Recipe Advice - Russian Imperial Stout

[JLW]

It's been a really long time since I posted here. Anyway, digging an old recipe out for an RIS I'm going to brew this weekend for planned consumption in winter 2018 (also used for Christmas gifts). I've made this a few times and usually oak it or maybe throw some bourbon in to trick it up a bit.

I was thinking about adding oats to add a little more mouthfeel, but I'm not sure how much to add, or if I should at all. Thought I would seek opinions here.

Recipe:
14 lbs 8 oz - US 2 row
2 lbs - Crystal 60L
1 lb 4 oz - Black patent
1 lb 4 oz - Roasted Barley

1.7 oz warrior @90
0.5 oz chinook @60

Thanks in advance

 

[jekeane]

4oz Flaked Oats
4oz Flaked Barley

or 8oz of either. I tend to prefer flaked barley.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

At what temp are you going to mash?

 

[JLW]

At what temp are you going to mash?

I'll mash at 149-150.

Also, thinking about pitching this on top of a yeast cake from a rye IPA using US-05.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I'll mash at 149-150.

Also, thinking about pitching this on top of a yeast cake from a rye IPA using US-05.

I'm no expert, and I've never brewed a RIS, so take this for what it is. I'm planning a RIS and I wanted a big mouthfeel, so I was planning to mash at around 157 or 158. Am I barking up the wrong tree?

 

[JLW]

I'm no expert, and I've never brewed a RIS, so take this for what it is. I'm planning a RIS and I wanted a big mouthfeel, so I was planning to mash at around 157 or 158. Am I barking up the wrong tree?

I'm no expert either, however at that mash temp raise you may get too much sweetness from RIS. I've read recipes that mash on the low end and some on the high end like you're suggesting. There's few good articles out there on picking your mash range based on the yeast your using. I think anything between 150-158 should work depending on how thick you want it.

 

[eulipion2]

I'm no expert, and I've never brewed a RIS, so take this for what it is. I'm planning a RIS and I wanted a big mouthfeel, so I was planning to mash at around 157 or 158. Am I barking up the wrong tree?

Depending on your grain bill, I'd say don't mash higher than around 152. It really depends on how much grain you're using, percentage of caramel and other "body" malts, etc. With my go-to RIS (24 lbs grain/5 gallons, ~7% caramel-type malts, 4 packs of US-05), even mashing at 149 I get a final gravity in the mid-1.020s, even as high as 1.030 once (and it was still awesome!)

 

[thehaze]

I vote for a low mash temp.

You will have plenty of body and mouthfeel from the diverse grains going into this brew. Mashing low and longer ( 90 minutes? ) will hopefully get you a more fermentable wort.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

Depending on your grain bill, I'd say don't mash higher than around 152. It really depends on how much grain you're using, percentage of caramel and other "body" malts, etc. With my go-to RIS (24 lbs grain/5 gallons, ~7% caramel-type malts, 4 packs of US-05), even mashing at 149 I get a final gravity in the mid-1.020s, even as high as 1.030 once (and it was still awesome!)

I prefer my stouts to have a FG in the 130-135 range. Bourbon County (the real stuff) reportedly has a FG of 140. I like 'em thick and chewy like that, though about 10 oz is all I want at one time. I tried to drink a 16 oz BCBS on my own back during the holidays and I simply couldn't finish it. It was glorious, but 16 oz is too much.

I'm brewing a BCBS clone (my first time brewing from a kit) and while I usually keg, for that one I intend to naturally carbonate in a keg and bottle from the keg into 12 oz bottles for that very reason.

 

[JLW]

Update. OG came in at ~1.100 and Fg is at ~1.021 with a calculated AV of 10.50%. I let the beer sit in primary for three weeks to let it settle all the way and and clean up a bit. The hydrometer sample was already incredible and the addition of the 4 oz of flaked oats and 4 oz of flaked barely where spot on additions. @jekeane good call.

I transfered to a glass carboy for 3-4 months of bulk aging. I need to figure out if I'll oak or bourbon this beer.

 

[triethylborane]

Update. OG came in at ~1.100 and Fg is at ~1.021 with a calculated AV of 10.50%. I let the beer sit in primary for three weeks to let it settle all the way and and clean up a bit. The hydrometer sample was already incredible and the addition of the 4 oz of flaked oats and 4 oz of flaked barely where spot on additions. @jekeane good call.

I transfered to a glass carboy for 3-4 months of bulk aging. I need to figure out if I'll oak or bourbon this beer.

Bourbon addition to a RIS? Holy sheeeet lol def a tuck your ass in bed on christmas eve beer

 

[jekeane]

Update. OG came in at ~1.100 and Fg is at ~1.021 with a calculated AV of 10.50%. I let the beer sit in primary for three weeks to let it settle all the way and and clean up a bit. The hydrometer sample was already incredible and the addition of the 4 oz of flaked oats and 4 oz of flaked barely where spot on additions. @jekeane good call.

I transfered to a glass carboy for 3-4 months of bulk aging. I need to figure out if I'll oak or bourbon this beer.

Do both. Instead of Bottling of kegging it all at once rack off a gallon or two into another vessel and oak it letting that one sit awhile.

 

[JLW]

Do both. Instead of Bottling of kegging it all at once rack off a gallon or two into another vessel and oak it letting that one sit awhile.

Good idea. I'll definitely have to consider that as an option. At least I have a few months to figure it out.