imperial stout

I brewed my first imperial stout today with a pretty straight forward recipe, but I would like to add something to secondary to give it a little character. Does anyone have any suggestions? I was thinking some oak chips, or maybe even some chilis, though I'm not sure if it's a good idea to add chilis to secondary. Any input would be appreciated!

 

I think vanilla beans would be good... I'm going to try them on my next RIS. Probably use the vodka tincture method suggested in this thread: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f37/vanilla-beans-ris-305531/

 

That's a good idea, I was hoping to split it up in secondary to try a few different things

 

GOT JOE?

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/chocolate-espresso-stout-40754/

Mmmmmm, some joe and vanilla sounds fantastic :rockin:

 

I was thinking of using coffee, and I actually have some kopi luwak I was thinking of using but I'm not sure how much to use. I like good cup of coffee in the morning but I don't want the flavor to overwhelm the beer

 

coconut

 

I was planning on Maple syrup for an Imperial Stout. I was going to add it to a 53 Gallon Bourbon Barrel after Primary in 2 Sabco 15.5 gallon Fermenters. I would need to store a couple batches in secondaries before Barrel ageing in order to get enough Ale to fill the Barrel to the proper headspace, which I don't know how full or how much syrup yet anyways. I only brew about 12.5 gallons at a time. The Fermenters are closed systems, so I could transfer cleanly and with enough yeast to compensate for the Carboys that have dropped more. I would like to store it away in my Ale Cellar for 10 mos. to a year. It stays between 51-55 for the Casks of Bitter that will be stillaged there. I bought the UK Brew 12 gallon Whitbread sized S/S Casks for a Real Ale project. I have to do more homework. That will be a lot of Ale to ruin if I screw it up.
Cheers,
Wayne


P.S. My first post, I should of introduced myself first.
Sabco Herms Conversion from Sparge Tanks. 2- March AC3 Converted Pumps. 2 Sabco Fermenters and 1 - Sabco Conditioning or Bright Keg.

 

If you are going to split into two secondaries, you should pick two flavors that are friendly. That way you can have the 2 differently flavored stouts separately and then blend them together in different ratios which would help future beers.

Guajillo chile's are good in a stout, smokey with slight spice

vanilla
coffee
bourbon soaked oak chips
chocolate
are all "standard" stout fodder

 

Personally, I'd go with Cocoa Nibs.

 

I was thinking of splitting into 3 secondaries, 1 to add something "standard" 1 to leave alone and one to do something out of the ordinary

 

I don't see how to quote snippets easily yet, but I'll spend time looking next time. Manual method for now.

Quote:" If you are going to split into two secondaries, you should pick two flavors that are friendly. That way you can have the 2 differently flavored stouts separately and then blend them together in different ratios which would help future beers".

Ideally I'd like to not split up secondaries. I'm using it mostly for holding tanks till I have enough to fill the Bourbon Barrel. (53 Gallons) which I'll need probably 50 for a headspace? I have 2 15.5 gallon Sabco Fermenters to work with in addition to a couple large plastic rim locks I used till I upgraded.(Want to avoid using them at all) To keep the transfer from Boil Kettle to Fermenters and then to the Barrel completely closed, could I accumulate the batch in the Barrel out of the Primary Fermenters, purge and seal with Co2 after the first half and skip the secondaries? I want to pressure monitor the Barrel with a fitting and valve for Co2 anyways. should be no harm no foul for sitting with excessive headspace providing I have a fog of Co2 in there preventing oxidation, righgt? I'm all set with the Chili's, Coconut's, Vanilla etc. I want the Maple to be hardly noticable as it is, and I'll keep it straightforward with the one adjunct/flavor so when something tastes off, I'll be able to figure it out by elimination more easily. That Breckenridge Vanilla Porter and the Young's Double Chocolate Stout really put me off raw flavors added to the Brew too late. Especially the Young's. It was like Samuel Smith meets Youhoo.
Cheers!

 

I love big stouts, and I have one in secondary myself.

I was SO tempted to coffee stout it, because that's probably my favorite style, but I am attempting to employ something called "discipline" and will try this recipe without additions before deciding on how to improve it.

If you've brewed this one before, I have had big success with boiling water, cooling it, sanitizing a french press, and then putting a ton of coffee grounds in the cold water overnight, for a cold press. Dump that into the bottling bucket or keg and rack on top of it. Delicious.

I haven't tried any hot extractions in beer yet, because the common wisdom is to do the cold stuff... but I would say that mine started to oxidize after about 2 months, where Half Acre's Big Hugs (the best non-barrel coffee stout, IMO) is actual coffee pour-overs... hot coffee... probably cooled before added, but normal hot coffee the way I would drink it myself, and it stayed coffee forward for 10 months in my cellar (the last bottle was being saved for someone who never claimed it, so we drank it expecting the worst... surprised.)