Session RIS, another oxymoronic idea

I'd check out Vikeman's sweet stout recipe as a starting point: http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/cocoa-banana-sweet-stout-all-grain.386645/

You'll have to use some unfermentables to get that thicker, chewier mouthfeel that's common for a RIS, but to still maintain a lower abv. I think the recipe comes in at a measly 4.4%, but at a thick 1.032 FG.

It'll be session-able, but it's no Miller 64, I'll tell you that!

 

I would say mash high, but even at 160 I still get over 65% attenuation. Lol.

 

1) There is nothing imperial about most IPAs (India Pale Ales), most are in the 6-7% range.
2) A hoppy pale ale is basically the definition of an IPA.

To your question, no, I don't think you can make a sessionable RIS.

 

I have a 9% Baltic Porter that is one of my top beers. I went for a 6.5% version, and while I enjoyed what I made, it was not a session Baltic Porter. I needed a few more attempts at tweaking. I'm in the camp that believes you can make a satisfying RIS that is lower ABV. How much lower is a good question and what your definition of rich tasting is also.

 

Beer styles evolve, they are not 'created'.
And as has been pointed out by others, most new 'styles' are not new at all.
The BJCP's artificial and contrived list aside, the truth is that there are really probably only a small handful of truly unique 'styles'.

 

The lines are blurred at best, I can't be as sure about these things as you. A hoppy pale has been classified as a pale ale, session iPa, and extra pale ale by those who brew them. Ale smith has Xtra pale, FFF has zombie dust, and dales pale is an American pale ale. And don't get me started on imperial iPa vs American barleywines...

 

Picking the right yeast could help with that stout. Go with something that accentuates malt

 

Except it existed historically. Barclay Perkins brewed a 5.5% ABV version of their Rusisan Stout in the 1920's and 1930's. I've plenty of recipes for it.

 

Shut up already about Barclay Perkins!

 

Just curious... how did it differ from any other moderate ABV stout/porter of the time?

Waxing philosophically, what's the true origin of a scaled down version of a scaled up recipe?

 

Good question. I'll take a look. Barclay perkins brewed loads of Porters and Stouts then.

 

It didn't really differ that much in its recipe. Barclay Perkins brewed 9 Porters/Stouts in the mid 1920s. The biggest difference between them was that the three with an Ex suffix - which didn't necessarily mean they were beers meant for export - were much more heavily hopped than the others. The session Russian Stout was hopped a tiny bit more heavily than the ordinary ones. The grists of all were pretty similar. Exception: No. 2 sugar in the strong Russian Stout, No. 3 in the weaker one.

 

i don't have anything to add as far as process goes, but i had something just like this last weekend at the veil brewing in richmond. they have a 4.4% chocolate milk stout called snozzwanger that is as thick and chewy as any big RIS that i've ever had. at 4.4% i was expecting the beer to be pretty thin, but the beer coated the glass like syrup. no idea how they did it. but if you find out, let me know.

 

I recently bottled a 11% ris with wlp013 and it might be my favorite stout yeast yet. Nice oak flavor and I didn't use oak. Would be great for lower Abv as far as I can tell

 

You picked a yeast that I have never loved, because it seems to impart an oak flavor! Not my thing, but if the character it imparts is what you like, you are thinking along the right lines for adding complexity to a lower a grav beer.

Maybe I need to give 013 another try. It's been a long time and my brewing has improved. I could be blaming a yeast strain when in fact I should be blaming the brewer.

 

Just because something is low alcohol doesn't mean it's sessionable. A chewy beer is a chewy beer. I can get pretty tipsy and still drink more, but once I feel full, I'm done.