Simple: Imperial Stout

[yard_bird]

Would be interested to hear how it goes direct from yeast packs.
I started a RIS with Nottingham 2 weeks ago, using Notti cake from small beer started 5 days earlier. Was 20L partial mash; OG 1.128 inc 3l LME; + 1.1kg total dextrose additions so far, giving corrected OG 1.149; currently at SG 1.022.

Looks promising so far. I added 60sec of O2 before pitching the three packs of Nottingham, and an additional 60sec 12hrs later. Fermentation so far has been explosive, I have two blow offs going into a jug of sanitizer. Had to clear the lines a couple times since krausen had accumulated in them. 3.5 gallons of wort was crawling out of the 5gallon fermenter.

Beer is now at 63F and no longer clogging the lines. May switch to airlock and add the D-180 in a day or two. Ramp to 65-68 as fermentation slows.

That is an amazing attenuation on your stout, have you had a chance to sample it? Trying to imagine the balance of a stout that big with 85% attenuation.

 

[yard_bird]

Just over a week after pitching and visible fermentation seems to have slowed/stopped. Added the pound of D-180 two days ago. Fermentation kicked up a little, free rise from 66F to 68F. Sitting at 71F in the chamber. Visible fermentation indicators all but stopped this morning.

Haven’t done a gravity reading because it’s in a glass carboy and I don’t really have a good way of limiting O2 when I thief a sample. It’s on a couple oak balls now so I’ve got a few weeks-ish to go before bottling anyways and will report FG then. Pretty impressed with the three packs of Nottingham and two doses of O2 (though I guess the truth will really reveal itself when I take/taste an FG sample).

 

[hungupdown]

That is an amazing attenuation on your stout, have you had a chance to sample it? Trying to imagine the balance of a stout that big with 85% attenuation.

Hadn't tried calculating, but Nottingham seems a good bet for achieving high ABVs.

My ferment (on small beer cake) was very explosive, 20L in in a 30L bucket. 8 hours later (middle of the night) - bucket lid suspended 6 inches above bucket, on krausen, and mess on floor (having overwhelmed the drip saucer).
So split to 2x10L, each in 30L buckets. At dextrose additions, both would foam up from 10L to 25L! Then to secondary fermenter after 5 days.

Now 23 days: with additional 1100g dextrose, the effective corrected OG is 1149. Present Brix is 17.3%, giving corrected FG 1024, ABV 16.4%, attenuation 82%. But hydrometer says 1.010, giving ABV 18%, attenuation 92%.
Target FG was 1018.

Small samples tried when measuring. Bit on the harsh side, but was lovely with the extra sweetness, when sampled immediately after one of the sugar additions (last addition 8 days ago).
Was trying to get something like the Cromarty ANNIVERSARY XI · BARREL AGED IMPERIAL STOUT 16.58%, aged in mix of bourbon and wine barrels.

Hard to know, when best to stop adding dextrose to secondary. Maybe sweeter would be nice, but at the moment, it would still erupt if I added more dextrose (I guess from the enzymes already created). If taken too far, it then might not ferment the priming sugar.

 

[yard_bird]

Today is bottling day. Prepping a couple grams of CBC-1 for packaging (aiming for about 2 volumes). FG is 1.022. Hydrometer sample is pretty approachable, though it is too bitter for now. Lots of flavors bouncing around, hoping some solitude in the cellar smooths some stuff out over the next couple of months. Was going to add some oaked bourbon at bottling but don't want to further stress the yeast, next time I'll just increase the volume of oak and contact time.

Thanks all for your help!