Imperial Stout Fermentation

My basement is 65-66 degrees year round. I do not have any issues with big beers.

 

You're definitely going to need to keep temps down. Look up swamp coolers and try that if you have no other method available. Also, be sure you have a lot of headspace and/or put in a few drops of Fermcap once the krausen starts to form.

 

I'll always highly advise anyone to ferment with temp control on ANY style of beer.

However, a huge RIS without temp control is asking for problems. Not only in blow off, and mess, but in a beer that will be so solvent like you won't want to drink it.

 

I waited to brew my RIS until now (this weekend, actually) for that very reason. Ambient in the basement here in Mass won't go above 70 now, and hopefully the cool nights will reign in any kind of temp increase from fermentation. Good luck!

 

RIS and Big beers are my primary brew, (don't know why I think I just enjoy getting the ABV up there).
That being said I have never had one go bad, when I was doing 5G batches I would just put the CarBoy in ice water and soak a T-Shirt and drape it over it and let the bottom wick up the ice water, the fermentation will be crazy and a starter is recommended. I now have a 1BBL system with a temp controlled conical which solves any temp issues now.

 

I did a recent 1.114 OG RIS for a barrel project. I split the batch into two fermenters (6.5 gallon buckets). 3 gallons of wort in each and both almost blew off. For temp control I used a swamp cooler with ice filled water bottles and that worked well.

If I didn't use the swamp cooler I'm sure the temps would have gotten out of hand and fusels galore would have ensued.

 

Hope it won't go above 60* would be more like it. . Hope it works for you.