Black Imperial Stout

[iancwhite]

I've been reading through various threads regarding imperial stouts, but most are based upon a person's specialized recipe and the questions targeted around that recipe. Therefore, I thought it would be easier for me to ask specific questions regarding what I have brewed and currently fermenting in the primary for a week.

I always do 5 gallon batches and purchased a kit from a local brew supply company. The kit came with 2 bags of extract, 1 bag of crushed dark malt grains (smelled coffee-like), 2 White Labs California Ale Yeast (WLP001), and then 3 small bags of pellet bittering hops, flavor hops, and aroma hops. I purchased a small bag of dried orange peel and a 4 oz bag of cocoa nibs.

The instructions had me first steeping the grains in hot water (140-170 F) for 30 minutes (used 2.5 gallons of spring bottled water). I tried to keep the temperature in the 160 range, but found that I hit the 170 mark for most of the steep. I then used a large strainer and put the grains in it and poured hot water over the grains so that the liquid flowed back into my brewing pot.

Grains were discarded and I began to increase the heat. I added both bags of malt extract and once the liquid started to boil, I added the bittering hops. However, before adding the bittering hops, I extracted 4 oz of liquid and set aside to cool (this is for adding 1/4 t of Super Moss HB).

After boiling this for 40 minutes, I added the flavor hops. Then after 10 more minutes of boiling, I added in the cooled beer/SuperMoss liquid.

After boiling 5 more minutes, I added in the aroma hops and dried orange peel and continued boiling for 5 additional minutes. This gave me a total boil time of 60 minutes.

I cooled the wort mixture through a chiller and the product was placed into my primary fermenter. I topped off the fermenter with more spring water up to the 6 gal mark (glass carboy).

Once the temp got down to around 70 degrees, I took a gravity reading and it was 1.083. I then pitched the 2 packages of liquid yeast into the fermenter and capped with my air lock.

This was my first mistake!!!! I should have used my large hose to allow the extra material to flow out of the fermenter and into another vessel. To my horror, I found the air lock on the ground 2 days after starting the fermentation process because the material built up so much, it exploded the air lock off my glass carboy. So...I guess my 1st question should have been about whether to start with the air lock or hose first. I've answered that question by experience now. However, I am concerned about the amount of yeast I may have lost from explosion #1 (yes..that means there was another explosion).

After cleaning up my mess, I inserted the large hose and placed the other end into an empty glass carboy. Mistake #2. I received a call later that day from my daughter that there was beer material all over the floor from a second explosion where the tube came out of the empty glass carboy and foam/liquid material was all over the floor. The cat liked it though.

My main question, given events from above, is whether I need to pitch another vial of the While Labs yeast. After having 2 explosive episodes and given the material I lost, my concern is about whether I lost too much yeast. I know they multiply and all, but I keep seeing people's posts about not having enough yeast for something like this type of beer.

Question #2 is about fermentation temp. I keep my house at around 73 to 74 degrees. Should I be fermenting in lower temp in the primary?

Question #3 - After 1 full week of fermentation, the head surface is gone unless I shake the carboy up. But, I still see bubbles coming up through the air lock (about every 6 seconds). Should I be adding O2 or just let it sit and do it's thing until the gravity reading is the same for several days in a row?

Question #4 - When do I add my bag of cocoa nibs? I'm already presuming they go into the beer once I put in my secondary fermenter, but I wasn't sure if they go in right away or later in the process. Based on what I've read in the forums here, it looks like putting the cocoa nibs in hot water for a few minutes is the way to go instead of vodka.

Question #5 - I want to add oak chips for an aged bourbon taste. I've read that you can soak the chips, but everyone is all over the map as to how long. Is it 1 week or 2 (or longer)? I presume you soak them in a closed mason jar.

Question #6 - Should the oak chips go into the secondary fermenter at the same time as the cocoa nibs or towards the end of the process before bottling?

Question #7 - How long should the beer sit in the secondary before I bottle?

I know this is a lot of information, but I tried to be thorough enough to help with those willing to respond to my questions.

 

[RM-MN]

I can answer some of the questions. There is plenty of yeast in your beer so you don't need to add any more. If you had lost much yeast in the first explosion you wouldn't have had a second. The explosive fermentation comes from 2 sources. One is the amount of yeast you pitched. That would have been fine had you kept the beer fermenting at a cooler temperature but at 73 degrees the yeast are super active and their eating the sugars drives the temperature even higher. I think you will get to experience the taste of fusel alcohol with this batch because of that.

Fermentation goes quickly at the higher temperatures and the sugars that the yeast eat which cause them to create CO2 are gone within just a few days. After that the krausen falls back into the beer. However, there is a lot of CO2 dissolved into the beer during these first few days and that will come out for weeks, causing bubbles that you see.

I'm not convinced that you need to secondary this beer. I've never used cocoa nibs or oaked a beer but the answer is nobody knows how long your beer should sit before you bottle. Every fermentation is different so time is not relevant to when you should bottle your beer. Only the proof that fermentation is truly done that is gained by using your hydrometer and taking a couple samples a day or 2 apart with identical readings can tell you when you can bottle your beer.

 

[iancwhite]

Thank you for responding so quickly with that information. The directions that came with the kit didn't state what temp I should ferment the beer at. It just said to wait until temps were between 70 and 75 degrees before adding the yeast. I have a small fridge I have dialed down to 55 degrees that I could put the carboy in, but I was afraid to do that given the gases that were still coming out. I didn't think it would be a good idea to put the carboy in a closed environment. I have been wanting to purchase the wraps you can buy that regulate temp of the wort during fermentation. Perhaps this is the way to go so gases can escape while I control the temp.

 

[RM-MN]

I would have put the carboy into the refrigerator and waited until the wort had chilled to about 60 to 63 before adding the yeast. If I had a controller for the refrigerator I would have tried to keep the beer in that temp range as it will ferment slower and without off flavors. A controller like this one could keep your beer at the right range in that small refrigerator. http://www.ebay.com/itm/10A-110V-Di...449329?hash=item20ffda49f1:g:~loAAOSw3ydVuZEX

The refrigerator door seal isn't good enough to keep all the CO2 in so you will be fine to use it for future beers. Just don't open the door and stick your head in for a quick sniff, the CO2 will burn your nose and make you cough. After a few seconds you can though as the CO2 will escape the open door pretty quickly.

 

[iancwhite]

Thank you for the additional information. I will go ahead and purchase that item for future beers.