Russian Imperial Stout Recipe from Ballast Point - FG too high?

[luckybeagle]

Hey all,

I'm going to attempt my first "BA" imperial stout (using bourbon soaked oak cubes) next week but had a couple questions. First, here is the recipe I'll be trying from one of my personal favorites: Ballast Point.

https://www.ballastpoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Russian-Imperial-Stout-All-Grain-Recipe.pdf

I use the Modern Brewer app on my phone for calculating temps and volumes, then import that data to Brewer's Friend. Using a large starter of WY1056 and assuming a 75% attenuation (which is what I've achieved in my Scotch Ales using the same yeast) and plugging in the grain bill, I'm showing an OG of 1.097 and a FG of 1.025. I'd mash at 154, 72% brewhouse efficiency, and I have temperature control for fermentation, which I'd do at a 68F carboy temp.

I mostly brew dry-finishing Belgians, so maybe I'm just weirded out by a beer that finishes over 1.012ish. Overall I've never finished a beer above 1.022, and that particular beer left my lips feeling sticky. I want to be sure I'm not going to end up with a sticky sweet mess, so I'm shooting for 58ish on the IBUs with some high AA Chinook or Magnum hops.

Does this OG/FG and hops balance sound typical for an imperial? And do you think this particular recipe would lend itself well to oak aging? Please pick apart my thinking if I'm off the mark.

 

[luckybeagle]

To the top

 

[yoop89]

Ive only brewed one so Im by no means an expert but Ill share my findings as I am bottling it tonight. Mine started at 1.100 and finished at 1.024. I thought that would be overly sweet also but the alcohol(10%) balances it really nicely and your not left with sticky lips. My ibus were a touch higher @ 75 but probably not a huge difference at the homebrew level. I also added 4 large vanillas beans soaked in bourbon for a month after primary then it went to a keg for 3 more months.

Overall its a really nice beer and will age another 6 months in bottles.

Edit: Meant to add too that I mashed lower(148), pitched on a large yeast cake and still had trouble to get it to ferment out. Not sure if 154 mash temp will give you problems but Ive read on alot of stuck ferment threads with bigger beers like this.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Seems fine and normal. My Russian Imperial Stout started at 1.104 and ended at 1.032. It tastes like a RIS should taste.

Personally, I feel that there is a bit of a misconception about the impact of high FGs. A full fermentation will remove the sugars that we perceive as sweet. There is a bit of a trade off of the sweetness and body from alcohol vs the sweetness and body from a high FG. In my experience, malt bill has a lot more impact on the sweetness and body of a beer than the FG does.

 

[jrgtr42]

Personally I prefer my stouts with a touch higher FG. just a bit heavier mouthfeel and a touch of sweetness cutting the roasted malts.
If you're worried about it, maybe mash a couple degrees cooler, in the 150 - 152 range. it's amazing what a small difference there makes, all other things being equal.
I have a few repeat recipes, each with a different target mash temp. I have a pale ale that is 148 - 150, my RIS is closer to 156 or so. For that recipe, I find that's the sweet spot for me. Any higher and it's too sweet, lower it's not enough body and mouthfeel.

 

[couchsending]

Most of the modern popular big 10+ ABV stouts finish north of 1.040 these days... most over 1.050 actually.

I make a 7.5% Robust spotter that finishes at 1.030 and it’s not sweet at all.

That FG is fine.

 

[Comfort_Zone]

Seems fine and normal. My Russian Imperial Stout started at 1.104 and ended at 1.032. It tastes like a RIS should taste.

Personally, I feel that there is a bit of a misconception about the impact of high FGs. A full fermentation will remove the sugars that we perceive as sweet. There is a bit of a trade off of the sweetness and body from alcohol vs the sweetness and body from a high FG. In my experience, malt bill has a lot more impact on the sweetness and body of a beer than the FG does.

Indeed, FG doesn't really tell you that much unless you actually have a stalled fermentation. Things like alcohol, maillard products, beta-glucans, and glycerol make a huge impact on perceived mouthfeel.

 

[luckybeagle]

Thanks everyone for sharing the wisdom! This all makes sense. It just caught me off-guard since nearly everything I've brewed to-date has finished much lower. Then again, I haven't done anything with this high of an OG.

I'll just follow my standard brewing practices, pitch a proper starter, calculate the attenuation I normally get from 1056 +/-, and primary it until I hit FG for a few days--then add the oak cubes. Hoping to do it all in primary since 1056 flocculates pretty well for me. Thoughts on oaking primary after fermentation is complete? I've never racked to secondary and would like to avoid it if possible. I have 1 oz of Jim Beam soaked American Oak cubes (medium toast) that I plan to use.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

Count me in the prefer higher FG stouts. I brewed a RIS with OG of 1.128 that finished at 1.034. It is really good. Nice rich mouthfeel and a joy to drink. I was targeting 1.040 FG by mashing at 158 but I panicked after doughing in and added some cool water thinking it was too high. I ended up mashing at 154.

To me, a big stout in 20's FG would be too dry. It seems like dry stouts always end up being too roasty and thin.

 

[couchsending]

Tree House Moment of Clarity at 7.7% finishes at 1.040ish... definitely sweet but not heavy and hard to drink. Finding the balance of FG to bitterness and the correct water profile can really help these beers drink lighter than their gravity.

Edit: and level of carbonation

 

[luckybeagle]

I brewed the Ballast Point one from the recipe I attached earlier. Missed my preboil by 5 points so I boiled for an extra half hour (on the front end, before 60 minute hop addition). Still missed OG by 1 point. Good enough. Our groundwater is pretty warm this time of year, and it was getting late in the night by the time I got it in the fermentation chamber, so I pitched at about 71 and quickly got the beer down to 68. Hopefully that'll be OK.

I'm a little concerned about finishing too low now, after reading what you all have said. I'll be adding bourbon soaked oak cubes, so maybe that'll help offset the perception of a thinner beer.