Imperial Stout Recipe Critique

[AdamEltro]

Hi all,

Does anyone fancy critiquing my imperial stout recipe?

Batch Size: 9.00 Liters
Boil Size: 14.00 Liters @ 60 min
OG: 1.083
FG: 1.021
Color: 42.5° SRM
Efficiency: 70%
Bitterness: 40.9 IBU (tinseth)
BG:GU: 0.49
Alcohol: 8.0% ABV

Fermentables

% kg fermentable ppg L usage
70% 2.3 Maris Otter Pale - UK 38 3° Mash
3% 0.11 Chocolate Malt - US 34 350° Mash
6% 0.2 Flaked Oats - US 37 1° Mash
5% 0.15 Crystal 40L - CA 34 40° Mash
2% 0.05 Black Malt - UK 28 500° Mash
3% 0.1 Roasted Barley - UK 29 550° Mash
3% 0.1 Flaked Barley - US 32 2° Mash
2% 0.06 Molasses - US 36 80° Late
6% 0.2 Brown Sugar - US 46 10° Late

3.27 kg

Hops

g variety type usage time AA IBU

20 East Kent Goldings Pellet Boil 60 minutes 5.5 23.1
20 East Kent Goldings Pellet Boil 30 minutes 5.5 17.8

4 g IBUs calculated using the Tinseth formula

Yeast

Wyeast Irish Ale 1084 75%

Secondary with cocoa nibs & a vanilla pod

 

[mredge73]

I got a feeling that it will just taste "brown". It does't mean it will taste bad but there are just way too many ingredients here.
Do you really think you will taste 50 grams of black malt?

Brown sugar is regular sugar with molasses added, so you really don't need both?
The sugar will also dry it up some, it will defiantly drop your FG lower than the 1.021 that you expect.

IBU looks good but I would prefer a bit higher, 50-60 IBU range.
The cocoa and vanilla will however add some bitterness, is this why you are adding these?

 

[hopbrad]

Mmmm stout, Id up the choco and roasted barley a bit. and get rid of the sugar. maybe keep some on hand if you miss your numbers as a backup.
agree on upping the IBUs a touch, but 40 would be fine

Mine is:
60% pale/pils
12% vienna
12% oats
5% carared
5% carafa/chocolate
5% roasted barley
all weyermann except the oats are some generic bulk brand. and sometimes ill sub in some wheat for the oats if im low.

65 ibus coming from columbus @ 60, cascade at 30, cascade at 10

 

[AdamEltro]

Thanks both

Mredge, 50g doesn't sound much but in a 9L batch should work fine, its more or less what i usually use in stouts. The new things for me are the roasted & flaked barley... not sure if its needed? The remainder makes a great stout

As for the sugar, can't mash enough to get that high without it! Too much molasses (actually it'd be treacle for me) would be too rich

 

[mredge73]

Roasted Barley is what makes a Stout a Stout.
I thought that it was a hard requirement, a must have ingredient that separates a Stout from a Porter.

Flaked Barley increases the body, raises your FG to give you more of a robust beer. Kinda like Carapils but different.
Flaked Oats makes it creamy.