Imperial Stout - how dark is too dark?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

permo

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Messages
2,979
Reaction score
76
Location
North Dakota
I am brewing up an impy stout that is projected 57 SRM or so..lots of roasted barley and special B. 1.100 or so OG aniticipated with 80 or so IBU. I know the style guidelines say 40 SRM as the max.....I am hoping I didn't make this hog to dark.

Does anybody have any experience with beers approaching 60 SRM?
 
Most likely it will just take longer to balance out. You'll be aging it for a while so I don't see any problems and it might be the best beer you've ever made.
 
I am hoping this brew will be in great shape by next xmas, I suppose that gives me at least 6 months for secondary to smooth out. I bet it will be great, but who knows.
 
It will be great - with age. Drank a couple similar to that, and they were pretty terrible the first month, but 6-12months they became great..

Edit: LOL this thread came up on a search, and I responded without thinking and didn't realize I was resurrecting an old thread. Oh well.. I wonder how it came out (?) :)
 
It will be great - with age. Drank a couple similar to that, and they were pretty terrible the first month, but 6-12months they became great..

Edit: LOL this thread came up on a search, and I responded without thinking and didn't realize I was resurrecting an old thread. Oh well.. I wonder how it came out (?) :)

The beer is awesome. I only have a handfull of bottles left that made it this long, but after 18 months they are sublime.
 
I don't think there is anything that could be regarded as "too dark" regarding the style. Its obviously possible to use way too much roasted malt and end up with an acrid, burned tasting, tannic, and astringent undrinkable beer though. I suppose if you are really blasting the SRM up there, by default, sans some special techniques or ingredients, you could be making to rough of a beer to drink if its an unruly color. Just let it age.
 
It is only too dark when its absence of light sucks in all the surrounding light and you are not able to see the beer to drink it.

I have a RIM that is easily in the 70s and is now about 18 months. Same as other's - it is getting good.
 
Russian Imperial Stout



17 pounds two row
1# 4 oz roasted barley
1# special B
1# rolled oats (employ seperate cereal mash)
8 oz pale chocolate
6 oz C75
6 oz chocolate malt
6 oz C120
6 oz caramunich
1 oz summit at 60
1 oz chinook at 60
1 oz chinook at 20
1 oz chinook at 15
1 oz cascade at 10
1 oz cascade at 5
1 oz willamete at FO

irish moss at 10 minutes
yeast nutrient at 10 minutes
pacman yeast
extended secondary and bottle condition
Mash at 155
batch sparge to obtain preboil volume
 
Back
Top