forgeting alot that I wanted to say but thats fine.

Another thing. Maybe I should take the oatmeal out and replace it with something else. I guess maybe it cant be an imperial stout with oatmeal in. Anyways. just give me some feedback.

Thanks

 

[JLem]

Some quick thoughts:
1) ditch the oatmeal; maybe add some wheat malt if you want some added body/head retention (maybe 5% of the grist)

2) i think your IBUS are low - not going to be bitter enough for a RIS - i'd shoot for the 75-80 range. also I would add some hops later in the boil as well - maybe a 30 min and a 15 min

3). For yeast I would use something fairly attenuative - like cal ale (wlp001)

 

[Brewenstein]

Will this be the first time using new equipment too? (MLT, barley crusher, etc.) Although I feel your need to do a big beer (I am planning several of my own also), I think it would be a good idea to get a handle on how your system works. Until you have a decent idea of this, it will make brewing a big beer more of a challenge. Something easy like Ed Wort's Haus Pale Ale. I think alot of people here use that as a first AG. Another benefit of testing your system out with a normal gravity beer is that you can re-use that yeast for your IS. Sort of like making a giant starter and getting beer at the same time.

I brewed for about a year (7 months of AG) before my first big beer. (I have been brewing almost 2 years averaging about 2 times per month.) I also did a partigyle for a second beer. I have done it twice now, and it even the second time there were moments of panic. This takes a little effort and some thought, but with your grain bill you easily could do this also.

Having said all that, if you want to go for it, go ahead . Just relax, enjoy and plan on a long day just in case something happens. Let us know how it turned out.

 

[pkeeler]

I think your recipe looks fine. JLem had some good suggestions, but what you have is fine. I'd suggest 1 lb of oatmeal and 1 lb of victory or munich.

How big is your MLT? It is going to have to be big to hold all that grain and water. I would think a minimum would be 15 gal. container. It is possible if you go very thin with multiple sparges you could do it with a 10 gal. I would batch sparge. Unless you have a very big boil pot and lots of propane and time, I would just collect your 6.5 gal. and boil 60 minutes down to 5.5. If you are worried about being low, OG wise, have a lb of DME handy.

 

[joelr]

Thanks for the info. I dont have the equipment yet. Plan on waiting closer to spring. When its a little warmer than close to 0 degree weather haha. I'll probably start out with the two coolers and a boil pot. Im thinking 10 gal coolers and a 20 gal boilpot. Just thought I'd throw the recipe on and see what everyone has to say about it. And maybe I will just go with Brewensteins suggestion and just start out with a few lower OG beers.

So with a bigger beer I would probably need the 10 gallon coolers and a 20 gallon boilpot to make 5 gallons?

Where as I could probably make 10 gallons of a lower gravity beer.(say around 1.050) with the same equipment?