Please critique my Imperial Stout recipe

[djbradle]

The Brewtoad link: https://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/impish

I've brewed many many Belgian beers; very high, high, and moderate gravities. I'm aiming to simply brew a very strong and very flavorful imperial stout. This would be very first trip outside of Belgian styles. Thanks!

 

[Juno_Malone]

I think adding chilis, vanilla bean paste, and coffee is going to result in an overly-complicated beer. I mean, if you know that you want a chili-vanilla-coffee stout, by all means go ahead. But personally, I'd stick with just two of those. I think vanilla and coffee would work the best together.

 

[djbradle]

Thanks for the response and advice! It's a sound plan to ditch the peppers. I popped one in my mouth and it was a bit hotter than I'd like!

 

[fantomlord]

I would add some roasted barley...maybe in place of the flaked barley?

 

[Microscopist]

Personally I'm not a fan of adding sugars to brews, I'd use black malt to get a similar flavour and up the maris otter or add in some brown malt to get the gravity. I agree on leaving out at least one of the additions, I'd keep the vanilla for sure though.

 

[djbradle]

Personally I'm not a fan of adding sugars to brews, I'd use black malt to get a similar flavour and up the maris otter or add in some brown malt to get the gravity. I agree on leaving out at least one of the additions, I'd keep the vanilla for sure though.

The sugar thing is definitely Belgian-biased. Without sugar additions most Belgian ales turn out less dry than they normally are. Most of the great breweries use no less than 15-20%. Nothing beats a good bsda with D-180, absolutely tasty! Or a dubbel with Muscovado sugar. I've been using these Billington sugar with great results in brewing and cooking. I haven't researched enough but do most stronger stouts not use sugar additions in the kettle?

I have room to mash more grains if that will produce a better stout sans sugar. Adding the roasted barley in place of the flaked may be a good idea. I'll roll with it.