Holiday Imperial Stout

[JoeNavy]

This is a great 9% (plus or minus depending on efficiency) that will keep you toasted....I mean toasty through the holidays.

5 Gallon Batch

Grain Bill/Mash:
-7lb 15oz Golden Promise Malt
-6lb 15oz American 2-Row
-1lb Chocolate Malt
-1lb Crystal 135L
-12oz Torrified Wheat
-12oz Amber Malt
-8oz Chocolate Wheat
-8oz Roasted Barley
-8oz Double Roasted Crystal

-Mash in 1.25 thickness @148 degrees F for 45min
-Sparge @168 degrees F

Boil/Hops:
-75 min boil
-1oz Columbus @60min
-2oz Golding @30 min
-2tbsp Pumpkin Spice Seasoning (nutmeg, clove, cinnamon) @10 min
-10oz Brown Sugar @ flame out

Yeast/Ferment:
-4 packages of WLP005 British Ale
-Ferment at 64 degrees for 2 days, step up 1 degree per day until @70 degrees F. Rack to secondary on day 8. Let finish for the full two weeks or longer (if you're patient, do three!). WLP002 can be substituted with SLIGHTLY less of a bitter taste. If you desire a more "desert" beer, add 1 cinnamon stick to secondary.

Gravity:
OG: 1.085
FG:1.018
(For 10% or greater add 1lb of dextrose at flame out)

This beer turned out great, and there are very few things I would change in the next go around. Happy Holidays and happy brewing!

 

[anteater8]

Sounds great! I've been thinking about flavoring one of my imperial stouts like this. I would probably go the route of Fremont Dark Star Spice Wars, one of the best spiced stouts I've had, which includes your three spices plug ginger, allspice and vanilla.

 

[Devin]

Looks like a good one. I've had my milk stout ageing for a couple of months now in preparation for Thanksgiving. I might have to try to make this one next year. Thanks for the recipe.

 

[JoeNavy]

I'll get a better picture in here, but it is a very dark beer, smooth and creamy as well. This is the first stout I have kegged, and the improvement after only 5 days is vast. I would have aged a month in secondary if I had the fridge space. I think that would make this amazing!

View attachment 1510291845500.jpg

 

[JoeNavy]

Sounds great! I've been thinking about flavoring one of my imperial stouts like this. I would probably go the route of Fremont Dark Star Spice Wars, one of the best spiced stouts I've had, which includes your three spices plug ginger, allspice and vanilla.

Typically you find those spices in pumpkin ales, but with a stout, they don't shine through as much which I really like. They definitely take a back seat to the bold, rich flavors of an imperial. Definitely try it!