OFFICIAL Kate the Great Russian Imperial Stout Clone

[Adirondack47]

I have a question for some of you more experienced brewers as I think I might have a problem on my hands with this brew.

I brewed this recipe on 3/8, (OG 1.084) and racked it to secondary on 3/28 (FG 1.020). I put it in a glass carboy in the basement where it has sat ever since. For the last 6 months, there was no activity and the carboy remained ink black and silent.

My plan from the beginning was to keep it in secondary for about 6 months and then put some oak beans that have been soaking in Makers Mark for the last year into the carboy for a week or two and then bottle.

While doing laundry this weekend, I noticed a few clouds of light foam had suddenly formed on the surface and that airlock activity had started again. We have had temperatures in the 90's for the last week or so and I'm wondering if the sustained/increased temperature is causing a re-fermentation or if I have possibly might have another issue on my hands.

A trusted fellow home brewer at our meeting tonight suggested that I might have an infection and that I should either bottle it right away, cold crash it or just let it ride if i'm feeling adventurous. I have quite a bit of coin and sweat into this batch and would like to turn out a nice, BBA aged stout that I can proudly put into 375ml Belgian bottles and give to friends as gifts for Christmas. I pulled an unoaked sample last night to taste and I was impressed with what I found; not a lot of body but it was mildly sweet, fudgey, had good hints of mocha and coffee and was generally as good of an imperial stout that ive had from some national breweries.

Has anyone ever had something similar to this happen and have any suggestion on what might be going on and how I could keep the batch from being ruined?

 

[ultravista]

Given the choice between Founders Kentucky Bourbon Stout or Kate the Great - which would you choose?

 

[Adirondack47]

Given the choice between Founders Kentucky Bourbon Stout or Kate the Great - which would you choose?

Considering the fact that ive never had the real KTG, my choice would probably be it.

With that being said, I do love KBS so I would pour one of those right after

 

[Jwin]

Has anyone ever had something similar to this happen and have any suggestion on what might be going on and how I could keep the batch from being ruined?

I doubt it's infection. Seems very late in the game, assuming that your airlock has stayed full and no one hay been fooling with your bung.
The abv this is at I doubt it.
Possibly offgassing from the increased temperature?

Take a look and/or post a picture on the infection photos thread maybe

 

[Roadie]

You should try and let it age in a cool place if possible. I aged mine at 55 and it was good. Going back up to 90 for an extended period may give you tastes you weren't looking for.

 

[gbarron]

Has anyone ever had something similar to this happen and have any suggestion on what might be going on and how I could keep the batch from being ruined?

Happens to me all the time with temperature fluctuations when I am bulk aging beers. Sounds like normal off-gassing to me. As long as it tastes okay and the gravity is not dropping, I would relax, don't worry, and have a homebrew.

The only thing you might take into consideration is if you are bottling the beer and naturally carbonating it. Most (all that I know of, in fact) carbonation calculators assume a certain amount of residual CO2 in the beer at bottling time. If you are bulk aging and there is considerable off-gassing, there will be less residual CO2 in the beer at bottling than your calculator may be assuming. So you may need to slightly bump up your desired CO2 volumes to account for that.

 

[Dog House Brew]

Check the gravity to ease your mind. I would be shocked if it were an infection. In that amount of time an infection would be obvious IMO.

 

[Adirondack47]

Thank you for all of the insight guys, it's very appreciated. I feel slightly better today than I did yesterday. I will check the Gravity again and post a pic of what I've got going on in the carboy.

 

[Adirondack47]

Took a gravity reading and the batch is still right at 1.020, I'm hoping that this is good news. I will more than likely get the oak beans in there this weekend.

 

[Jwin]

Those bubbles around the edge? Offgassing

 

[Mx750ktm]

Hello all I'm planning to brew this here fairly soon and had a few questions.
1. Since I BIAB I know it will be misserable to try to lift a bag with this much grain. Is there any reason I couldn't mash half the recipie and put that wort into an empty bucket then mash the second half of the recipie then combine both before the boil?
2. What would be a better option for yeast. A yeast starter or pitching on a yeast cake for this large brew?
3.Since I've never pitched on a yeast cake If the answer to number 2 is to pitch on yeast cake, what type of OG beer would I want to brew for a healthy yeast cake for this beer to ferment well?

Thanks for the help in advance
Jake

 

[Jwin]

Hello all I'm planning to brew this here fairly soon and had a few questions.
1. Since I BIAB I know it will be misserable to try to lift a bag with this much grain. Is there any reason I couldn't mash half the recipie and put that wort into an empty bucket then mash the second half of the recipie then combine both before the boil?
2. What would be a better option for yeast. A yeast starter or pitching on a yeast cake for this large brew?
3.Since I've never pitched on a yeast cake If the answer to number 2 is to pitch on yeast cake, what type of OG beer would I want to brew for a healthy yeast cake for this beer to ferment well?

Thanks for the help in advance
Jake

1) you could, or just suppliment with some extract.
Some would comment on hot side aeration but some believe that to be myth, as do I
2/3)either, a low - mid OG beer as high gravity can stress the yeast.
Note, don't need the whole yeast cake, but that's another argument. Many threads on that.

 

[mblanks2]

those bubbles around the edge? Offgassing

+1

 

[Dog House Brew]

Just go to a slurry calculator and use the cake. Also if your brewing a beer to specially grow yeast for Kate, I would brew a session. Something lower in Gravity, like 12-13 Plato. I used 007 for this beer. I stepped up the starter for it. After I did that, I bought 2 5L flasks. I added bourbon and spirals to to half. I brewed it on New Years Eve and the oak is still in the keg that is almost gone. Most people liked the Port Wine version better. They both are so good. If I were to split the batch, I would make sure I hit mash out temps. Just me and others argue it makes no difference. I've split batches in the past both ways and I thought the MO batches were better. Also you could always pitch dry yeast and get rocking on Kate! Good luck

 

[Mx750ktm]

Sounds good Thank you for the reply. I'm brewing a recipie tom morning which is simply 10lb of 2row and 1lb c10 with 001 and will be using the cake for this kate the great. I will also use the calculator as suggested. Hopefully I'll be brewing this bad boy here in 2 weeks or so.

 

[gotbags-10]

What's the typical wait time on this beer in a keg before it's good to share?

 

[Adirondack47]

Any hard or fast rules for knowing whether or not I need to add yeast to my batch before I bottle?

I racked off of primary in March and my batch has been sitting in a carboy in the basement ever since. I added my MM soaked oak cubes about a week ago and I tasted yesterday and I am satisfied with the taste that the oak has imparted.

 

[mblanks2]

Any hard or fast rules for knowing whether or not I need to add yeast to my batch before I bottle?

I racked off of primary in March and my batch has been sitting in a carboy in the basement ever since. I added my MM soaked oak cubes about a week ago and I tasted yesterday and I am satisfied with the taste that the oak has imparted.

I would suggest re-hydrating 1 package of Lavlin EC-1118 Champagne dry yeast in 300 ml of sterile water and add to your finished product before bottling.

 

[brewski09]

I would suggest re-hydrating 1 package of Lavlin EC-1118 Champagne dry yeast in 300 ml of sterile water and add to your finished product before bottling.

I had good luck with the CBC cask and conditioning dry yeast myself.

 

[Adirondack47]

I would suggest re-hydrating 1 package of Lavlin EC-1118 Champagne dry yeast in 300 ml of sterile water and add to your finished product before bottling.

What's the thinking behind this tactic? Is it that there probably isnt enough residual yeast left to consume the priming sugar and thus to properly carb the batch?

 

[brewski09]

What's the thinking behind this tactic? Is it that there probably isnt enough residual yeast left to consume the priming sugar and thus to properly carb the batch?

I know my batch wasn't up to the task after the long conditioning I gave it. There are a lot of stressors on the yeast so it's not a bad idea to make sure it's going to carbonate properly.

 

[mblanks2]

What's the thinking behind this tactic? Is it that there probably isnt enough residual yeast left to consume the priming sugar and thus to properly carb the batch?

Cheap insurance.

 

[Adirondack47]

Cheap insurance.

And the EC118 is added in addition to a normal dose of priming sugar for a stout or is the new packet of yeast enough to prime the batch all by itself?

 

[TxBigHops]

And the EC118 is added in addition to a normal dose of priming sugar for a stout or is the new packet of yeast enough to prime the batch all by itself?

Yes, in addition to the sugar. Yeast has got to have something to convert and the beer is fully fermented.

 

[mblanks2]

Yes, in addition to the sugar. Yeast has got to have something to convert and the beer is fully fermented.

This.

 

[jwelch1103]

I brewed this last January and am drinking it now. It turned out very nice, excellent even!
I will definitely make this again, and again, and.....

 

[mtnagel]

So I brewed this beer last February. Missed the target OG with only 1.096 and I had 77% attenuation from a WLP001 yeast cake from a previous pale ale. So the FG was 1.020. I do like the port/wine character. It's there, but not overpowering. Just gives some interesting flavor to it. But it's just so thin Just not enough body for a beer this big. Is it due to the low mash temp? My low OG and high-ish attenuation? What could be done to fix it next time?

 

[mblanks2]

So I brewed this beer last February. Missed the target OG with only 1.096 and I had 77% attenuation from a WLP001 yeast cake from a previous pale ale. So the FG was 1.020. I do like the port/wine character. It's there, but not overpowering. Just gives some interesting flavor to it. But it's just so thin Just not enough body for a beer this big. Is it due to the low mash temp? My low OG and high-ish attenuation? What could be done to fix it next time?

If you had hit your OG of 1.110 - 1.113 you would probably have finished around 1.026 - 1.030. This would give you a little more thickness/mouthfeel. I recently finished my second round at this and it now bulking ageing on oak.
OG - 1.113 - FG 1.026

 

[mtnagel]

Thanks. I guess next time I should have added some DME since I was low. I also think mashing higher would make sense to add more body. Not sure why it's so low.

 

[mblanks2]

Thanks. I guess next time I should have added some DME since I was low. I also think mashing higher would make sense to add more body. Not sure why it's so low.

I do a 75 minute mash @ 149*F.