Imperial stout extract recipe help

Do you have temperature control? I brewed something very similar and with that gravity and that amount of yeast, you can expect a very "healthy" fermentation. A blowoff tube is a must but I would suggest trying to keep the wort at about 60F because the internal temp is really going to rise.

Regarding the recipe, you might want to add a bit of steeping grain that is going to give you some thicker mouthfeel, maybe some oats? Thin and sweet is not to my liking. I also like the effect that rye has in an Imperial Stout but that is really a personal preference.

 

I think Oats would be a great addition but on the other hand (to my experience at least) the DME won't ferment out as much as the all grain equivalent would so the OP might be ok.

 

I'm not a fan of black malt, so I usually nix it.

3 packs of US-05 is a bit much. Even if they were a year old, Mr. Malty still recommends only two (11.5g). It likely won't hurt anything. Just tryin to save you a few bucks.

 

Also 2 Vanilla Beans might be excessive. I have not used them myself but from what I've read that seems like a lot. On the other hands if it's too vanilla forward you can always age it 6 months and let it die down.

 

This recipe is woefully short on the dark roasted grain for an imperial stout IMO. You've got less roasted barley/black malt than I'd use in a 1.045 dry stout, and you're brewing a 1.094 imperial.

 

Don't oats need to be mashed in order to be utilized in any capacity?

In any case, I've used these grains in the past in conjunction with 8lbs. of DME for an RIS, and it came out quite delightful. Have you considered a partial mash? It painfully easy to do.

1.5lbs. Crystal 60L
1.5lbs. Crystal 120L
1lb. American Chocolate
.5lb. Roasted Barley
.5lb. Black Patent

 

I agree with homebrew42.
I wouldn't hesitate to go to a full pound of roast, a full pound of chocolate.
The debate about the black malt is a personal choice. I'd go to half pound and see what happens.

I'd go with at least two crystals 3/4 each. The two types just for complexity.

 

They need to be mashed (along with an enzymatic base malt) in order to yield sugars instead of starches. So steeping is not ideal.

 

But if they are being used strictly for mouthfeel (vs. fermentables) then steeping would be sufficient, right?

With that said, I would agree that a partial mash might be a better choice for a larger more complex beer.

 

As long as you don't mind starch in your beer, yes.

 

Looks good. Let us know how it turns out for you.

 

Yeah but he's using a DME, not an LME.

 

And what does that have to do with the appropriate amount of roasted barley/black malt for a 1.094 imperial stout?

 

DME does not mean Dark Malt Extract, if that's what you're thinking, it means Dry Malt Extract, and LME does not mean Light Malt Extract, it means Liquid Malt Extract. Both DME and LME come in light, amber, and dark varieties and the OP stated that he's using LIGHT DME, not dark.

 

I realized that a day or so after I posted it. I was thinking dark, instead of dry at the time. My mistake. I've been doing all grain and forgot the acronym.