OFFICIAL Kate the Great Russian Imperial Stout Clone

[catdaddy66]

So, for the ones that are bottle conditioning this. How are you priming? Rehydrated yeast? Type and amount? and to what volume (2.2)? Results?

Didn't add extra yeast, just what was added via the starter for primary fermentation (wlp011 European ale 2L two step starter). Used .67 cups of DME to prime and bottled. Going to crack one open next month to check progress.

 

[Hawkfish]

I added 1/4 pack of Safale 04 yeast with great results as it sat with the oak for months.

 

[mblanks2]

I added 1/4 pack of Safale 04 yeast with great results as it sat with the oak for months.

My thoughts are to add a 1/2 pack of rehydrated Nottingham with dextrose at bottling. Does anyone think that the 11.1% ABV would be detrimental to this plan?

 

[orangehero]

Save the Nottingham for another beer and instead use 2-3 g of EC-1118.

 

[mblanks2]

Save the Nottingham for another beer and instead use 2-3 g of EC-1118.

I have a package of the EC-1118 as well as Nottingham and US-05. Has anyone had any issues with off flavors from champagne yeast? I'm more concerned with the quality of the beer as opposed to saving a few dollars and have never used champagne yeast for conditioning.

 

[orangehero]

I don't know where you got that I'm suggesting you give up quality to save a few dollars.

Cost aside, in my opinion champagne yeast is the superior choice. It is more alcohol tolerant, flavor neutral, strong flocculator, and won't overattenuate the beer.

I add EC-1118 at bottling to any beers that are high abv or undergone extended aging to ensure rapid carbonation.

 

[stompbox]

Champagne yeast works great for carbonating in high abv beers. Nothing to worry about. I typically only pitch half a packet though.

 

[mblanks2]

I don't know where you got that I'm suggesting you give up quality to save a few dollars.

Cost aside, in my opinion champagne yeast is the superior choice. It is more alcohol tolerant, flavor neutral, strong flocculator, and won't overattenuate the beer.

I add EC-1118 at bottling to any beers that are high abv or undergone extended aging to ensure rapid carbonation.

Wasn't meaning to imply that you were suggesting I give up quality to save a few dollars its just my main concern. I hadn't heard of using champagne yeast for conditioning. I'm glad to hear that is an option and will certainly look into it.
I just don't want to loose anything with this beer, as I already have a ton of money and time in it.
Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[kagythings]

I used 1/4 pack of US-05 and it took quite a while to carb. I will use champagne yeast next time. The 6 months it took to be carbed was okay since the flavors blended well at that point. Good luck.

 

[mblanks2]

Thanks for all the input. @Orangehero, after additional research I see that what you have said is a very common practice. Again, didn't mean any offense just wasn't aware of the practice at all. Thanks from all for the input.

 

[mtnagel]

What's everyone using for a water profile for this beer? Would you use "black balanced" or "black bitter" in Bru'n Water?

 

[mblanks2]

What's everyone using for a water profile for this beer? Would you use "black balanced" or "black bitter" in Bru'n Water?

I used "Black Bitter".

 

[mtnagel]

Cool thanks. That's a better fit for my water. With black balanced, I'd have to dilute it.

 

[Dog House Brew]

How long is it taking you to reach FG in primary. It has been 2 weeks and I'm only at 1.030. Using Wy1450 from a stepped 7 liter starter and fermenting at 63.

 

[catdaddy66]

How long is it taking you to reach FG in primary. It has been 2 weeks and I'm only at 1.030. Using Wy1450 from a stepped 7 liter starter and fermenting at 63.

Maybe warm it up a bit and give it a swirl. That may finish you out to bottle or keg.

 

[bd2xu]

How long is it taking you to reach FG in primary. It has been 2 weeks and I'm only at 1.030. Using Wy1450 from a stepped 7 liter starter and fermenting at 63.

7L?! I used two packs of 1056 in a 1.5 L starter on a stir plate. This is dead on per yeastcalculator.com. Should I go over what it recommends for this beer?

 

[mtnagel]

Well I'm planning on using a 5 gallon starter!

Actually not quite, but I will pitch a bunch, but not all, of the slurry from the previous batch for this beer when I brew it in a couple months.

 

[Dog House Brew]

7L?! I used two packs of 1056 in a 1.5 L starter on a stir plate. This is dead on per yeastcalculator.com. Should I go over what it recommends for this beer?

I started with old yeast. I went with yeast calc too.

 

[bd2xu]

I started with old yeast. I went with yeast calc too.

Wow that's a project itself.

 

[Dog House Brew]

Not too bad since I started canning wort. Makes starter life super easy.

 

[Adirondack47]

Does anyone care to share their recipe with actual amounts and hop schedule?

I'm trying to make the grain bill work in BS and I'm pretty close (I think); I've read most of the 56 pages and that seems to be pretty similar across the board but it seems like every recipe that I've seen posted so far uses a differing hop schedule so I'm looking for some input there.

 

[mblanks2]

Deleted post.

 

[catdaddy66]

Not too bad since I started canning wort. Makes starter life super easy.

Yeah it does! Over the last 6 months or so I've adjusted my mash to 1.4 qts/ib, up from the recommended 1.25. I've been able to hit my numbers the vast majority of the time and I have starter wort for the next batch.

 

[bd2xu]

My first Kate is being born now. You can tell it's dark just by looking at the silicone hose.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1421703386.852652.jpg

 

[bd2xu]

In the hop stand now. I dropped the temperature to 170 with my chiller then added my whirlpool hops. After 10 minutes I'll off turn the water back on and drop it down to pitching temp. Will have original gravity report very soon but the pre-boil gravity was 10 points high so… 😄View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1421717112.701404.jpg

 

[Roadie]

How long did it take everyone to reach final gravity? I'm 9 days in and my 001 took it from 1.101 to 1.055 and activity has slowed WAY down so debating about repitching another starter of 001.

 

[SavoryChef]

Mine hit FG in four days. I pitched a cake from a session beer

 

[mblanks2]

I left mine for 5 weeks and went from 1.109 to 1.026.

 

[hbrookie]

How long did it take everyone to reach final gravity? I'm 9 days in and my 001 took it from 1.101 to 1.055 and activity has slowed WAY down so debating about repitching another starter of 001.

That sounds like some bad news, Roadie. Assuming your first starter was big enough, there's a good chance you didn't get enough oxygen into the wort. You'll see a few pages back that I was having trouble bottle carbing. I tracked it down to a wort oxygenation problem. This beer is sooo big that the yeasties go take a nap if you don't have enough o2 in there. Mine were conking out just before they hit final grav.

I figured all of this out when I opened one of the bottles a few weeks later and it was overcarbing. I've since "decanted" all of my bottles into a keg and told everyone to "drink up" before it turns into high dollar vinegar.

If/when you dump in a new starter, make sure you get it oxygenated well. Stir/shake it while its growing to make those yeast nice and strong.

 

[hbrookie]

Does anyone care to share their recipe with actual amounts and hop schedule?

I'm trying to make the grain bill work in BS and I'm pretty close (I think); I've read most of the 56 pages and that seems to be pretty similar across the board but it seems like every recipe that I've seen posted so far uses a differing hop schedule so I'm looking for some input there.

Adirondack, this is what I use for a 6 gallon batch. I lose about 1/2 gallon during transfers, etc. This leaves me 5 gallon for my keg and I bottle 3 22oz bottles that I can store and age off of each batch to enjoy much later down the road.

hop bill ounces minutes
magnum 1.3 75
pearle 0.9 75
styrian goldings 0.9 75
centennial 0.2 15
palisade 0.3 0
styrian goldings 0.45 0
willamette 0.45 0