Russian Imperial Stout

[Guysmiley54]

Hey there,

Brewed a Russian Imperial Stout the other day and I'm noticing some interesting things..


New Recipe
Russian Imperial Stout

Recipe Specs
----------------
Batch Size (L): 23.0
Total Grain (kg): 10.900
Total Hops (g): 170.00
Original Gravity (OG): 1.097 (°P): 23.1
Final Gravity (FG): 1.029 (°P): 7.3
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 8.89 %
Colour (SRM): 49.8 (EBC): 98.1
Bitterness (IBU): 73.1 (Average - No Chill Adjusted)
Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 68
Boil Time (Minutes): 90

Grain Bill
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8.750 kg Pale Malt (80.28%)
0.500 kg Flaked Barley (4.59%)
0.450 kg Special-B (4.13%)
0.350 kg Black Malt (3.21%)
0.350 kg Chocolate (3.21%)
0.250 kg Caramunich I (2.29%)
0.250 kg Chocolate, Pale (2.29%)

Hop Bill
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70.0 g Saaz Pellet (6.9% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (3 g/L)
50.0 g East Kent Golding Pellet (6.4% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil) (2.2 g/L)
50.0 g East Kent Golding Pellet (6.4% Alpha) @ 1 Minutes (Boil) (2.2 g/L)

Misc Bill
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Single step Infusion at 66°C for 90 Minutes.

After reading some posts recommending to add the dark malts until mash out, that's exactly what I did. I added them and stirred for 15 min until I reached mash out temp. I noticed that as this point that the colour wasn't as dark as expected...

My efficiency was terrible so I adjusted my boil time (still didn't add bittering hops until 60min) After the boil I cubed the whole thing without leaving a drop behind. I did this to get the cube close to full and minimize air in the cube. I am 3 days into fermentation and 2 packs of Craftbrewer Dry English blend have quickly chewed it down to 1034. There is so much trub still suspended in the wort that it looks like a brown ale when I take a sample...

A few questions:

1) Will the technique of adding dark malts late in the mash result in extracting less colour?
2) Has anyone else noticed that a high concentration of suspended trub in a dark beer will lighten it's colour? (at least until it flocks out)
3) If I have missed my colour with my late mash, what's the best way to correct the situation?

At this point though, a quick strain of the hydro sample and it is tasting super rich and chocolaty.

Any insight would be super cool.

 

[Screwtop]

6% Dark malt is not all that much in such a recipe.

Screwy

 

[Guysmiley54]

I was following the RIS recipe in Brewing Classic Styles, 98 EBC seems decent... What would you recommended I do from here? The beer could certainly take a bigger roast character as well as the colour.

 

[Screwtop]

Relax, the beer will still be good. Make Notes for the next batch!

All good recipes have been tweaked!

Screwy

 

[raven19]

You could steep some extra darker highly kilned malts, strain off the liquid, boil it then add to your wort.

Have done similar with a Baltic porter a few years ago with success.

 

[tallie]

After reading some posts recommending to add the dark malts until mash out, that's exactly what I did. I added them and stirred for 15 min until I reached mash out temp. I noticed that as this point that the colour wasn't as dark as expected...
...
1) Will the technique of adding dark malts late in the mash result in extracting less colour?

I've been doing this for the last 10 months, both with new and repeated recipes, and haven't noticed any unexpected colour differences.

2) Has anyone else noticed that a high concentration of suspended trub in a dark beer will lighten it's colour? (at least until it flocks out)

Yes; more so in paler beers, but if the particles are clearly visible, it can give the impression of a lighter colour.

3) If I have missed my colour with my late mash, what's the best way to correct the situation?

An alternative to raven19's suggestion is to add some Sinamar.

Cheers,
tallie

 

[manticle]

Next time try cold steeping cracked grain overnight (gladwrapped, in fridge). 10 mins or so before adding, bring to mash temp then add the lot to main mash.
Also boiling longer is a great eay of getting colour and flavour in big beers.

Have cracked, steeped and boiled extra with success in darker beets, as per raven's suggestion before too - works well and is easy, no fuss solution