Russian Imperial Stout: Beginners Tips and Tricks

[soxside]

Ok, so a little background here... I've been brewing for almost three years now and am venturing into a RIS for the first time. This is a huge beer and want it to go right so I'm looking for any and all advice from veterans who've been there before. Right now the beer is tasting sweeter from the vanilla beans but the "moonshine" like kick and bitterness isn't as faded as I'd like. How long should I let it age with the vanilla beans (i realize they were added too early) and when will the gravity stop dropping??

Some surprises I've had already is that the gravity is still dropping. First time WLP099 was used in my brewing as well so unsure of how it normally acts.

14lbs Crisp Maris Otter
2lbs Briess Caramel 20
2lbs Oats, Flaked
1lb Briess Caramel 40
1lb Caramel Pils 30
1lb Briess Caramel 60
1lb Briess Roasted Barley
1lb Rice Hulls
8oz Crisp Pale Chocolate alt

60 mins 2oz Summit
15 mins 2oz Chinook
1 min 2oz Cascade

Wyeast Scottish Ale (1728) Pitched 2 liter starter
Super High Gravity Ale (WLP099)

2 ea Vanilla Bean
2oz Cocoa Extract

Mash @158F 60min
Batch Sparge @170F 45min

OG: 1.100
11/05 @70F Fermentation within 12hrs.
11/09 @60-62F @1.050
11/11 Pitched WLP099
11/19 @68-70F @1.038
11/19 Moved to secondary
12/01 @61-62F @1.024
12/03 Added vanilla beans and chocolate
12/25 @61-62F @1.020

 

[solo103]

Did you make a starter when you pitched your yeast. Also you could have left it in primary longer before racking to secondary. Side note wich you probably know if vanilla beans stay in longer than 14 days they will start to leave a bitter taste instead of that sweeter vanilla flavour.

 

[solo103]

Keep posted how it turns out I love RIP Stouts .
Cheers

 

[KuntzBrewing]

What makes you want to use different low crystal malts, and not use 90-120, your using pretty light crystal malts for a RIS

 

[solo103]

I agree with kuntzbrewing I would have got rid of the lower malts and added 1lb 120 1.5lb 90 and another lb of chocolate. Just my opinion though

 

[KuntzBrewing]

Since uve already brewed I will warn u that RIS take a long time to mature, like 6 months at the earliest, once u bottle this id let it set till summer

 

[Calder]

5 lbs of Crystal, 1.5 lbs roasted malts, and mashed at 158 F. I'm surprised it got down to 1.020. It's probably done.

Side note wich you probably know if vanilla beans stay in longer than 14 days they will start to leave a bitter taste instead of that sweeter vanilla flavour.

I asked this question in a different thread, and no-one said there were any issues with leaving vanilla in for a long time. I have some sitting in some rum, that I plan to add to a brown/porter soon. They have been in the rum for over a week. Should I just add the rum and not the vanilla?

 

[soxside]

I used two Wyeast smack packs and made a 2 liter starter with them. After two weeks the fermentation stalled so I pitched a 1 liter starter of WLP099 which helped lower the gravity.

The vanilla beans were soaking in vodka for about two weeks before I pitched and it wasn't until recently that the vanilla & chocolate flavors are really coming out so no worries on the bitterness.

About the grain bill? Well, it's my first RIS and didn't want it to be too overpowering. Day of bottling I do plan on adding a triple shot of espresso to the carboy.

 

[StoutMaker]

I don't think that ones drying out no matter what. Way too much crystal and I would mash it at 148F. Also, this beer will have plenty of residual sweetness by virtue of the copious malt, use a more attenuative yeast like S-04, just use two packs, no starter necessary.

 

[solo103]

At calder -a good friend of mine that was a pro brewer at a grill and brewery and now owns his own brewery at jax beach told me that about the vanilla so I trust him. I bet that rum is smelling good. Lol

 

[HokieBrewer]

5 lbs of Crystal, 1.5 lbs roasted malts, and mashed at 158 F. I'm surprised it got down to 1.020. It's probably done.

Yep, I'd be amazed if it dropped any more without some sort of bacteria taking it down.