Russian Imperial Stout

[Tubbsy9876]

So I've made one similar to this as a partial mash with a bunch of specialty grains and 3 cans of Coopers LME (Light, Amber & Dark). I think i may have gone too hard on the roast barley, but I'm hoping 4-6 months in the cupboard smooths it out to a winner!

 

[Cloud Surfer]

How much roast barley did you use? I used 500g and 250g of chocolate malt. At this stage I think that’s worked very well with the 12.3% ABV to maintain everything in balance. If the ABV was on the low side for a RIS I think it would taste too burnt. Though as you say, time generally fixes these things.

 

[Tubbsy9876]

How much roast barley did you use? I used 500g and 250g of chocolate malt. At this stage I think that’s worked very well with the 12.3% ABV to maintain everything in balance. If the ABV was on the low side for a RIS I think it would taste too burnt. Though as you say, time generally fixes these things.

I think i used about 300g roast barley plus 200g chocolate. Plus the dark tin. Abv is aboutv10.5%

 

[Cloud Surfer]

So today was bottling day. The RIS has been sitting in keg at 10C for three and a half months now, and I decided that it's time to move it along.

I prepared a CO2 purged bottling keg. I used 115g of dextrose boiled in 115ml of water, aiming for 2.2 volumes of CO2. Cooled that and poured it into the keg. Then rehydrated 4g of CBC-1 yeast in 40ml of water and added that to the keg. Then pressure transferred the RIS into the bottling keg. I upended the keg several times to give everything a good mix in.

I cut 20mm off the liquid tube in the conditioning keg, and that left 200ml of RIS behind, so everything going into the bottling keg was crystal clear. There was a small layer of sediment left over in the conditioning keg.

Then I used a bottling gun to purge the bottles with CO2 and then fill. I ended up with 25 bottles, plus a glass full, which was absolutely awesome. Anyway, here's some photos of the action.

 

[Nullnvoid]

I have never heard of this yeast before. I have a RIS that's been in the barrel for a long long time (due to the pandemic I couldn't get it) so this yeast might be the key for when I bottle.

 

[Cloud Surfer]

I’ve had all sorts of trouble getting my high alcohol beers carbonated. Even after months of warm conditioning in the bottle most have no carbonation at all. So given I pitched the yeast for this beer over four months ago and it’s over 12% ABV, there’s no way this one is going to carb without some help. I actually plan to add yeast at bottling to all my bulk conditioned and high alcohol beers from now on as an insurance policy.

There’s a few bottling yeast candidates. The CBC-1 seems ideal for the job. This is the first time I’ve used it so we shall see what happens when I pop a bottle in 4 weeks.

 

[MHB]

Safe Lager 34/70 is very good for bottle conditioning if you are inside its alcohol tolerance (<11%).
Very clean and neutral, flocks very well and isn't prone to throwing autolysis flavours.
Mark

 

[Nullnvoid]

I’ve had all sorts of trouble getting my high alcohol beers carbonated. Even after months of warm conditioning in the bottle most have no carbonation at all. So given I pitched the yeast for this beer over four months ago and it’s over 12% ABV, there’s no way this one is going to carb without some help. I actually plan to add yeast at bottling to all my bulk conditioned and high alcohol beers from now on as an insurance policy.

There’s a few bottling yeast candidates. The CBC-1 seems ideal for the job. This is the first time I’ve used it so we shall see what happens when I pop a bottle in 4 weeks.

Please come back with results. I need to source bottles before I can bottle mine. I had a heap but they are now full of a Westy 12 clone!

 

[Grmblz]

Please come back with results. I need to source bottles before I can bottle mine. I had a heap but they are now full of a Westy 12 clone!

What sort of bottles are you after?

 

[Nullnvoid]

What sort of bottles are you after?

Not fussy really, 750ml glass, but you know decently thick glass as they will be aging for 3-5 years (possibly more).

Just a decent bottle really

 

[Grmblz]

I put all my big beers in champagne bottles, and store under the house away from any sunlight and fairly stable temp. Happy to supply what you need (my wife is a champagne bottle producing force of epic proportions, the number of bottles that is, not her)
Probably too expensive to freight but if you're interested we could put a call out to the members to see if anyone is travelling from close to me to close to you, depends on your location of course, I get to Sydney occasionally, Melbourne rarely.

 

[Nullnvoid]

I put all my big beers in champagne bottles, and store under the house away from any sunlight and fairly stable temp. Happy to supply what you need (my wife is a champagne bottle producing force of epic proportions, the number of bottles that is, not her)
Probably too expensive to freight but if you're interested we could put a call out to the members to see if anyone is travelling from close to me to close to you, depends on your location of course, I get to Sydney occasionally, Melbourne rarely.

Ohh that's very kind of you. Might be a bit of a logistical challenge, but if anyone does read this and is coming back and forth then sounds good!

 

[Grmblz]

Sooo, you're in North London, UK?

 

[Cloud Surfer]

Please come back with results. I need to source bottles before I can bottle mine. I had a heap but they are now full of a Westy 12 clone!

I have to do a Westy 12 clone. I’ve got a Rochefort 10 conditioning in keg that I can’t wait to try. It’s still some months away though.

 

[Nullnvoid]

Sooo, you're in North London, UK?

Yep, she says "Hi"

 

[Cloud Surfer]

Please come back with results. I need to source bottles before I can bottle mine. I had a heap but they are now full of a Westy 12 clone!

So just to let you know how this turned out. I opened a bottle of my RIS after 4 weeks in bottle. It’s very well carbonated. Given the beer is 12.3% ABV, I think the CBC-1 yeast have done well to carbonate it up. This is the first high ABV beer I’ve managed to get carbed, with all before being totally flat. So it’s going to be standard procedure from now on to add this yeast at bottling for the high ABV beers.

I’m about to bottle an 8.3% IIPA and I figure I might as well add some CBC-1 to that as well.

 

[Nullnvoid]

So just to let you know how this turned out. I opened a bottle of my RIS after 4 weeks in bottle. It’s very well carbonated. Given the beer is 12.3% ABV, I think the CBC-1 yeast have done well to carbonate it up. This is the first high ABV beer I’ve managed to get carbed, with all before being totally flat. So it’s going to be standard procedure from now on to add this yeast at bottling for the high ABV beers.

I’m about to bottle an 8.3% IIPA and I figure I might as well add some CBC-1 to that as well.

That's brilliant! I better source some for my RIS. Put it in the barrel a couple of weeks ago and so it will be handy for when I bottle.

 

[Nullnvoid]

I prepared a CO2 purged bottling keg. I used 115g of dextrose boiled in 115ml of water, aiming for 2.2 volumes of CO2. Cooled that and poured it into the keg. Then rehydrated 4g of CBC-1 yeast in 40ml of water and added that to the keg. Then pressure transferred the RIS into the bottling keg. I upended the keg several times to give everything a good mix in.

Finally getting around to this. Got me some CBC-1. Trying to use Brewfather to work out the amount of dextrose but it wildly differs from yours. How did you come up with this amount of dextrose/water?

 

[Cloud Surfer]

I used the Brewers Friend beer priming calculator to work out how much dextrose to use. The amount of water doesn’t matter, I just use a 1:1 ratio because the dextrose dissolves well in that amount of water.

 

[Cloud Surfer]

So just to continue the story, I entered this into my first beer competition today. It came third in its class, dark and strong, and was best Imperial Stout of show. I’m quite pleased with that given it’s a fairly good beer, but I’ve learnt so much since I made this one and am making better now. The judging feedback is the best thing, and I can use it to keep improving.