Needs ideas for imperial stout flavors

[heywolfie1015]

Hi all. On Friday, I'm doing a big brew day with my dad, brothers, and FIL. I picked out a huge imperial stout recipe. I also wanted to give them some options to choose from for added flavors and maybe split the brew into several different 1-2 gallon batches. Basically let them customize the beer to their own tastes. So far, I've come up with the following potential "add-ons" for the secondary(s):

Oak cubes
Bourbon-soaked oak cubes
Port-soaked oak cubes
Cacao nibs
Hazelnuts
Sour cherries

Any other suggestions on options I can give?

 

[neovox]

Vanilla bean can be a nice option

 

[Pogopunx82]

Raspberries
Coconut
Vanilla
Coffee
Bananas
Milk sugar (mouthfeel)

 

[heywolfie1015]

Vanilla! How could I have forgotten that one?! Same goes for coffee.

Pogo, there are some interesting ideas there. Have you ever tasted a banana stout?

 

[Pogopunx82]

I have a Banana split RIS right now fermenting. I put a few banana's in the mash. It had a nice banana flavor to it. I'm also putting raspberries in the secondary along with 2 vanilla beans soaked in whiskey. Never tried a commercial version though.

 

[Calder]

Chocolate/Cocoa
Rum
Licorice (star annis, fennel, licorice root, or brewer's licorice)

 

[edecambra]

secondary on about 1.5 oz of ancho peppers!!! and some cacao

Mole RIS, I just did it and it is AWESOME!!!

 

[Zamial]

Peanut butter

Cigar

Bacon

Belgian

Chili pepper

Roasted pumpkin seed

butterscotch/caramel/cream brule

Peppermint

Peppercorn

and I am done... for now...

 

[heywolfie1015]

Cigar?

 

[bigbeergeek]

Spiced can be nice.

Coffee.

Berries.

Chocolate.

Dried fruits.

Camel Lights.

 

[bbrim]

Molasses.

 

[bhaff]

I vote for raspberry, nibs and French oak. I have been using a recipe similar to the yeti and it turns out well. What grain bill are you using?

 

[heywolfie1015]

What grain bill are you using?

I'm actually doing the Kate the Great clone, so already freakishly complex. The trip to the LHBS was quite an experience. That is a *lot* of types of grain.

 

[rgontasz]

I just brewed a OG 1.120 RIS that I'm going to age a small portion on oak soaked in Cabernet. I'm kind of going for a Mikkeller black hole idea (they did a red wine oak aged version of this). hope it turns out!

 

[starrfish]

dark french oak cubes "secondary in primary" aging for 10-14 days, & a bit of fresh grated nutmeg in dry hop with earthy English fuggles.