Brewing our first Imp Stout...

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by Lefty1881, Aug 7, 2012.

Tags:
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Lefty1881

    Lefty1881 Initiate (0) Dec 31, 2010 Florida

    Ordered the recipe, but after thumbing through some threads I realize I may be in over my head and don't want to mess this up. Here's the questions I have..

    Using sweet orange peel, do I just add the orange peel in at the 15 min boil and then take it out when its done, along with all the other flavor additions such as cinnamon sticks, coca powder, etc... Or should I use the vodka method some people were talking about?

    I've never made a starter for yeast yet, will the Wyeast 1084 hold up to this bigger brew or will we need a starter?

    I've seen people say that a stout should sit for 4-6 months to smooth out. Do you just let it sit in the primary for that long, and at what temp? We wanted to add vanilla beans and cocoa nibs along with another 1 oz of dry hop - when should all this be added?

    I feel a bit intimidated by this style and my order hasn't even arrived yet. =/




    Well this is our grain bill for our stout..

    Brewer: 2 Live Brews
    Style: Imperial Stout
    TYPE: All Grain

    Recipe Specifications
    --------------------------
    Boil Size: 7.22 gal
    Post Boil Volume: 5.72 gal
    Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
    Bottling Volume: 4.55 gal
    Estimated OG: 1.099 SG
    Estimated Color: 55.0 SRM
    Estimated IBU: 45.4 IBUs
    Brewhouse Efficiency: 82.00 %
    Est Mash Efficiency: 90.2 %
    Boil Time: 60 Minutes

    Ingredients:
    ------------
    Amt Name Type # %/IBU
    12 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 71.6 %
    1 lbs 8.0 oz Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 2 9.0 %
    1 lbs Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 3 6.0 %
    1 lbs Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 4 6.0 %
    12.0 oz Carafa II (412.0 SRM) Grain 5 4.5 %
    8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 6 3.0 %
    3.00 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 37.0 IBUs
    1.00 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 8 7.5 IBUs
    1.00 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 13 1.0 IBUs
    1.0 pkg Irish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1084)

    Will have a ton of flavor additions like cocoa nibs and powder etc, but this is the base of it. Any suggestions or tips on it in terms of mash time and temps to get the most out of it, as this is our first stout. Thanks​
     
    NiceFly likes this.
  2. NiceFly

    NiceFly Initiate (0) Dec 22, 2011 Tajikistan

    Grain bill looks pretty good at first glance. I do not see some of the information I would like.
    Est FG? Mash temp? Fermentation temp?
    90% efficence seems ambitious but it is your system so you should know better than I.
    I would double the IBU's but that is me, plus I dont know your est FG.
    Never used WL1084 but any smack pack alone is underpitching for OG99 so you better get familiar with starters and use Mr Malty to help you along.
    I have little experience with spices, but when I made my holiday porter last year I used the vodka extract method at kegging and it worked very well.
    Good luck, I love a good RIS.
     
  3. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    I second the vodka extract. Make sure you ferment lower on the yeast strain temp to get you through high krausen. After that gradually ramp it up to ambient. This will help prevent some of those boozy flavors so you can add them right back in with orange firewater. If you extract, you can also add exactly how much you want. I think I used 1 oz of sweet orange peel and a few oz of vodka when I make my Imp. It's VERY orangy after a year.

    Another piece of advice would be to stay sanitary. It's especially important if you're going to cellar a beer. You want to make sure you don't get an infection, as over time, this will really have a big impact on your beer.
     
  4. axeman9182

    axeman9182 Initiate (0) Aug 5, 2009 New Jersey

    I would say, if it all possible, add your flavor additions in secondary and do a split batch (with half the beer remaining unflavored). My experience has been that if jump in to a new style/recipe and make a bunch of additions, it makes things harder to troubleshoot if you're not happy. With a split batch, you'll at least have a decent idea of whether you might have an issue with the base beer or one of your additions.
     
    NiceFly and inchrisin like this.
  5. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    BTW Nicefly, If you've never used 1084 you're missing out on something big in your life. It smells amazing when you make a starter, even better when you are fermenting, and perfect when it clings to your lip from sipping a dry stout.
     
    NiceFly likes this.
  6. NiceFly

    NiceFly Initiate (0) Dec 22, 2011 Tajikistan

    I may have to try it. I toggle between 1968 and 1728 for most of my brews, American IPA's included.
    So many yeast, so little time:angry:.
     
  7. Lefty1881

    Lefty1881 Initiate (0) Dec 31, 2010 Florida

    Mash temp was going to be 155 for an hour..

    Can I do 2 packs of yeast, or a starter is better?

    Also, how do you do this vodka extract?
     
  8. NiceFly

    NiceFly Initiate (0) Dec 22, 2011 Tajikistan

    So the Wyeast reported attenuation is 71-75%, as in low. If you want this to finish around FG30, or higher, keep the high mash temp. Personally I would do 150 no matter what yeast I was using with something this big.

    Starter is better in my opinion. Plenty of info out there.

    Get some vodka and take a little out. put your spices into that on brewday and seal it up. dump it into the secondary or add at bottling.
     
  9. DavoleBomb

    DavoleBomb Pooh-Bah (2,277) Mar 29, 2008 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Totally agree with this post. You need to get the RIS right before you can get the variants right.
     
  10. carteravebrew

    carteravebrew Initiate (0) Jan 21, 2010 Colorado

    You need to do a starter, no question. Consider some way of oxygenating that too, if possible.

    For your question about aging, I've never left a beer sitting on its yeast in primary for that long, but that's not to say it can't be done. In my experience, the colder you can age, the quicker it will smooth out. For instance, an imperial stout that we aged at <40*F for 3-4 months was smoother and less harsh than the previous imperial stout we made that aged at ~68*F for 6-8 months.
     
  11. Lefty1881

    Lefty1881 Initiate (0) Dec 31, 2010 Florida

    In regards to the cinnamon we are going to use - I don't know if we should use sticks or powder in the boil. Was going to add 5 sticks at 15 min along with 2 oz cocoa powder, but am now wondering if cinnamon powder would be better.

    Also, is 2 oz of cocoa powder too little in the boil? Even if I am going to be using nibs in the secondary?
     
  12. FATC1TY

    FATC1TY Pooh-Bah (2,564) Feb 12, 2012 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah

    I think 2 oz is fine. I did one. Few month ago, not quite as big but used 2 oz in the boil and added j Nibs at flame out. Also made. Bourbon nib mix I added to secondary with some oak and coffee too. I think your on the right track
     
  13. mschofield

    mschofield Pooh-Bah (1,871) Oct 16, 2002 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah

    honestly if you want to make such a big beer as a beginner, buy about 5 packs of dry yeast rehydrate & pitch

    nottingham or us-05
     
  14. FATC1TY

    FATC1TY Pooh-Bah (2,564) Feb 12, 2012 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah

    I agree on the dry yeast.... I mean.. you could do one liquid and the other dry, and rehydrate it, and call it a day and I'd think you'd have PLENTY of yeast for that gravity.

    I'm not big on starters, mainly because I don't have the stuff, or the time/will power to make one, so I'll buy all the yeast I need to call it good. I don't brew to be a cheap ass, but some like to keep it as cheap as possible, which is cool, but at the risk of working more.
     
  15. phiberoptik

    phiberoptik Initiate (0) Mar 17, 2010 Illinois

    If you have the means, brew a smaller stout first, then brew your RIS on the day you rack the first beer into the secondary. Then you can just put your RIS in the same primary with no need to sanitize and a big fat yeast cake to get you going.

    Plus you can test your additions on the first stout.

    By the way, IMO dont age the RIS on the yeast. Let it hang out in a secondary for 2-4 months. The yeast cake will start to impart unfriendly flavors after a while.
     
    FeDUBBELFIST and goodonezach like this.
  16. Lefty1881

    Lefty1881 Initiate (0) Dec 31, 2010 Florida

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.