imperial fig stout recipe help

[benflath]

Hi all,
Working on my first imperial stout recipe. Not going for something crazy, just sticking to the 9% range. I'm also planning to add caramelized figs, either into the end of the boil or in secondary. Anyone done anything like that? Still figuring out quantity as well.

Batch size: 5 gal
OG: 1.102
FG: 1.029
ABV: 9.8%
IBUs: 64
SRM: 36
Mash temp: 156 F for 75 min

12 lbs Maris Otter
2.5 lbs Munich Malt
2 lbs Flaked Oats
1 lbs C40
1 lbs Roasted Barley
0.5 lbs Chocolate Malt
0.5 lbs Flaked Rye
1.50 oz Columbus @60 min
2.00 oz Willamette

American Ale or Scottish Ale?

 

[giraffe]

Why the rye and oats? This beer at 1.100 will have enough mouthfeel, no matter what you do, and a half a lb of rye will just confuse things. Same with mashing at 156, with all those specialty malts 1.029 is optimistic. No dark sugar or dark crystal, I guess the figs are supposed to provide that, but I might turn the c40- to c80, c40 will mostly add sweetness, which a 1.100 beer will have on its own.

Ive used fresh figs in a beer off of the fig tree in my backyard. 8 to 12 figs added a distinct fig note to the xmas beer. For a bad decision, it was remarkably pleasant. No idea about carmelized.

Yeast-wise 1469 often throws a figgy dark fruit ester, it could be complimentry, but i would be worried about its alcohol tolerance and attenuation. Perhaps if you mixed it with a more tolerant strain, like whitbread dry, or adnams 1335, it would work.

 

[benflath]

Thanks for the feedback! Most of the recipes I found when browsing around had flaked oats or barley in them. Not just for the creamy mouthfeel, but for head retention.

As for the rye, one recipe in particular had it in there and all accounts of the flavors were what I was looking for. I'm not married to it, but I do like a bit of the rye bite. I like the idea of switching to C80, that makes sense.

The mash temp is also what I had been seeing in most other recipes across the board. A good argument against could certainly change my mind.

The FG is what BeerSmith told me, I have no illusion of hitting that. I had contemplated adding candi sugar, but I don't really want the ABV to go up too much, and I think the caramelization on the figs should provide that flavor.

How did you add the figs? Whole or diced? Boil, primary, secondary? I have a pretty steady supply right now, but it won't last much longer, they're all splitting from days and days of rain.

 

[giraffe]

Yeah, there are many schools of thought on RIS's, and what they should be. Im more in the John Courage style camp, but it depends on what you want. That recipe will probably finish on the "chewy" side.

I tossed the figs in roughly chopped in the last few minutes of the boil. This may not be the best way. I was a.... bit tipsy. It gave it a clear fig flavor, but not overpowering, in the background.