Newbie Imperial Stout Grain Bill, thoughts?

[MPBeer]

17# 2-Row (71%)
1.5# Crystal 120L (6.3%)
1.5# Flaked Oats
1# Crystal 60L (4.2%)
1# Chocolate
1# Carabrown
0.5# Roasted Barley (2%)
0.5# Black Patent


Hi guys. Newbie homebrewer here. Planning to brew a big base stout and trying to come out of some nice recipe. I'm aiming for thick, fudgy stout with pleasant chocolate, coffee flavor.

So I put 2-Row, Chocolate, Oats first for the base, and put RB / BT for dark color and bit of roasted flavor, put 120L/60L/Brown for caramel-nutty complexity.

So at the end, the grain bill got a bit messy. Not sure if I should put out some malts or not.

Also, I'm not a fan of stouts with heavy burnt flavor. Should I take Back Patent out? Or 0.5 pound will be just enough for complexity and color?


Thanks and cheers!

 

[hercher]

I think you could cut either the roasted barley or the black patent by half. You could even cut them both back. I would suggest cutting back on the Crystal 120, as well. I've found that being too aggressive with that can create anise or licorice flavors that can be a bit overwhelming. You are also pretty aggressive with the oats. I'd take that back to a pound at most. You're still going to have a great big beer with lots of complexity -- Beersmith estimates an OG of 1.108 and an ABV of over 11%.

Be sure to pitch lots of healthy yeast. Watch your fermentation temperatures -- try to keep it in the low-mid 60's to avoid developing fusel alcohols.

What kind of hops were you thinking of using? I'd stick with plenty of more traditional varieties, such as East Kent Goldings and Fuggles.

 

[MPBeer]

I think you could cut either the roasted barley or the black patent by half. You could even cut them both back. I would suggest cutting back on the Crystal 120, as well. I've found that being too aggressive with that can create anise or licorice flavors that can be a bit overwhelming. You are also pretty aggressive with the oats. I'd take that back to a pound at most. You're still going to have a great big beer with lots of complexity -- Beersmith estimates an OG of 1.108 and an ABV of over 11%.

Be sure to pitch lots of healthy yeast. Watch your fermentation temperatures -- try to keep it in the low-mid 60's to avoid developing fusel alcohols.

What kind of hops were you thinking of using? I'd stick with plenty of more traditional varieties, such as East Kent Goldings and Fuggles.

Thanks for the advice! Wasn't sure about those malts, will cut them back. Would 1.5 lb of oats be too much? I get that Black Patent, Roasted Barley, C120 could make the beer taste harsh, but I'm not aware about the side effect of oat yet. Can you let me know?

Also, trying to ferment it to 1.030, to get some body and sweetness. So I'm aiming for 40~60 IBU, not to leave any bitterness that overpowers the sweetness. I was thinking of using Columbus or other high alpha acid hops, but will concern using those hops. Thanks!

 

[hercher]

Frankly, I don't think you need the oats at all. They will add body and head retention, but a beer this big doesn't really need that. They won't hurt anything, but they add to the cost.

You'll likely get this lower than 1.030. Probably more likely around 1.018-1.020. If you leave it too high, you run the risk of it tasting underattenuated. You could bump up the C60 to add more unfermentable sugars, but don't go too high. You don't want it to wind up cloying.

 

[r4dyce]

I'm actually going to try out something similar too. Any yeast recommendations?

 

[hercher]

SafeAle 04 or 05 are very versatile. I've always been fond of Wyeast's London ESB strain. Whichever you choose, be sure to pitch an ample amount. If you go with dry yeast, pitch two packs. If liquid, make a nice big healthy starter.