# Coopers Russian Imperial Variation



## Dementedchook (24/11/12)

Hi all, I've been eyeing off the recipe coopers list on their website for a russian imperial stout. Anyone have any experience with making it? More or less planning to make it with a couple of bits and pieces I've got lying around. Currently leaning toward using the kit yeasts with:

1.7kg Stout beer kit
1.7kg Dark Ale beer kit
1.7kg Lager beer kit
1kg Dextrose

500g Choc malt
500g Dark crystal

I was looking at http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...st&p=626383 which is why I'm inclined to add the crystal and choc.


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## mwd (24/11/12)

Yeh does it for me should be one powerful brew.

I did a toucan with Irish Stout cans and it was great. The Stout and Dark Ale is a proved and tested good mix.


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## RobboMC (26/11/12)

I'd be a bit careful with that much Choc malt first go,
maybe start with 250g and then tweak the recipe for next time.
Having just read the linked thread I'll point out that no-one suggests using more than 300g of chocolate,
so definately reduce it. ( I have a mate that once put 2kg of molasses into a brew, I asked
what it tasted like and he replied " Why Molasses of course you halfwit" ) Too much choc will overwhelm the other flvours.

The stout and dark ale cans should have enough colour, so perhaps use medium crystal instaed of dark,
although there's nothing wrong with dark crystal if that's the way you want it.

Also, do yourself a flavour and swap the dextrose for a 1.5 kg can of light malt extract
and add with 50g of Saaz in a 5 litre boil. Use half the extract can in the boil
and the other half straight into the fermenter.

Now I'm not the style police and if you want to make a chocolate russian then go for it, but I would consider adding 100g of black grain ( steeped in hot water of course ) but use VERY sparingly. This gives the brew a real black 'edge'. The stout kit would have a touch of this already. Again, perhaps make 1st batch without black grain and tweak later.


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## Dementedchook (26/11/12)

RobboMC said:


> I'd be a bit careful with that much Choc malt first go,
> maybe start with 250g and then tweak the recipe for next time.
> Having just read the linked thread I'll point out that no-one suggests using more than 300g of chocolate,
> so definately reduce it. ( I have a mate that once put 2kg of molasses into a brew, I asked
> ...




Thanks for the detailed reply. I figured I'd run with the base recipe from the coopers site as a starting point, which includes the dextrose. Playing with adding extract brings the extimated F.g. to about 1.030. So, yeah, think I'll go with that. Using the tins is apparently going to give a IBU of 105.6 so I take it you're talking about a flavor addition?
The thread I linked too listed 500g of roast barley, which I thought might be a little too much, so I went with the same amount of choc. I'll consider cutting it back a bit though. I'll keep the dark Crystal though, picked it up without looking at what I was grabbing and been looking for something to use it in. This seems like the right thing for it.


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## Dementedchook (15/12/12)

Well, I ended up running with the 3 tins, 1.2Kg dry extract, 500g each choc and dark crystal. O.G was ~1.110 and F.G. is 1.030. Looks like being 11.5%, big, thick beer. Fermenter smelled fantastic when I primed. Didn't get enough spare after bottling to get a taste, my brother snagged it. He just went on about how bitter it was and that it was like trying to drink stew.


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## joecast (16/12/12)

Wow, thats huge!! Sounds like its going great so far. Now you just need to try and hold off tasting it for six months (or at least a couple of weeks). 
Im a bit surprised it finished at 1030 really, you must have hit the sweet spot for yeast. Nice work :beerbang: post back with some tasting results.
Joe


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## Eyelusion (16/12/12)

Yeah please remember to post back with results as I'm very interested. :chug:


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## Rowy (16/12/12)

Twang X three I reckon h34r:


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## Dementedchook (28/12/12)

Rowy said:


> Twang X three I reckon h34r:



Well, I've been eying this off the past couple of weeks hanging to try it, but I know it'll be a long way from ready. As a compromise I'm going to try it once a month about the month mark from bottling. First should be about the 9th of January. Expecting something hideously bitter and rough, but I'll see. :icon_drunk:


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## Dementedchook (19/1/13)

Rowy said:


> Twang X three I reckon h34r:


No twang! Tried this last week, just before my internet died.

The head on it lasts, and lasts. Smells of alchol and caramel, didn't really notice any chocolate. Tasted burned/roasty, with just a hint of bitter, but getting less roasty and more wine like as it warmed.
Pretty meh, at the moment, but I'll see how it goes in another month. Seems pretty simple so far, but hopefully will develop some depth.


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## RobboMC (23/1/13)

Hmmmm,

Jealous!!

The Coopers instructions result in a beer that IS inside the RIS style, however it's still just a kit brew.

To make a great beer with more depth and complexity you will need to use a lot more grain and less extract,
and of course some added hops into the grain runnings.


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## Maxt (23/1/13)

Or you could be like a brewer some years ago who used extact, tins and a little grain and won the Best in Show, at the nationals...beat all grain beers and caused a huge kerfuffle!


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## Dementedchook (24/1/13)

Maxt said:


> Or you could be like a brewer some years ago who used extact, tins and a little grain and won the Best in Show, at the nationals...beat all grain beers and caused a huge kerfuffle!


 I found a thread that mentions that, it's part of the reason I'm having a crack at developing something myself. Already plotting what I'll change the next time. Probably start my using some roast or black grain, and some hops. I'm sure I'll keep posting in here untill I get something I'm happy with, and maybe add it to the database.


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