OFFICIAL Kate the Great Russian Imperial Stout Clone

[Broham1]

Transferred onto the port-soaked cubes. OG was 1.122 and FG measured 1.027, so we're looking at 12.5%! Very boozy, but I'm sure it'll mellow out. Very excited for this one!

 

[mike_in_ak]

Port-soaked. That is such a good effing idea.

I recently had a mead from a commercial micro-meadery that was aged and mixed with port and it was basically amazing. I was thinking that maybe the port characteristics were better than the mead characteristics. Anyway it was awesome.

And then I failed to put two and two together and didn't even think of putting it in my beer.

 

[orangehero]

Has anyone added port to taste?

Mine's been sitting on oak cubes for over a year...I'm about to bottle and looking for recommendations and tasting notes for amount of port to add.

I see 1 oz to a cup in 5 gal.

 

[bleme]

Has anyone added port to taste?

Mine's been sitting on oak cubes for over a year...I'm about to bottle and looking for recommendations and tasting notes for amount of port to add.

I see 1 oz to a cup in 5 gal.

I just watched a YouTube interview of Denny Conn last night about this very subject. His advice, which I think is great, is that you are the ONLY one that can decide how your beer should taste. He suggests taking small samples, carefully measuring a very small amount of port, and scaling it up when you decide it is the right amount.

 

[1Mainebrew]

Its really hard to mess this beer up, the recipe is just so incredibly delicious!

 

[Vigo_Carpathian]

In the first post, he said that the pre-boil gravity was supposed to be 1.104 right? It really looks like that's what he meant. That's a ****load of alcohol.

" Collect about 1/3rd of your wort and sparge to collect 6.5 gals (for a 5 gal. yield) at 26 degrees Plato or 1.104 degrees Specific Gravity."

 

[Broham1]

In the first post, he said that the pre-boil gravity was supposed to be 1.104 right? It really looks like that's what he meant. That's a ****load of alcohol.

" Collect about 1/3rd of your wort and sparge to collect 6.5 gals (for a 5 gal. yield) at 26 degrees Plato or 1.104 degrees Specific Gravity."

Yep. I hit a personal record OG of 1.122 when I brewed this 5 weeks ago.

 

[Vigo_Carpathian]

When I plug that pre-boil gravity (1.104) into Beersmith, I get a O.G. of 1.135 after the boil, and 15.5% alcohol with that FG. I looked up the original alc% and it says 12%. Now I see, he did mean the O.G. was 1.104 and not the pre-boil.

 

[Matteo57]

Will have to brew this one of these days! Looks great

 

[againstthegrain]

When I plug that pre-boil gravity (1.104) into Beersmith, I get a O.G. of 1.135 after the boil, and 15.5% alcohol with that FG. I looked up the original alc% and it says 12%. Now I see, he did mean the O.G. was 1.104 and not the pre-boil.

I think he miss typed that. i think he wanted 1104 post boil cause that would
give a 12%ish beer based on efficiency. I hit 1.108 post boil and get to 1.024 and it is delicious. i plugged it in to my calc with temps and came out to 11.7% so do as you feel but mine sat for 4 months on oak cubes i soaked in port for 2 months. so good! you really cant go wrong with this recipe.

 

[stompbox]

Update on my batch:
Brewed = 12/14/12
Transfered to Secondary: 1/15/13
Added port soaked oak (soaked for 3 weeks in a cup): 03/03/13
bottled= TBD????

 

[ultravista]

How would WLP007 work for this beer?

 

[bottlebomber]

How would WLP007 work for this beer?

It would work great, good attenuation and high alcohol tolerance. If it was me I'd start it at around 62 and then let it climb to 70 at the finish. If 007 gets cold it will drop like a rock and leave the job incomplete.

 

[ultravista]

I usually have WLP007 around the house for brewing an Arrogant Bastard clone.

 

[mike_in_ak]

Double o seven never gets cold

 

[stompbox]

Update on my batch:
Brewed = 12/14/12
Transfered to Secondary: 1/15/13
Added port soaked oak (soaked for 3 weeks in a cup): 03/03/13
bottled= TBD????

Instead of bottling, I kegged it today 4/9/13. Plan on forgetting about it until October or so.

 

[bottlebomber]

Pick up a sack and all the specialty grains for this today... That's a lot of specialty grains! Almost enough to make a 5 gallon batch of beer I've got a big fat cake of WLP007 that I'm going to drop this on.

 

[user 21663]

I just attended an event last night with Tod Mott and he discussed his plans for a new brewery in Southern Maine. He's working on getting the legal stuff done, and is looking to setup a 15 barrel system. If all goes well, he'll start the build out for the brewery and get equipment in later this year and be brewing next year.

He retains the recipe for KTG (Portsmouth Brewery retains the name), so there may be 15bbl batches of the beer formerly knows as KTG in our future.

Good thing because I tried cloning this and it sucked

 

[atimmerman88]

oop you are right - not sure why I used a 5 gallon keg in my math. So to correct:

2oz port:30oz kate for concoction + oaking for 11G batch

I updated the above post to be correct

That is why I am not an accountant

Just curious...

I'm know only a few things about wine, like there is red wine and white wine.

I've got a bottle of this:

Is a port a port and will work out ok?

I got this as a take home gift at a work party, was fairly and just grabbed the most unique bottle. Googled it today and turns out it's like a $60 bottle of wine.

 

[atimmerman88]

I read through all 38 pages....I remember someone posting that they party'd this with a black IPA?

Just curious if that turned out or not.

I'll probably run off a batch of something...porter, or stout of some kinda but a BIPA sounds intriguing

 

[bottlebomber]

Just curious...

I'm know only a few things about wine, like there is red wine and white wine.

I've got a bottle of this:

Is a port a port and will work out ok?

I got this as a take home gift at a work party, was fairly and just grabbed the most unique bottle. Googled it today and turns out it's like a $60 bottle of wine.

Well, it isn't REALLY a port because it's not from Portugal, but it will definitely work and looks quite delicious.

 

[SavoryChef]

I oaked mine with Zinfandel because I didn't want to buy a bottle of port for only 2 oz. Mine is at 3 months now and wow is it delicious. I carbed mine up and had a few pints, but took it out of the kegerator so it can age another 3 months.

 

[atimmerman88]

Well, it isn't REALLY a port because it's not from Portugal, but it will definitely work and looks quite delicious.

learned something new today!

sounds like I'll only need a big to soak the oak chips and a bit to add to the secondary.

might have to dabble in the last bit.

 

[sneeron]

I read through all 38 pages....I remember someone posting that they party'd this with a black IPA?

Just curious if that turned out or not.

I'll probably run off a batch of something...porter, or stout of some kinda but a BIPA sounds intriguing

I did a partygyle with this that was to be a stout then I threw every left over hop I had at it plus some leftovers from my hop drawer. I added a pound of black patent and it hit 1.040 before boil. It was one I should of entered into a comp because I could never recreate it. I did a continuous hop with whatever I had. Lots of fun and was awesome. KTG is all gone now but my club is thinking of doing this recipe and have us put it in a barrel with bugs then keg and taking it to the NHC next year in Michigan for club night!
If I get in on the club brew I will definitely do a partygyle and try to recreate that BIPA --
Cheers Kevin!!!

 

[Brewski1975]

I wanted to thank the OP for this great thread. I've never had Kate The Great but am anxious to taste this clone. I've read this entire thread over time and finally had a chance to brew it this weekend. Without question the biggest beer I've ever made, and it taste great right from the start. Thanks again!!

 

[SavoryChef]

I wanted to thank the OP for this great thread. I've never had Kate The Great but am anxious to taste this clone. I've read this entire thread over time and finally had a chance to brew it this weekend. Without question the biggest beer I've ever made, and it taste great right from the start. Thanks again!!

Wait until you taste it when its 6 months old. I'm drinking mine now that I brewed in march and its amazing

 

[bottlebomber]

I just dumped my batch. It's the second batch I've ever dumped, and the other was a huge imperial porter. Both had the same quality - an unreasonable straight-espresso acidity that was completely unacceptable. There must be so something with my water chemistry that's preventing me from pulling of these big dark beers. Anyway, I need to regroup and get some water testing done before I make anything like this again.

 

[J343MY]

I just dumped my batch. It's the second batch I've ever dumped, and the other was a huge imperial porter. Both had the same quality - an unreasonable straight-espresso acidity that was completely unacceptable. There must be so something with my water chemistry that's preventing me from pulling of these big dark beers. Anyway, I need to regroup and get some water testing done before I make anything like this again.

Using a large quantity of roasted grains can really lower the PH of your mash, depending on what your water is like. Thats probably something to keep an eye on.

 

[master_haze]

I just dumped my batch. It's the second batch I've ever dumped, and the other was a huge imperial porter. Both had the same quality - an unreasonable straight-espresso acidity that was completely unacceptable. There must be so something with my water chemistry that's preventing me from pulling of these big dark beers. Anyway, I need to regroup and get some water testing done before I make anything like this again.

maybe this nomograph can help you get the water to the right conditions for these big dark beers? It is a pretty easy to use nomograph that will allow you to determine what you would need to add to your water and how much of it in order to get the right base water composition for any style.
http://www.howtobrew.com/images/f83.pdf
excel sheet that makes the same calculations: http://howtobrew.com/section3/Palmers_Mash_RA_ver3ptO.xls

master_haze

 

[bottlebomber]

maybe this nomograph can help you get the water to the right conditions for these big dark beers? It is a pretty easy to use nomograph that will allow you to determine what you would need to add to your water and how much of it in order to get the right base water composition for any style. http://www.howtobrew.com/images/f83.pdf excel sheet that makes the same calculations: http://howtobrew.com/section3/Palmers_Mash_RA_ver3ptO.xls master_haze

Thanks!!