Smoked Imperial Stout :D

[NoIguanaForZ]

So, on a whim I made a gimmicky beer a few months back.

I made a ~1 gallon test batch, for obvious reasons, originally with the brown malt and smoked malt proportions reversed. On the basis of taste-testing that, after a couple months in bottles, I've switched them around to the listed proportions below for when I brew it next. The brown malt is a bit too strong, and the smoke flavor isn't coming through as well as I'd like. Other than that, though, I'm quite happy with the recipe, and pleased with myself for turning what was basically a silly conceit into something more-than-just-drinkable.

For a five gallon batch, the grain bill is as follows:
-10oz Crystal 120
- 9oz Carafa III
- 8oz Flaked Barley
- 7oz Roasted Barley
- 6lb US pale malt
- 5lb Munich II
- 4lb Smoked Malt
- 3lb Brown Malt
- 2lb Chocolate Malt 350L
- 1lb Caramunich 40L

I dubbed it "Blastoff!" ^.^

Hops:
-Apollo, 18.5% AA:
-1oz at 45min
-1oz at 20min
-1oz at 0min

Of the three hops that share names with manned space missions, Apollo is the only one that didn't blow up. I figured Columbia or Challenger would be in poor taste. >.>

Irish Moss at 15 min.

Yeast: 3 packs US-05

Fermented about 65 F, I think I gave it about a month primary and no secondary. Believe I gave it some CBC-1 to bottle-carb.

This comes out at 58 IBU, 12.3% predicted ABV. The 1 gallon batch, which I did as a BIAB with a fairly long boil and mash temps running somewhat high, both under-extracted and underattenuated, coming in about about 9.1% with a 1.038(!) FG, but doesn't seem overly thick or cloying. For the next round, I may go with a Light Body infusion mash rather than Medium...

I don't actually have questions. Just wanted to share. I'll be back with more tasting notes tonight, I expect.

 

[NoIguanaForZ]

So, I'm officially outta this now...

Aside from the brown and smoked malt, with their balance issues noted in the test batch, the chocolate malt dominates the flavor. It's cool though. You can tell they've negotiated thoughtfully and thoroughly. ^.^

 

[NoIguanaForZ]

Reversing the brown and smoked malt worked well. Lowering the mash temp a bit worked well. (Came out ~1.026, about 11%). Adding the extra hops (chickened out to 1oz, .75oz, .75oz, thankfully) wasn't catastrophic but I think I had it right the first time (1oz, .5oz, and .5oz). >.>

 

[BikerMatt]

Thx for sharing! Thinking about doing something along the same lines and this'll give me an idea of the proportions. Was thinking of using smoke, munich, rye and a traditional finnish (distantly) beer-like malt called sahti (slightly sour tasting really strong drink that goes straight to your head ) no idea what kind of hops to use...

 

[NoIguanaForZ]

Okay, the more this current batch ages the happier I am with it. :3

It's kinda weird pouring a stout and getting a BROWN head though.