# A Russian Imperial



## Little_Squares (9/11/05)

Hi, 

Does anyone have or know of a good recipe for a full mash Russian Imperial Stout. I've tasted a few good ones in the last month and am now dying to recreate it. The last one I had was around 11%alc and was so thick, you almost had to chew it......mmmm lovely. :huh:


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## Ross (9/11/05)

Little_Squares said:


> Hi,
> 
> Does anyone have or know of a good recipe for a full mash Russian Imperial Stout. I've tasted a few good ones in the last month and am now dying to recreate it. The last one I had was around 11%alc and was so thick, you almost had to chew it......mmmm lovely. :huh:
> [post="89312"][/post]​



Not sure how true to style this is & it has rather a mixed grain bill - but did pretty well in the comps this year. All the speciallty grains & coffee were cold steeped for 24 hrs, with the liqour being added at the beggining of the boil & the grains added to the mash tun just before sparging.

Russian Stout 
Russian Imperial Stout 


Type: All Grain
Date: 14/04/2005 
Batch Size: 26.00 L
Brewer: Ross 
Boil Size: 37.72 L Asst Brewer: 
Boil Time: 90 min Equipment: My Equipment 
Taste Rating(out of 50): 48.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.0 
Taste Notes: Gorgeous tasting, really rich smooth stout

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU 
4.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 43.9 % 
2.00 kg Munich, Dark (Joe White) (15.0 SRM) Grain 22.0 % 
1.00 kg Amber Malt (Joe White) (23.0 SRM) Grain 11.0 % 
0.50 kg Crystal, Dark (Joe White) (110.0 SRM) Grain 5.5 % 
0.50 kg Rye Malt (4.7 SRM) Grain 5.5 % 
0.46 kg Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 5.0 % 
0.25 kg Wheat, Torrified (1.7 SRM) Grain 2.7 % 
0.20 kg Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 2.2 % 
45.00 gm Northern Brewer [9.90%] (90 min) Hops 40.2 IBU 
26.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.00%] (80 min) Hops 11.6 IBU 
26.00 gm Fuggles [5.00%] (15 min) Hops 5.4 IBU 
0.96 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 min) Misc 
1.00 tsp Calcium Carbonate (Mash 90.0 min) Misc 
1.00 tsp Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Boil 90.0 min) Misc 
1.00 tsp Table Salt (Boil 90.0 min) Misc 
4.00 tbsp Coffee (Ground beans) (Mash 90.0 min) Misc 
5.00 gm Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc 
0.20 kg Molasses (80.0 SRM) Sugar 2.2 % 
1 Pkgs Irish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1084) Yeast-Ale 



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.080 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.020 SG 
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.8 % 
Bitterness: 57.1 IBU Calories: 676 cal/l 
Est Color: 45.8 SRM Color: Color 

Mashed at 67c for 90 mins.


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## Snow (9/11/05)

G'day Little Squares, welcome to the forum!

I love a RIS, too and tried the Wig and Pen's multi award winning effort at the Brisbane Beer Festival a couple of years ago. After a bit of sleuthing, I ended up getting their actual recipe, scaled down to a 23L batch! Here it is....

*Wig and Pen World Gold Medal Russian Imperial Stout*

Marris Otter 5.3kg
Roast Barley 1.2kg
Chocolate malt 0.8kg
Munich Amber 0.6kg
Melanoiden 0.4kg
Maltex (DME) 2kg
Pride of Ringwood 11% 95gms
Est. SG: 31.5 Plato (1.136)
Est. FG: 9.5 Plato (1.038)
67 IBUs
97 SRM
90% Efficiency.
Thick single infusion mash, hops added at
the start of the boil.

The Gold medal RIS was fermented initially using the Nottingham ale yeast but once the wort had reached around 8% alcohol whisky yeast was pitched to finish it up. Whisky yeast can handle up to 30% alcohol. The fermentation took place over a period of 4 weeks. The beer was then put
into oak casks and cold conditioned for 11 months at a temperature of 8 degrees Celsius.

Cheers - Snow


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## neonmeate (9/11/05)

what's "munich amber"? dark munich?


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## Stagger (9/11/05)

G'Day Snow when i put you recipe into promash the IBU's come out at 94.5, should it be around 68grams. Also if i was to not use the DME should i just bump up the base grain.



Stagger


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## Snow (9/11/05)

I don't know, Stagger. I've never made the brew myself, so I haven't even done the bitterness calcs. Does Promash take into account bitterness extraction reductions at very high gravities?

There are conversion formulae you can use to change extract to grain volumes. Maybe do a search?

Neonmeate, I assumed Munich Amber was just an imported amber malt. But now you've got me thinking it might be a slightly more toasted medium Munich malt, which would be easy to toast in the oven yourself.

Cheers - Snow


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## Boots (9/11/05)

Thanks for posting that recipe Snow. I was lucky enough to try that RIS on tap at the Wigg and Pen last year while in Canberra (shared a few with Pedro).

It was a knockout beer - gave me indigestion all week, but couldn't resist going back for more every night.

Will have to brew it one day.

cheers


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## Ross (9/11/05)

Nice one Snow  

Will definately be giving that one a go....

Cheers Ross...


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## Ross (9/11/05)

Stagger said:


> G'Day Snow when i put you recipe into promash the IBU's come out at 94.5, should it be around 68grams. Also if i was to not use the DME should i just bump up the base grain.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Stagga,

I think you might struggle to get the extraction you need using just grain - I'd have some extract on hand just in case....


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## Tony M (9/11/05)

Stagger said:


> G'Day Snow when i put you recipe into promash the IBU's come out at 94.5, should it be around 68grams. Also if i was to not use the DME should i just bump up the base grain.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Tinseth's tables roughly (the tables I have stop at 1.120) give an IBU of 57 for a finish vol. of 22 litre and 90min. boil


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## Snow (10/11/05)

Boots said:


> Thanks for posting that recipe Snow. I was lucky enough to try that RIS on tap at the Wigg and Pen last year while in Canberra (shared a few with Pedro).
> 
> It was a knockout beer - gave me indigestion all week, but couldn't resist going back for more every night.
> 
> ...



Ha ha I know what you mean Boots! I had it at the end of a loooong night of drinking at the Brisbane festival, because I wanted to "save my pallate" for the richest beer in the festival. It nearly did me in, but I still remember it was an outstanding beer and pretty much destroyed my pallate for the rest of the night.  

Cheers - Snow


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## Ross (3/2/06)

Put this one down today, based loosely on the wig & pen stout...
Built up the starter using 1098 (meant to use 1028), so ended up adding a vial of 1028 & 1084 for good measure, as I couldn't find the alcohol tolerance of 1098.
Mix of Amrican hops for bittering, purely to spread usage...

Russian Imperial Stout 

Type: All Grain
Date: 3/02/2006 
Batch Size: 26.00 L
Boil Time: 90 min 
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.0 

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU 
1.50 kg Light Dry Extract (15.8 EBC) Dry Extract 12.6 % (added end of boil)
7.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC) Grain 58.6 % 
1.40 kg Roasted Barley (Joe White) (1398.7 EBC) Grain 11.7 % 
0.80 kg Munich, Dark (Joe White) (29.6 EBC) Grain 6.7 % 
0.45 kg Carafa II (811.6 EBC) Grain 3.8 % 
0.45 kg Chocolate Malt (Joe White) (750.6 EBC) Grain 3.8 % 
0.35 kg Amber Malt (Joe White) (45.3 EBC) Grain 2.9 % 
20.00 gm Warrior [17.10%] (80 min) Hops 24.6 IBU 
20.00 gm Magnum [13.90%] (80 min) Hops 20.0 IBU 
20.00 gm Horizon [13.00%] (80 min) Hops 18.7 IBU 
27.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [4.20%] (80 min) Hops 7.5 IBU 
55.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [4.20%] (10 min) Hops 5.3 IBU 
14.00 gm Fuggles [5.00%] (10 min) Hops 1.6 IBU 
1 Pkgs British Ale (Wyeast Labs #1098) Yeast-Ale 
1 vial Irish Ale (1084) Yeast-Ale 
1 vial London Ale (1028) Yeast-Ale 

Beer Profile

Measured Original Gravity: 1.104 SG 
Est Final Gravity: 1.027 SG 
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 11.4 % 
Bitterness: 88.6 IBU 
Est Color: 194.3 EBC 

Hopefully ready for drinking by the xmas in July case swap, if we have one  ...

cheers Ross


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## jimmy01 (3/2/06)

Hi Ross

If this is half as good as the Imperial Stout I had at your place it will be a beauty. 
How's the new bar shaping up?

By the way I have had some success with the AG's since I visited. Put down a Pale Ale that was the fav on Christmas Day - Alas it didn't last long. Had some success with a Wit and a Liberty Ale clone. Working on that elusive Pilsener at present.

Thanks again for your help and inspiration.

Jimmy


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## neonmeate (3/2/06)

hot damn that looks tasty


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## Ross (3/2/06)

jimmy01 said:


> Hi Ross
> 
> If this is half as good as the Imperial Stout I had at your place it will be a beauty.
> How's the new bar shaping up?
> ...



Great to hear th AG's are going well - pop in anytime for a beer & bring a couple along if you've any spare... - The Stout I had on was only a puppy at 7% - This is a full blown RIS at approx 12% - Guess I'll have to make another lower alc one, as this won't be ready for quite a while...


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## johnno (3/2/06)

That looks damn delicious Ross.

A real knife and fork stout.

If I close my eyes and think about it I can nearly imagine what it would be like.

/Drools Homer style.

johnno


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## Trent (3/2/06)

Little Squares
I did an RIS last year before I headed back to my "other home" (canada and the states) for a few months. I left it in secondary for 10 weeks all told, and it is just starting to come good now, thinking about entering it in a comp this year, just to see what the feedback is. While I was o/s though, I tried several RIS', and thoroghly enjoyed them all, though they made mine look a little sad! Mine had a start grav of 1087 down to 1018. 
7.4kg maris otter
500g choc
500g Black patent
500g Crystal 245
500g flaked oats
All up got 17L into the fermenter (mash tun size issues). Went to 88 IBU with target and EKG for bittering, and fuggles for flavouring. Has turned out very nice, but I will be keeping a few bottles to see how they are on each 1 year from bottling.
Recently made another one that is still in secondary. 13.25kg of grain for a start grav of 1.104. Didnt get very good efficiency, so I suggest that if you are going AG for your stout, mash for 90 mins, and sparge SLOWLY!!! Only went to 86IBU, using Williamette for flavour hops, and it tastes really bitter, much more so that the previous. I suggest you stick to low alpha british hops (although I find Target helps you get your IBU's up). Both have been like warm honey coming out of the boil kettle. I had read that big beers pose a real challenge to make, and they most certainly do, so expect it to not go as planned, and you will not be surprised (as I have been both times )
All the best
Trent


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## Ross (5/2/06)

2 days fermenting at 16c & she's already trying to escape  - just dropped temp to 15c to slow her down a bit...

The importance of blow-off tubes...





Cheers Ross...


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## PhilS (5/2/06)

That is one vigorous yeast. I wouldn't have suspected that you would have needed a blow off tube with that amount of headspace  

Will be interested in how the RIS (Ross's Imperial Stout) turns out


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## jagerbrau (7/2/06)

Ross have you taken out the bit between the fridge and freezer in that fridge

Cheers David.

PS How low does the temp go.


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## Ross (7/2/06)

jagerbrau said:


> Ross have you taken out the bit between the fridge and freezer in that fridge
> 
> Cheers David.
> 
> ...




No, my brew fridges are all fridge, no freezer sections - allows 2 fermenters comfortably at a time...

cheers Ross


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## Ross (8/2/06)

I understand that the wig & pen matures their RIS in wooden kegs - Is this correct? If so, has anyone added oak chips to their stout & what quantities/time scale are we looking at?
Keen to give this a go, but don't want to ruin a brew....

cheers Ross...


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## Malnourished (8/2/06)

Ross said:


> I understand that the wig & pen matures their RIS in wooden kegs - Is this correct? If so, has anyone added oak chips to their stout & what quantities/time scale are we looking at?
> Keen to give this a go, but don't want to ruin a brew....


There was an article somewhere where the W&P's brewer basically gave out his Imperial Stout recipe. I think it was one of the Canberra Brewers' newsletters, but their website doesn't appear to let you search the .pdf files. I'd really like to read it again - does anybody know where it is?

As for oak, personally I wouldn't bother. It's very rare that a brewery (Rodenbach and its ilk I suppose) desires actual oak flavour. It's more about slow oxygen permeability helping the beer mature better, which obviously oak chips aren't going to give you. I tried oak chips a couple of times and didn't really like the results, but I don't like oaky wines either. A bit of subtle oakiness might be nice in this beer but I'd suggest it'll be lost behind all that roasted barley anyway. The only reason I can see to use them is if you soaked them in a spirit or something to emulate a bourbon/scotch/calvados/sherry/wine/whatever barrel-aged character, but I think that's getting away from what you're looking for.


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## Ross (24/9/06)

With February's effort about to run out, put this one down on Wednesday.

Russian Imperial Stout 

Type: All Grain
Date: 20/09/2006 
Batch Size: 26.00 L
Brewer: Ross 
Boil Size: 34.00 L 
Boil Time: 90 min 
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.0 

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU 
4.00 kg Pale Malt, Galaxy (Barrett Burston) (3.0 EBC) Grain 34.5 % 
3.50 kg Pale Malt, Golden Promise (Thomas Fawcett) (5.9 EBC) Grain 30.2 % 
1.20 kg Roasted Barley (Bairds) (1398.7 EBC) Grain 10.4 % 
0.90 kg Rye Malt (Wyermann)(9.3 EBC) Grain 7.8 % 
0.70 kg Munich Malt (Dark)(Weyermann) (23.0 EBC) Grain 6.0 % 
0.36 kg Carafa III (1034.3 EBC) Grain 3.1 % 
0.36 kg Chocolate Malt (Bairds)(1200.0 EBC) Grain 3.1 % 
0.36 kg Chocolate Malt Pale (Bairds) (600.0 EBC) Grain 3.1 % 
0.20 kg Peated Distilling (medium) Malt (Bairds)(5.5 EBC) Grain 1.7 % 
30.00 gm Warrior [15.10%] (80 min) Hops 33.1 IBU 
25.00 gm Magnum [13.50%] (80 min) Hops 24.7 IBU 
25.00 gm Horizon [13.00%] (80 min) Hops 23.8 IBU 
25.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [4.20%] (80 min) Hops 7.1 IBU 
50.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.20%] (10 min) Hops 6.0 IBU 
26.00 gm Fuggles [5.00%] (10 min) Hops 3.0 IBU 
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale 


Measured Original Gravity: 1.100 SG 
Est Final Gravity: 1.022 SG 
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 10.2 % 
Bitterness: 97.7 IBU Calories: 991 cal/l 
Est Color: 194.2 EBC 


Started fermenting this one at 15c along side along side my first Classic American Pilsner, which is fermenting at 11c, but with the probe only controlling the CAP the RIS has risen to 17.7c with the below results:

Tell tale signs




There she blows...



CAP sat on top shelf, happily fermenting at 11c 
RIS upto 17.7c



cheers Ross...


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## Malnourished (24/9/06)

Ross said:


> With February's effort about to run out, put this one down on Wednesday...


Looking good!

FWIW, I brewed a slightly modified version of the Wig & Pen recipe posted by Snow earlier in this thread a while back. It's still in secondary, but at racking it actually tasted a whole lot like W&P Imperial. I'm very impressed...

That was the fourth imperial stout I've brewed this year. I think I have a problem. :blink:


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## Ross (1/10/06)

*One Lucky Lizard*

Just went out to check on my RIS & found this poor little fellow stuck fast in the dried up overspill - I reckon at 10% alc it was a little too much for him to handle...
Got some mild detergent in warm water & a couple of minutes later he's run back to the bush none the worst except for I guess a sore head  ...




cheers Ross


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## warrenlw63 (1/10/06)

Must have thought you had some Bluetongue in the fridge. :lol: 

Warren -


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## Batz (1/10/06)

Ross said:


> *One Lucky Lizard*
> 
> Just went out to check on my RIS & found this poor little fellow stuck fast in the dried up overspill - I reckon at 10% alc it was a little too much for him to handle...
> Got some mild detergent in warm water & a couple of minutes later he's run back to the bush none the worst except for I guess a sore head  ...
> ...




Not the first one to leave your place in that condition either :lol: 

Batz


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## Voosher (2/10/06)

Flat out like a lizard drinking?


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## bindi (2/10/06)

My RIS is close to yours at 9.6% and I am sure it would pickled a lizard or even "kill a brown dog" [not Tony]  
That's why my dog Zeus does not sample that one.


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